Matisse Thybulle Makes Strong Prediction About Lakers Rookie Cameron Carr

As the NBA preseason gets underway for the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, there are a lot of questions about the team’s new-look roster, including whether rookie Cameron Carr will be able to crack head coach JJ Redick’s rotation right out of the gate.

Carr put on a show playing alongside high-flyer Adou Thiero in the NBA Summer League, with the young dynamic duo leading the team to the semifinals of the tournament in Las Vegas and winning all but one of their games.

Along with turning some heads during Summer League, Carr has received high praise from his Lakers teammates and from Redick, who admitted the rookie will have opportunities to play during his first season in Los Angeles.

Matisse Thybulle: Cameron Carr a ‘Sponge’ With ‘Huge Appetite for Learning’

One connection Carr had before being drafted by the Lakers in the 2026 NBA Draft was with veteran wing Matisse Thybulle, which goes back to the rookie’s freshman year in college.

Thybulle has been impressed with Carr’s eagerness to learn as much as he can heading into the first year with the Lakers.

“The kid's always just been a sponge,” Thybulle said of Carr. “He really has a huge appetite for learning. He really wants to understand the game and be able to do it at a high level. It's cool just to be around young guys who care that much. For him, it's just going to be about the reps. He's going to get them, and he's going to be a great player.”

Young players who are a “sponge” and anxious to learn as much as possible from veterans and coaches tend to excel, as the goal of striving to improve never stops and eventually pays off.

Others who are content with their talent being enough to be successful can flame out quickly. Fortunately for the Lakers, Carr is hungry, and even if he’s tasked with watching from the sideline or playing with the Coachella Valley Lakers in his first season, he’ll use every opportunity to get better.

Cameron Carr Soaking Up the Knowledge From Matisse Thybulle

During Lakers media day, Carr talked about learning from Thybulle and the privilege of being able to ask him questions as a player with similar physical attributes.

“I've known him for some time,” Carr said of Thybulle. “I've known him since after my freshman year of college. Anytime I just get to sit there and ask him questions. I mean, he's a skinnier guard. He's strong, though, strong for a skinny guard. But I get to just ask him questions where I can be more effective or more efficient, especially as being a skinnier guard, just not getting knocked off my line, being physical and being disruptive.”

The rookie will have no shortage of mentors on this new-look Lakers squad, with plenty of veterans and other young players in a similar situation up and down the roster.

JJ Redick: ‘Biggest Thing’ for Cameron Carr is ‘Getting Reps’

Redick recently revealed what he thinks is key for Carr heading into his rookie season. The third-year head coach thinks it simply comes down to getting reps, even if it's not in NBA games right away.

“I think the biggest thing for Cam in this first year, same thing with Adou [Thiero] last year, is just getting reps. Reps are so important, whether that’s in practice, stay-ready games, small group work, G League, whatever it may be. Reps are important.”

Carr will be one of the many players on the Lakers’ revamped roster competing for minutes in Redick’s rotation, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he gets them, especially if he has a solid preseason performance over the five games set to be played.

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