Adou Thiero’s freakish athleticism and defensive package make him a candidate to get immediate minutes next season with the Lakers.
A pair of trades with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves in which the Lakers only parted with cash moved LA from the 55th pick up to No. 36.
There, they drafted Adou Thiero out of Arkansas, a high-upside player who immediately boosts the team’s athletic floor and provides a much-needed defensive presence.
Let’s start with the promising measurables. Thiero is listed at 6’6″ and 220 pounds, with a 7’0″ wingspan. He recorded a 41-inch vertical at Kentucky’s pro day in 2022 and projects as a freakish athlete.
In 27 games with the Razorbacks, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, all of which were team highs.
It’s no secret that the Lakers want to surround Luka Dončić with young athletic wings and Thiero fits that description.
He will enter the league as a dominant force in transition. LeBron James, who will turn 41 in the upcoming season, is arguably the only player on the team who is more dangerous in the open court. Thiero charges up the floor with explosive power and attacks the basket with vicious throwdowns, like the two-handed slam below.
The nuclear athlete finished with an efficient 60% true shooting percentage, primarily because 83% of his field goal attempts were two-pointers. He also led the team with 45 dunks during his junior season.
He hunts the rim both in transition and half-court. Whether through jab steps or attacking a closeout, once his first step beats the defender, they are at his mercy.
Here, he catches in the corner and straight line drives past his defender for a reverse dunk finish.
Arkansas leveraged its athleticism across the floor, including running lob plays for a starting guard. He cuts with power and force, creating mismatches because he’s too big for smaller defenders and too quick for bigger ones.
A sign of an unstoppable force is how often teams resort to putting you at the line. His powerful drives become overbearing, resulting in 6.5 free throws per game, a skill considered highly transferable to the NBA level.
Watch below as he blows by his defender, who could do nothing but wrap him up.
Additionally, his athleticism helped him to dominate on the offensive glass. He combined the high jump with a quick twitch to grab 1.8 offensive rebounds a game, leading the team.
While the athletic profile already puts him in the range of a contributor on offense, there are needed areas for improvement to reach his ultimate ceiling.
First is the non-dunk finishes around the rim, in which he shot 42-80 (53%), a common early struggle for otherworldly athletes who don’t possess incredible touch. The level of difficulty on shots attempted around the rim increases due to having a superior top jump.
These shot decisions can be improved with more high-level playmakers around, as his college usage rate of 25.8% will decrease in the pros. Even so, how often he gets to the rim is irrelevant if he can’t finish, making that an area for him to develop at the next level.
The other place is the jump shot, mainly behind the arc. Thiero shot just 11-43 (26%) on 3-point attempts in his final season. Both numbers are too low for a non-center in the modern NBA. A role guy will, at minimum, need to be comfortable taking catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
He did show signs of a mid-range game, but the 3-pointer will be crucial when playing alongside all-world playmakers like Luka and James.
Signs indicate that Thiero could eventually become a good offensive player, but it hinges on the success of the jumpshot.
Defensively, he has the potential to be special.
He has excellent recovery skills as a help defender. The ability to defend the rim gives him unique value at the guard position. He possesses great spatial awareness, combining timing and athleticism.
In this clip, Thiero abandons his man in the corner to come double at the top. Watch as he manages to not only contest the shot at the rim but block the dunk entirely.
His 20 blocks were fourth on the team, behind three forwards. The next closest guard had six.
He engulfs smaller offensive players on the perimeter. Has excellent hands that work in tandem with his long arms to overtake the opposition.
Watch as he switches on to the smaller guard in the clip below, shuts off any room to dribble and picks him clean to go the other way.
His arms also allow for very effective ball denial. Lazy flat angle entry passes will be taken and converted on the other end, as shown below.
The tendency to go for steals can lead to risky gambles at times, an area that can be exploited. His lateral quickness and defensive discipline will also be tested at the next level, especially against creators with tighter handles and a quicker first step.
How many minutes the rookie actually gets will depend on the roster makeup. The Lakers’ scouts have a high success rate in the draft.
Thiero is already getting comparisons to NBA star players like OG Anunoby by his general manager. It’s a long way before those come true, but he looks like another hit in the draft that could find ways into the rotation next season.
You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.