How great would it be to see Adou Thiero properly harness all the ridiculous athleticism at his disposal? The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans are yearning for that reality. It could be creeping closer if what the young forward said at Lakers Media Day ends up proving to be true.
"The game's just been slowing down for me, and that's just, it's made it a lot easier knowing when to act on certain things and when not to."
That is certainly more than encouraging to hear after the last extended opportunity to watch Thiero play basketball. Las Vegas Summer League showcased a player who was the most athletic guy on every single court he stepped on. The problem was maintaining control over those gifts.
Thiero understood that as well as anyone back then. The Lakers forward openly discussed the next phase of his development being that of knowing when to use his athleticism, slowing things down, and getting the reps that would help him put it all together. His latest comments serve as a follow-up to that. It sure sounds like there is confidence in the work that has been put in.
Adou Thiero's development could quickly simplify Lakers depth chart
The Lakers pushed hard to move up to 36th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. That intent suggested a real excitement about the player they wanted to select with that pick. Thiero was their guy.
His rookie season was not much to write home about. Thiero's most notable on-court contributions came in South Bay, not Los Angeles. The most noteworthy mark left on the Lakers was JJ Redick flirting with featuring him off the bench in the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That had more to do with who was struggling ahead of him than it did with Thiero. In 2026-27, the Lakers will want to see their freak athlete earn a role on the merit of his play.
There are two clear vacancies in the starting lineup for Los Angeles. JJ Redick said as much. It would be a dream scenario to have Thiero occupy one of them.
Thinking that Thiero could fill a starting gig came across as far-fetched earlier in the summer. That was before Redick offered a glowing review on the type of progress Adou had made over recent months. Los Angeles was suddenly buzzing.
Even if Thiero does not secure a starting job, the Lakers should still want to see him firmly establish himself as a rotation-level player this season. There is a great need for the type of athleticism and energy he can provide. As long as Adou knows how to use it, Los Angeles will find it rewarding to feature him on any night he is available.
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