Adou Thiero is a special athlete. Everyone knows as much, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Apart from the flashy dunks and big-time lob catches, the best area in which you will see that show up can often be the defensive end. That was certainly the case in the Lakers' definitive 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
There was one play in the fourth quarter that would truly take your breath away for those who love a great defensive effort. The amount of ground that Thiero covered in one sequence was absurd.
Watch Adou stop Jaquez in transition, and then recover to block the 3-point shot in the corner. pic.twitter.com/86GYmeGEQd
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) November 12, 2026
Adou slowed down Jaime Jaquez Jr. in transition to start. When Jaquez dished the ball to the corner, hoping Ryan Rollins would get a wide-open triple, Thiero closed the gap in a matter of moments. The Lakers forward ended up blocking Rollins on the play and slowing down the action.
It is stuff like this that should continue inviting JJ Redick and his staff to want more from Thiero. After returning from his knee injury, the young forward has averaged 9.3 minutes per game in the four contests since. Whatever opportunities come along for extra reps, Adou should get them.
Adou Thiero is a defensive ace in the making if Lakers stay the course
So much of defense can come down to effort. Matisse Thybulle said it best at Lakers Media Day.
Thybulle remarked: "The biggest thing is effort, just being willing to play hard and play harder than other guys. ... It's so often that people make the first effort, but they give up when it's time to make the second one."
Thiero comes with the athleticism needed to be an impact player. Adou also has the motor to stay active with those natural gifts. The biggest thing he needs moving forward is the reps. Having those will allow him to get a strong sense for the situational awareness that is required of the Lakers youngster to turn these great flashes on that end into more of a consistent thing.
Before the season stared, JJ Redick was raving about the strides he had seen in Thiero's game over the summer. It made it sound like the Lakers coach had a plan for him when the season started. It does appear as though a spot in the regular rotation is his, as long as he is healthy.
The more chances Redick can afford to give Thiero out there, the more Adou can learn. He can make those inevitable mistakes that become teachable moments in the long run. With the tools he has to work with, that can eventually turn him into the type of player who is irreplaceable on defense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google