LeBron James shot 4-of-17 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc. It's the talk of the town despite the Los Angeles Lakers winning 123-120 over a 15-8 Toronto Raptors side and head coach JJ Redick beginning to unleash the team's next fan favorite.
Amidst a sea of shock and awe over James' uncharacteristically poor shooting, Adou Thiero emerged as a new key cog in the rotation.
Thiero played just 10 minutes against the Raptors, but that was all he needed to make a statement. Matched up against a team that's flush with players who fit the profile of his two-way potential, he turned in a quality shift flush with defensive intensity and early signs of offensive promise.
Thiero finished the win over Toronto with four points, one rebound, one assist, and a steal, converting his only field goal and getting to the charity stripe for three attempts.
Thiero may not have done much from a statistical perspective, but this was his first game with at least 10 minutes played. Moreover, it was the first time during his NBA career that he was tasked with playing in meaningful moments during a close game.
If Thiero is slowly factoring into Redick's nightly rotation, then it won't take long for the second-round draft pick to emerge as a Lakers fan favorite.
Adou Thiero plays career-high in minutes as Lakers prepare for breakout
The Lakers landed Thiero at No. 36 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he was a first-round talent through and through. He stands at 6'6.25" without shoes and 218 pounds with a massive 7'0" wingspan, hands that can swallow the ball whole, and athleticism that few can match.
With a powerful frame, effortlessly explosive leaping ability, and an impressive combination of end-to-end speed and lateral quickness, Thiero is like clay for a player development staff.
Thiero has already proven to be a promising defender, with success experienced on that end of the floor with the Kentucky Wildcats and Arkansas Razorbacks. It's the foundation of his appeal, as he has all of the tools to be a defensive playmaker—and averaged as many as 1.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game during his collegiate career.
Thiero also displayed the potential to act as a lockdown on-ball defender, which should be the primary area of focus as far as his development is concerned.
Offensively, Thiero utilizes his size and quickness to explode in transition and get to the rim in the half court. He needs to work on his outside shot, but it's worth noting that his field goal percentage increased between his three collegiate seasons and that he shot as well as 80.0 percent at the free throw line.
If Thiero can consistnetly knock down open jumpers, he could easily become the 3-and-D wing the Lakers have been searching for to tie the rotation together.
When all else fails, Thiero's athleticism, intensity, and finishing above the rim should make him an instant fan favorite. It's a combination of appealing abilities that the Lakers truthfully otherwise lack along the perimeter, which makes his electrifying potential all the more intriguing.
Thiero is still receiving limited minutes, but as his playing time increases, it won't take long for Lakers fans to see why the franchise is so intrigued by his potential.