Los Angeles Lakers wing Jake LaRavia suffered an apparent ankle injury during the team's season-opening win over the Golden State Warriors. LaRavia was a bright spot for Los Angeles, scoring 10 points in 18 minutes, but his ankle injury has cast a shadow over their early success.
In the event that LaRavia either misses time or experiences lingering effects of the ailment once he's back on the court, rookie Cameron Carr will likely find himself with a prominent role sooner than expected.
Carr has the potential to be an impact player in Los Angeles and was seemingly brought in to become exactly that as a first-round draft pick. It doesn't hurt that he turned heads at summer league and began the preseason with a 19-point performance.
The veterans seemed to be favored in head coach JJ Redick's rotation, however, with the likes of LaRavia, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams appearing to be prioritized.
In the event that LaRavia is sidelined for any period of time with the ankle injury, Carr returning from his own bout with an oblique injury could lead him straight to significant minutes. With respect to the veterans, Los Angeles doesn't exactly have wing talent that can be described as secure in their role.
With LaRavia battling an injury and all three of he, Thybulle, and Williams on expiring contracts, Carr could realistically make a run at major minutes starting on the day he debuts.
Cameron Carr could find expedited path to minutes after LaRavia injury
Carr, 21, didn't need an injury to transpire for his minutes to become a discussion. He's an explosive athlete with three-level scoring potential and deep range on his jump shot, as well as a 6'5" wing with the length to match up against players at multiple positions.
Los Angeles is clearly aspiring to win in the present with Luka Doncic entering his prime, however, and the veterans having even a slight edge over Carr in consistency is thus likely to win out.
What LaRavia's injury has changed is the manner in which Carr could be introduced to the rotation. If LaRavia is sidelined, Carr should receive equivalent playing time in relief of Thybulle and Williams, who started the Lakers' regular season opener.
If Carr then performs well in that scenario, then even LaRavia's return to perfect health shouldn't be enough to cut too far into the rookie's playing time.
Cameron Carr has two key advantages over the wing competition
There's certainly reason to prioritize Carr, to some degree, despite his inexperience. That's due in no small part to the fact that, while LaRavia is in the final year of his deal and both Thybulle and Williams were signed to one-year contracts, Carr is in the first season of a four-year rookie-scale deal.
A long-term presence should play at least some kind of role in how the Lakers approach their first season with a new-look roster.
The ideal approach, of course, would be for Carr to join a healthy rotation of forwards and wings and strengthen the team's depth. Injuries do happen, however, and LaRavia's has created a clear void in the rotation that Carr is built to fill.
Carr is one of the most promising young players on the Lakers' roster, and with LaRavia enduring an early ankle injury, the path to the role that may have otherwise taken longer to secure is clear.
Add us as a preferred source on Google