The Lakeshow Review

Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Adou Thiero is said to be healthy for training camp. The Lakers traded for Thiero on draft night after the Brooklyn Nets selected him with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. Unfortunately, Thiero sustained a knee injury which kept him out of this year’s Summer League games, but he’s poised to return to the court ready for training camp and preseason. At 6″6, Adou Thiero is an intriguing prospect. He’s quite raw from a skillset standpoint, but he does have a ton of upside. It’s still unknown as far as what we should expect from Thiero this season, his rookie season. But he does possess the tools to potentially be a valuable contributor for this team moving forward.

Thiero is an explosive athlete. His bounce and first step truly jump out of the film when watching him play. His speed and quickness allow him to be constantly active on defense and disrupt passing lanes. He has fairly good defensive instincts as well, which allows him to generate a healthy amount of turnovers. Then on the other side, he’s a tremendous finisher at the rim, with a robust dunking/finishing package to boot. He runs the floor well, and should be a natural fit playing alongside Luka Dončić in transition. He also happens to blessed with a formidable athletic profile, which you can see when he glides across the court with ease, or when he utilizes his wingspan to create turnovers, or when he finishes a vicious dunk after running the floor in transition. One of the main weaknesses this team will have to contend with is their general lack of athleticism, particularly on the wing. Thiero potentially addresses that by being a long, rangy and springy defensive specialist, while still having plenty of room to grow on the offensive side.

Thiero’s main drawback is of course his shooting. He’s not a floor spacer at this point in his career, having shot just 25% from beyond the arc during his final season at the University of Arkansas. He shot just over 28% for his collegiate career. Thiero is still raw and unpolished as an offensive player, excelling mostly when he can utilize his great athletic gifts, and doesn’t have to deploy a specific skill, such as shooting the ball. He’s also lacking as a ballhandler, however, as an off-ball player, which he’ll mostly be utilized as, this is not his biggest issue. In order for him to reach his full potential, he must work himself into a resectable long range shooter, as well as someone who can knock down an open three. If he can ever be a corner specialist, with that type of defensive ability, he’ll be a pro for a long time.

Adou Thiero is of course a Klutch Sports client. So it raises the question, did the the Lakers draft him based on merit, or to curry more favors with Rich Paul, LeBron’s long time agent and head of Klutch Sports? Who knows. But if Thiero can play, and fill a gap on this team while being a steady contributor, none of this will matter. He’s certainly a project at this stage, and I would venture to say that his expectations for this upcoming NBA season should be placed on the lower end of the spectrum. But he is a strong athlete, with a great finishing package and a defensive mindset that can make him very valuable to this team. The Lakers need willing defenders, who are above average athletes to build around Luka Dončić. Thiero certainly fits into that profile. The key for him will be evolving into a legitimate half-court threat on offense, so that he can keep the defense honest, and open things up for himself. It’s not a terribly dissimilar spot from the one Jarred Vanderbilt finds himself in. If Thiero can improve his shot-making as well as his finishing at the rim, he’ll work himself into a very sought after role player. For a second round selection, I think he brings great value and potential, while mitigating the risks involved with young prospects. Even though it might take him several years to reach his ceiling as a player, he can potentially fill an empty niche on this Lakers roster in the future, and if he does, the Lakers will have gone a long way to addressing their lack of athleticism and defense on the perimeter. Hopefully he shows us something in preseason. Go Lakers.