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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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NBA rookie Cameron Carr may have put unnecessary pressure on himself and the Los Angeles Lakers with his blunt comments ahead of even stepping on the court in a regular-season game.
The 21-year-old became the No. 24 pick in last night's NBA Draft, and it initially looked like he was joining the New York Knicks, as he donned their cap. However, a draft-night trade was revealed, with the Knicks sending him to the Lakers, who had the No. 25 pick.
He's raising eyebrows with some fans and critics already, after participating in a game of "Who would you rather guard?" and revealing his reasons for preferring not to guard the league's reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, compared to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
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"Wait, who would I rather guard?" Carr clarified with the interviewer about the question before answering, "Yeah, I ain't dealing with the flopping, Anthony Edwards."
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Many analysts and critics suggest that SGA expertly knows how to "flop" and draw fouls from the referees, which helps him rack up free throws, and the OKC Thunder achieve big wins. However, many former and current players have come to the defense of SGA, indicating they've also become good at getting refs to call fouls for them, so it's not just an SGA issue.
That said, it's unknown if Carr will get that SGA assignment when he gets on the court, but now he might be worried about the recipient of getting those fouls called against him.
Throughout the NBA postseason, which ended in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the reigning back-to-back MVP made 132 of 148 free throws. This past season, StatMuse indicated Gilgeous-Alexander was second in the league with 614 free throw attempts, 31 fewer than the leader, Luka Doncic, who had 645 attempts.
Carr enters the league already possibly raising the attention of at least one opponent, but perhaps Edwards and LaMelo Ball have him on their radar, too. In the same video, Carr mentioned he'd rather guard the Timberwolves' Edwards rather than the Charlotte Hornets' Ball, without elaborating on why.
For college stats, the Baylor Bears standout averaged 18.9 rebounds, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, and hit slightly over 80% of his free throws. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley graded this pick for the Lakers as an A, indicating he's a defensive playmaker and athletic perimeter player who will fit in well.
He'll join a Lakers team that has its superstar with Luka and seems to be moving forward with guard Austin Reaves as part of their core. However, it's still unknown if LeBron James will be on the roster this season, so time will tell how involved the promising rookie Carr will be in the team's rotation.
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