The moments Adou Thiero played for the Lakers were exciting and promising. As a young player with an incredible athletic burst, he had some of the best dunks of the year for the Lakers.
The problem was that playing time was rare.
Part of the reason for that was health-related. Thiero wasn’t able to play in Summer League or the preseason and didn’t make his NBA debut until mid-November, as he was recovering
from left knee surgery. Add in an MCL sprain in late December, and most of Thiero’s rookie year, he was unavailable.
Once Thiero was healthy, the Lakers were in the final stretch of the season and fighting for playoff positioning, making it difficult for him to crack the rotation.
Now that the summer is here and Thiero is healthy, he’ll have a chance to maximize his offseason, which includes playing in Summer League events in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Thiero all but confirmed his participation in the summer competition during his exit interview.
“Most likely,” Thiero said. “I didn’t get to play last year, so I’d assume they’d have me out there this year.”
While Summer League isn’t the end-all be-all of player development, it’s good to hear that Thiero will likely play. Ideally, he looks too good for that level of play and can gain some confidence as a second-year player, dominating and playing for a few days in July.
Beyond those handful of games, Thiero should be spending most of the time in the gym. He is already near the top of the list when it comes to athletic players on the Lakers, but there is basketball work that needs to be done.
“Getting my shot a lot more consistent, but just getting the confidence to take the open shot when it’s there,” Thiero said. “Just keep building on my offensive game. Try and get more comfortable with the speed of the NBA. I feel like still a couple more reps would do that some good, but just trying and make myself a little bit more ready for the next season. Try to be a little bit more of an impact player for the team.”
It’s rare to hear a player admit that they don’t have confidence in their shot, so Thiero’s honesty and self-awareness are appreciated.
On the season, Thiero shot 51% from the field and a woeful 33% from 3-point range. These numbers are similar to his collegiate stats. In his final season at Arkansas, he made 54% of his shots and only 25% from deep.
Despite his shooting struggles, he did play in the playoffs for the Lakers and was a positive contributor.
He had some nice highlights in the team’s series win over the Rockets and played for shifts here and there against the Thunder. Playing in the postseason and proving he belongs were invaluable experiences for Thiero.
“Just being out there, seeing how teams are playing me,” Thiero said. “What reads I’ll have to make in the offense we run and everything. Just picking that up and seeing where I can be better at and now I can go into the offseason knowing what I got to work on.”
Thiero knows where the improvement needs to come from, and that’s half the battle. The other half involves a path towards improvement and then execution of said plan.
The Lakers have had mixed results with their draft picks as of late. Jalen Hood-Schifino didn’t work out, and Dalton Knecht has been out of the rotation for over a year now.
However, both Bronny James and Thiero have shown promise.
If Thiero’s words are backed up with actions, we will see early returns on his efforts in Summer League. And next year, he’ll be in a prime position to take a leap in his career, which will greatly benefit himself and the Lakers as they try to bolster their depth and compete for a title.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
