My guess is Pitino is giving Gabe the chance to break the shooting slump in the non-conference games. If he doesn't turn it around soon, Mashburn Jr. and Tre will eat into his minutes and possibly start over Gabe.
Carr's dribbling will win us some conference games. Every team needs a guy who can get his own shot at any time anywhere on the court - the LMU finish was a great example.
He plays 20-25 minutes a game. Not being able to stretch the floor and provide some scoring off the bench is a concern for me if he's getting that kind of run.