Adou Thiero continues to be the subject of great fascination for the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans. The curiosity that surrounds the rookie forward will not be satisfied this season. JJ Redick's recent comments made that crystal clear for anyone paying attention.
The Lakers head coach discussed the immediate challenge that Thiero's medical issues brought by not allowing him to get acclimated during the preseason and forcing him to play catch-up. When the second-round pick did get some playing time, injuries struck again.
Redick reinforced the idea of this being a 'development year' for the athletic juggernaut. Right now the focus is about learning and honing in on the right habits. The South Bay Lakers have provided that for him during the 2025-26 season. Would that lead to Thiero eventually getting a chance to showcase his improvements with the team in Los Angeles this year?
"As far as it relates to our rotation, I have a hard enough time, when we're healthy, getting everybody minutes as it is," Redick said. "... I definitely want to get him opportunities. Those opportunities are not there right now. That's just the reality."
Adou Thiero's breakout will not come sooner than next season for the Lakers
It is really tough to integrate a guy into the mix this late into an NBA season. That is especially true for a team who have, at least, some modest expectations about what they would like to achieve in the postseason.
Despite Thiero shining over and over in the G League, those breakthroughs are just not enough to shake what the foundation of what the Lakers have tried to build throughout the season. That much is a fair call on Redick's part.
Even if the talent is there, even if a weakness would be addressed, it can still extremely difficult to get a rookie going. That is especially true when there are 18 games left in the season, and the slimmest of margins separate seeds three to seven in the Western Conference. Redick needs to count on what he knows.
At this stage, Thiero is still a large variable. Throwing him in the deep end has the chance to hurt as much as it could help.
The encouraging performances with South Bay this season should give Thiero every chance to fight for a rotation spot next season. Redick, himself, talked about initially wanting to push for early-season opportunities with the rookie. It sure sounded like the second-year coach was a fan (in the best way).
Thiero will get his time with the Lakers. There is just a slightly delay in the arrival of it.