Former Penn State point guard Tony Carr prepares to shoot a free throw in the third quarter of his New Orleans Pelicans' NBA Summer League contest against the Miami Heat on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.

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By David Jones/PennLive columnist



Tony Carr is at a crossroads moment. In that way, he’s no different than dozens of other hopeful NBA players. Everyone is learning.

But Carr’s learning curve must be precipitous if he’s to stick on the New Orleans Pelicans’ roster in any capacity. It remains to be seen whether he realizes that.

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The former Penn State point guard has had a very mixed showing in his first two games in an NBA jersey with the Pelicans’ NBA Summer League team. That’s to be expected. Every transition period requires some acclimation and realization of one’s liabilities at a new level.

But what makes this one different for Carr than his easy ascent into stardom as a freshman at both Roman Catholic High and Penn State is the competition and the stakes.

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He is up against both fringe veterans hungry for a roster spot and at least two de facto rookies who are quite clearly ready to fight for a regular paycheck. One of them, undrafted Xavier product Trevon Bluiett, has set the nets afire for the Pelicans in his first two games and stands second among Summer League players in scoring.

That’s what you have to do in this venue to get noticed – do one thing at an elite level. It’s either that or do a bunch of things so well that coaches value your versatility.

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Carr was the 51st overall selection in the second round of last month's NBA Draft after starring in his two years at Penn State. He was the first Nittany Lion basketball player drafted in 19 years since Calvin Booth in 1999.

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In short, Carr is no longer endowed anything. He's a 51st overall draft pick who could just as easily be shipped off to Europe in a sign-and-stash arrangement with the Pelicans or simply cut altogether as stick on their 14-man roster. His best-case appears to be a two-way contract under which he could bounce back and forth between the big club and their G-League affiliate.

That's because the Pelicans, who finished 6th in the Western Conference and swept the 3-seed Trail Blazers in the playoffs, have lots back in the backcourt despite losing rental point man Rajon Rondo to the Lakers in free agency. They re-signed former Golden State Warrior Ian Clark and signed free agent and Louisiana -native Elfrid Payton from the Suns in the last three days. Along with starting defensive All-Star Jrue Holiday and holdover sub E'Twaun Moore, they promise to occupy four backcourt spots.

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Duke-product Frank Jackson, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, was ticketed for a fifth as a back-up point but badly sprained his ankle in the Pelicans’ Summer League opener on Friday against the Raptors. That was an absolute gift to Carr who acquired most of Jackson’s minutes.

But Carr has not done a heck of a lot with them so far in two New Orleans wins. It’s Bluiett who’s been the revelation, filling it up from deep to the tune of 50 points in two games. He had 24 against the Raptors on Friday and 26 more against the Heat on Saturday, hitting a combined 12-of-18 from NBA 3-point range.

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That’s the sort of stuff that opens eyes. If Bluiett can continue to do it in the remainder of the Summer League and in fall camp, he’ll certainly be a threat to grab a remaining backcourt spot on the Pelicans’ opening-night roster in October.

Carr has done nothing so impressive. I logged every play of his positive and negative in his first two pro games. Here are four takeaways from those initial appearances:

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Carr drives left around G-League vet Ike Nwamu (51) to hit a fading 10-footer while fouled for a 3-point play in the third quarter of the Pelicans' win over the Miami Heat.

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1. His shooting has been spotty.

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Maybe in no other category does such a small sample size as we have so far give so faint an indicator of what’s to come. But, for what it’s worth, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry and general manager Dell Demps can’t gain much comfort from what they’ve seen so far of Carr’s shooting. He’s been all over the place. The stats say 6-of-14 from the field (.428 FG%) which is OK. A lot of the misses have been ugly, though.

Shooting is always about comfort and few raw rookies are comfortable in their first toe dip in pro waters. Carr has missed some wide-open looks both at 3-balls and mid-range pull-ups. He’s also hit a couple of acrobatic driving shots including a falling-down and-1 on Saturday while fouled by the Heat’s Ike Nwamu.

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That said, you have to make an emphatic statement at this level to stick. And while Carr has been hit-and-mostly-miss, Bluiett has been stealing his thunder with a spectacular 17-of-24 (708 FG%) including those dozen treys. Bluiett has been hitting everything – open, guarded, quick-trigger off a dribble or catch-and-shoot. And he’s done that in considerably less run (41 minutes to Carr’s 53).

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Like Carr, Bluiett was a very good 3-ball shooter in college (.417); people just didn’t think he was big or fast enough for the NBA. He may still not be. But he’s trying to prove he can do that one thing so well that he can be a situational player and work through his liabilities.

Meanwhile, Carr’s funky semi-set shot has not found the range much and he’s tossed up three airballs, one on a trey and two on forced pull-ups.

