When the Los Angeles Lakers traded up twice in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, it was clear they had their eyes on a prospect. That turned out to be Adou Thiero, a tenacious wing defender out of Arkansas.
When looking at highlights of Thiero’s game, his athleticism immediately jumps off the page along with his strength. He possesses a physical playstyle on the defensive end, getting up into players to force turnovers.
Unfortunately, L.A. has not been able to see if it translates to the NBA level yet due to the 21-year-old managing a knee injury. He sat out all of Summer League and has not yet been able to suit up this preseason.
But, a video was released by the Lakers recently showing Thiero dunking and his head was at the rim at peak elevation. Head coach JJ Redick caught wind of this and was blown away by how athletic his rookie forward is.
“Yeah, it’s insane,” Redick said after practice on Saturday. “I mean, head at the rim. It’s insane.”
Seeing Thiero throw down a dunk of that magnitude gives off the illusion that he is nearly ready to play. However, Redick is still not sure when the rookie will suit up for the purple and gold and emphasized caution.
“I mean, he’s been a modified participant,” the Lakers coach said. “He’s been a participant in everything but live. That, I don’t have a good answer for. I know we’re gonna really take our time with making sure all of his biomechanics are correct so that any swelling that he’s getting in that knee, kind of shut that off and kind of look out for his long-term health.”
Considering Thiero has not yet been able to suit up, it’s hard to imagine him earning a rotation role until later in the season.
With L.A.’s exhibition schedule coming to a close on Oct. 17, it remains to be seen if Thiero will be able to suit up at all. The Lakers could use more athleticism and he provides that, but the rookie needs to get healthy first.
Whether it be with L.A. or the South Bay Lakers, hopefully, Thiero can get on the court sooner rather than later to finally begin his professional career.
Adou Thiero willing to play in G League
Most second round draft picks spend a considerable amount in the G League, but how a player handles that demotion is always in question. But to Adou Thiero’s credit, he is willing to play for the South Bay Lakers if that is what is asked of him this season.
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