LAS VEGAS — The Lakers easily beat the Thunder 96-84 in Summer League play, and Adou Thiero was a big reason why.
He was flying all over the Thomas & Mack Center and looked the way a two-year player should, as though he has no business competing against this level of talent.
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Thiero ended the night with a game-high 20 points and he had a slew of highlight dunks that rocked the crowd and demoralized Oklahoma City.
This was everything the Lakers hoped he could be when they selected him in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Now a year later, he is starting to reach his potential.
“He just wasn’t rushed tonight,” Lakers coach Ty Abbott said after the win. “He took what was in front of him. He attacked matchups. He understood that there was going to be some paint-swarming. Those guys were going to try to flood and meet him at the rim and he made the right pass. When he started doing that, it started to open up for him and he was able to finish at the rim.”
This was in stark contrast compared to Thiero’s start in the California Classic.
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In that game, he was still active and a ball of energy, but in the worst ways possible. His play felt rushed. He was attempting shots from uncomprehensible positions. He had just nine points and his lackluster play was a big reason why the Warriors dominated.
But that was then, and this is now.
On Friday night, Thiero was hotter and more relentless than the Las Vegas sun.
He was getting the ball in motion and touching the paint whenever he wanted. When he had the ball at the top of the key, Thiero made the right decisions regarding when to attack and when to pass. He had great instincts for the ball on defense, registering a trio of steals and two impressive blocks.
Thiero has a rare curse: he’s almost too athletic. It allows him to do things no one else can, but also to try things no one should.
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Figuring out how to channel his elite athleticism will be the key to him maximizing his ability and his career.
“Pace and just being patient,” Abbott said when asked how Thiero can play with control. “Sometimes it’s kind of two ships passing in the night. You got two guys going at once. Just letting the action come to him, seeing what opens up, and then attacking it then rather than being predetermined in what you want to do.”
All play in Summer League has to be taken with a grain of salt. The list of players who looked good at this level is massive, but the number who were able to translate that to the NBA is small.
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Still, it’s good to see Thiero play this well after a season limited by recovery from a knee injury and an MCL sprain.
Now, that’s all in the past. And his future has never looked brighter.
“Definitely feels good to go out and get the reps and then seeing some of the stuff you work on, go out there and work,” Thiero said. “But at the same time, still a lot of work to go. In these games I still see where I need to develop.”
If Thiero keeps this up, all the work he is doing will ultimately translate into his regular-season performances. He has the talent, has put in the work, and on Friday night, Lakers fans got an appetizer on what it could look like when it all comes together.
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Here’s hoping that ultimately comes to fruition not just during the rest of Summer League, but in the fall with the main team.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
