There was a time when Adou Thiero minutes would have been next to impossible for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26. Granted, that was when the Lakers were close to having a clean injury report, which feels like a lifetime ago. Now, JJ Redick is scrambling to find a way to patch the team up.
Redick openly stated the mission from here is to extend the season. The hope would be to give both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves an opportunity to return to the lineup for the Lakers. That means finding nine guys who will regularly compete and give Los Angeles effort. Thiero showed promise in that department during the lopsided 123-87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
Redick said: "I think certainly there was a number of guys that did some good things tonight. I thought Adou, right at his minute restriction, he made some mistakes, but he played hard. He had a lot of effort."
The Lakers are better-equipped at the forward spots than most places post-injury. However, considering the issues that were on display against the Thunder with both Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt, there could be just enough of an opening for Thiero.
Adou Thiero has a golden opportunity to snatch up real Lakers minutes
Redick has previously admitted that early in the season, Thiero was a part of his plans. The Lakers coach wanted to get his rook some run, but the injuries and setbacks put those ideas on hold.
What is funny about that would be the fact that Thiero was playing against the Thunder on Tuesday after receiving stitches during the game. The rookie forward was on the receiving end of an elbow to the face courtesy of Chet Holmgren in the second quarter of the matchup.
It is funny now, in retrospect, given that Thiero is alright. However, the play did quickly send him back to the locker room when it happened.
Thiero returned and finished the night playing just over 20 minutes. The athletic rookie ended up with 10 points, shooting 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the loss.
Thiero said after the game: "[I'm] just trying to go out there and keep building my own confidence and building the coach's confidence to put more trust in me.”
Trust is earned. Thiero got an opportunity to make his case against the defending champions. While he was imperfect, it was also clear that at least some of Redick's boxes were ticked with the on-court product that was delivered.
Thiero may not have given himself a steady spot in the playoff rotation, or anything of that sort, just yet. However, the encouraging performance on Tuesday should at least give him an extra opportunity to keep playing while the Lakers continue to be undermanned.