With the team’s top scorers both out due to injury and the playoffs right around the corner, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is looking for players to step up. Many players will get the opportunity to prove they are ready for a larger role and one of the most intriguing is rookie second-round pick Adou Thiero.
Thiero has missed much of the season due to injury but has some promising tools and they were on display in the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. And after the game, Thiero acknowledged that the chance to earn playoff minutes is there and he is looking to earn the trust of his coaches.
“You could say I’m looking at it like that for sure,” Thiero said of trying to earn postseason minutes. “But just trying to go out there and keep building my own confidence and building the coaches’ confidence to put more trust in me and let me go and show what I can do in those situations.”
Thiero had easily the best game of his young career against the Thunder, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Perhaps most notable was that he got to the free throw line 10 times, though he made only five.
Regardless, Thiero is embracing the next man up mentality and is looking forward to showing what he’s capable of.
“JJ has been preaching next man up all season, so just kind of looking at it like that, as an opportunity,” Thiero added. “Guys are down, trying to go out and see what we’re made of.”
Injuries are always unfortunate, especially when they come to players like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but they also bring opportunity for others to step up. Thiero obviously can’t replace what they bring to the team offensively, but if he can show himself to be a defender and energy player while being solid enough on offense, it will bode well for him both in the playoffs this season and in the future.
Marcus Smart trending towards returning for Lakers this week
Another player who the Lakers have been without for the past couple of weeks has been veteran guard Marcus Smart, who has been dealing with a right ankle contusion. With just a couple more games remaining in the regular season, it looks like Smart will be returning to the Lakers’ lineup before the postseason begins.
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