The Golden State Warriors may be feeling pretty good about Yaxel Lendeborg’s early run at the California Classic, but there’s another part of last month’s draft that could sting a little more with each passing game.
The Los Angeles Lakers moved up to grab Cameron Carr with the 24th overall pick after the Baylor wing slipped in the first round, and he’s already making that decision look sharp. For the Warriors, and a few other teams, that’s where the regret starts to creep in.
Carr has wasted no time flashing the kind of shooting touch that can change a team’s outlook fast. In the Lakers’ opener against Golden State at Chase Center on Friday, he was the one bright spot in a 104-72 loss, scoring 19 points while knocking down 5-of-11 from three. Two days later, he took center stage in Los Angeles’ 93-91 win over the Miami Heat, finishing with a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds in a double overtime battle, while hitting 4-of-9 from deep.
That kind of start is exactly why the Warriors’ draft process now looks a little more frustrating in hindsight. Lendeborg appears on track to matter right away, but with a class this deep, Golden State may have been better served trying to move into the early 20s and chase another first-round talent.
Carr wasn’t the only player who slid farther than expected. Labaron Philon Jr. lasted until No. 22 with the Philadelphia 76ers, even though many had him in the mix for the Warriors at No.
- Chris Cenac Jr. was another name Golden State had shown interest in before the draft, and while he was never viewed as a lottery pick, he still remained available until the Boston Celtics took him at No.
Philon and Cenac haven’t gotten their summer league chances yet, but Carr already has. And after two games, he’s looking like the kind of shooter who can stick around for a long time in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Warriors Put Immediate Pressure On Melton With This Curry Backcourt Bet
DeAnthony Melton is back in the mix for Golden State, and the move says plenty about how the Warriors want to shape the backcourt around Stephen Curry. The club brought Melton back on a two-year, $11 million deal, betting that his defense and versatility give them a better fit than a more offense-first option would have, even if the debate among fans has already started to tilt toward firepower versus balance.
Meltons first run with the Warriors never had much time to breathe, and that is part of what makes this next stretch so interesting. Golden State is clearly comfortable with the idea that Melton can answer a real need next to Curry, but the pressure is immediate: he has to stay available, settle into the role quickly and show that the fit the front office sees is more than just a theory on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Blasts Celtics Over Stunning Jaylen Brown Trade
Draymond Green didnt hide his reaction to Bostons latest roster shake-up, taking aim at a trade that sent Jaylen Brown out of the Celtics orbit and immediately sparked debate around the league. From Golden States perspective, it was the kind of move that invites instant overreaction, especially when a player of Browns stature changes teams and the first question is whether one side just handed the other a major advantage.
Greens criticism landed in the middle of a broader back-and-forth about how to judge the deal, with some seeing Philadelphia as the clear winner and others pointing to the uncertainty around Paul Georges recent play and health as a reason to slow down. Even in a league that lives on bold swings, this is the sort of transaction that can look one way on the day it happens and another way once the dust settles, which is why the discussion around Boston is far from finished. [Read more 🡒]