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Carr prepares for tip-off on Saturday in the New Orleans Pelicans' NBA Summer League game against the Miami Heat in Las Vegas.

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2. He's still not an attentive defender.

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You can receive a temporary benefit of doubt even from bottom-line-driven NBA coaches and personnel folk, if you play defense like your life depends on it. Carr never did at Penn State and, so far in his pro tenure, he isn’t altering that trend.

He did not draw any particularly tough defensive assignments – most of his minutes came against Patriot League product Malcolm Miller (Holy Cross) of the Raptors and college journeyman Nwamu (Cleveland State, Mercer, UNLV) of the Heat who played in the G-League last season.

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Yet, he still suffered drive-bys at the hands of Miller and simply lost track of Nwamu on occasion just from lack of alertness. Nebraska product Tai Webster, who surely knows Carr’s tendencies, blasted by him to the lane solely because Carr didn’t get into defensive position quickly enough when he had the chance.

Some superior athletes can get away with this stuff. But Carr’s average quickness doesn’t allow him to recover when he bites on simple ball-fakes or gives up an angle. He can’t afford to make fundamental and/or effort mistakes.

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Carr surveys the court on Friday afternoon in the Pelicans' NBA Summer League win over the Toronto Raptors in Las Vegas.

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3. His vision has been his strong point so far.

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If there’s been one bright spot for Carr in the first two games, it’s been his clear understanding of the game and court vision. This can’t be minimized because coaches love to see it and it’s not all that common. It’s one thing if a kid misses shots, it’s quite another if he looks like he has no idea what’s going on out there. Carr always looks like he sees all nine other men on the floor. That game comprehension will give him every opportunity to iron out the rest of his game.

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Sprinkled throughout his two contests were several deft assists in each where he made the right pass at the right instant to find teammates for wide-open shots or dunks. At one point late in the Miami game, he hit big men Cheick Diallo, Derek Willis and Cliff Alexander on consecutive possessions with perfect soft feeds, all for slams. This has to give Demps and Gentry hope that he can develop. Visual recognition is the most underrated and often underappreciated gift in basketball. Carr has it.

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Unlike Carr, former Penn State point guard Tim Frazier went undrafted in 2014. But he's carved out a consistent NBA roster spot the last three seasons after toiling in the D-League in 2015 by combining his superior athleticism with hustle and heart.

4. He needs to play faster and show a lot more energy.

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Fellow Penn State point guard Tim Frazier is a perfect counterpoint to Carr in that he had to work for everything he’s gotten but has managed to stick in the NBA simply because he plays at top speed every second he’s on the floor. Carr’s athleticism can’t compare to Frazier’s, but he could still take a lesson from his all-out effort.

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Frazier went undrafted, had to play in what was then called the D League in Portland, Maine, went to training camp with the Celtics, made his NBA debut under 10-day deals with the 76ers, got a shot to stick with the Blazers and made a good impression, but was eventually let go, got another shot with the Pelicans and played significant minutes, and finally was picked up by the Wizards last season. He’s made rosters despite his erratic perimeter shot because people respect his motor and his hustle.

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Carr is not exhibiting anything close to what he needs to in those departments so far. Too often, he drifts into defensive positions, jogs down floor on runouts and is pushed out of position for loose balls and boards or simply doesn’t react quickly enough to them.

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He got flat-out outhustled for what should have been his defensive board by the Raptors’ O.G. Anunoby. He got pushed 10 feet under the hoop on an attempted box-out by Raptors’ rookie Rawle Alkins. He lost Nwamu on an in-bounds play for a wide-open corner three simply because he didn’t bother to make defensive contact before the throw-in.

These are not advanced concepts. They're basic basketball. Carr is still just too nonchalant all the damn time, like the cool kid who doesn't want to ever look like he's trying too hard. He's not good enough to get away with that in this league.

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I can’t take credit for the following observation about Tony Carr and neither can I disclose the observer. Still, I thought it was very astute when I was texted it the other day by a hoop junkie whom I respect:

"Beyond his obvious athletic issues, he's been the best player on every team he's ever been on, with everything set up to maximize his best skills. Now, he's just another guy on the floor who has to find his own way. So, what he can't do will be very easy to spot."

I'll go that appraisal one step further: What he can and should be able to do, but doesn't, could very well present him with a lengthy pro career everywhere but the NBA. That's up to Carr to sort out with himself in these next few critical months.

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Carr and the Pelicans' Summer League team play their third game at 3 p.m. EDT today (ESPNU) against the Detroit Pistons at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

EMAIL/TWITTER DAVID JONES: djones@pennlive.com

Follow @djoneshoop

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