When the Los Angeles Lakers moved up to select Adou Thiero with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, there was a clear idea of not only what he was, but what the athletic forward could become. The latter firmly relied on Thiero improving one pivotal aspect of his game — his shooting.
His latest outing for the South Bay Lakers showed off a game that both fans and the team alike were waiting to see. In an exciting 113-104 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors on Sunday, Thiero had the 3-point ball dropping. The Lakers forward scored 25 points in 28 minutes during the win. That included going 5-of-5 from triple.
The biggest swing factor on the ceiling of Thiero at the pro level continues to be his ability to shoot the ball. The sooner the Lakers rookie can prove himself capable of dropping the deep shot with regularity, the faster rotational minutes can find him in the near future.
Lakers will hope Adou Thiero's 3-point stroke is here to stay
One game is one game at the end of the day. Anyone watching this matchup will have seen Thiero's athleticism pop much more than anything else throughout the night. However, the encouraging performance from distance is still worth paying attention to.
The former Arkansas product was not much of a 3-point shooter in the NCAA. In his final season. Thiero only averaged 25.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Not only was the athletic machine not making a ton, but he was not taking them either. The Arkanas wing only attempted 1.6 per game from distance. There was a total of 43 shots taken in 27 games overall.
Thiero's build and profile offers a lot of gushing over what can be had with him in the rotation. The Lakers are hoping to bolster their athleticism, boost their defense, and raise the activity levels on the court. Having him be a non-factor from deep would do no favors.
JJ Redick has been unapolegetic about yanking Jarred Vanderbilt from the rotation at multiple instances throughout the year due to the offensive end of the court. While a young player deserves more patience overall, that is tough to have on the main roster for a team eyeing a championship.
The Lakers will be eyeing an offseason makeover for the roster in free agency. Eventually, that money will run out. That should mean Thiero gets a chance to prove himself against at least one veteran minimum guy for a spot in next year's rotation. Rounding out the entire offensive package will help him in any competition for minutes.