The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League slate on a high note, cruising to an easy victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder behind a stellar performance from Adou Thiero.
The second-year forward filled up the statsheet with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks on 8-of-14 shooting, putting on a highlight reel of dunks in the victory. After the win, Thiero discussed his breakout performance and how the game is slowing down for him after a rough start to the summer in the California Classic.
“I feel like I was capable of doing this,” Thiero said. “It’s not different from things I was doing in the G League last year. I feel like I got real comfortable in the G League, how to play and everything and just took that break and still trying to get back to healthy and everything and finally getting to go out and play. I just feel like I sped myself up a little bit and now I’m slowing down and letting the game come to me.”
Despite the big night though, Thiero knows he still has a long way to go in his development.
“It definitely feels good to go out and get the reps and see some of the stuff you work on go out there and work,” he said. “But at the same time, I still have a lot of work to go and in these games, I still see where I need to develop and gotta bring stuff from workouts to games.”
Thiero’s rookie season was unfortunately hampered by injuries, so he never got a real opportunity in JJ Redick’s rotation. After speaking with the coaching staff though, he knows what he needs to do to make that happen this season.
“Just trying to go out there and cause havoc,” Thiero said. “JJ, he says the things he wants, we need a point-of-attack, on-ball defender and everything. So, just trying to go out there and be that, trying to get reps and defending and then, offensively, just trying to play basketball, just trying to make the game more simple for myself.”
Thiero is one of the most athletic players in the league, sometimes even to his detriment. When he channels that athleticism and energy though, he has a chance to be special.
“He just wasn’t rushed tonight,” Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott said of Thiero. “He took what was in front of him. He attacked matchups. He understood that there was going to be some paint swarming. Those guys are going to try to flood and meet him at the rim and he made the right pass. And then when he started doing that, it started to open up for him and he was able to finish at the rim.”
Adou Thiero critiques windmill dunk
The highlight of the night came when Thiero threw down a windmill dunk in transition after a steal, putting the crowd to its feet. He didn’t seem to be as impressed with it as everyone else though.
“The windmill was nice, but it wasn’t my best windmill,” Thiero said. “I’d probably say that was one of my worst windmills. I didn’t have my footing. I went back and watched it on video and I didn’t really like it.”
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