NEW ORLEANS — Lakers rookie forward Adou Thiero was available to make his NBA debut in Friday’s road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the first time he has been cleared to play.
Thiero, whom the Lakers selected out of Arkansas with the No. 36 pick in June’s NBA draft after moving up twice to acquire the pick to select him, wasn’t in the team’s rotation.
Coach JJ Redick said ahead of Friday’s game that he expected Thiero to play in Saturday’s trip-ending matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, which will be the second night of a back-to-back set.
“If he is available, and all goes well over the next 24 hours, I’m hoping he gets some run at some point in the next 48 hours,” Redick said.
Thiero was cleared for live on-court contact work on Oct. 29 and has participated in five-on-five activities. He also practiced with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
His teammates have commended him for his work ethic behind the scenes.
“He works hard,” center Deandre Ayton said after Friday morning’s shootaround. “He works really hard. I’ve never really seen him not in the gym early or before the whole team. Usually, he has his workouts before everybody else. He’s practicing with us and locked in. He’s a kid who’s hungry. He always asks questions, he’s locked into the game and he’s very encouraging.
“He’s really a winning player, you can tell without him even being on the floor, but he’s super competitive by his spirit.”
Thiero was sidelined because of swelling in his left knee, which he had surgery on before the Lakers drafted him.
“He’s been working hard,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “I know that we have a process, and it’s not easy. As a young player, it’s even harder. Seeing him being able to work through it and continue to push and battle through adversity, I’m excited to see him.”
Redick is confident the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Thiero could have a positive impact on the Lakers with his athleticism.
“We felt like he’s somebody that really fits in the modern NBA because of his motor and how athletic (he is) and the size,” Redick said late last month. “View him as a guy that could be a banshee-crasher, a full-court pickup guy, an elite cutter, a physical defender. Every team needs those guys. So excited about his future as a Laker.
“And I told him this, and I’ve said this to you guys, this year is really important for him as a development year, but it’s as much about getting his body right and learning the NBA, the language, and all of that stuff as it is about getting on-court reps. So I think there will be opportunities at some point in the future. I don’t know when that is for him to get some reps with us in-game, but we’re gonna make sure that his body’s right.”
LeBRON UPDATE
Redick said star forward LeBron James went through an individual workout on Friday in Southern California after practicing with the South Bay Lakers on Wednesday and Thursday at the team’s El Segundo practice facility.
James, who has been sidelined to start the season because of sciatica, has been participating in on-court basketball activities since the beginning of the week.
The expectation is that he’ll be reevaluated once the Lakers return to Southern California.
Their next home game is Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.