The Lakers appear to be really high on Adou Thiero

Injuries not only robbed Adou Thiero of his rookie season, but also the Lakers of getting a chance to really integrate him into their team.

As a team that lacked athleticism on the wing last season, Thiero was the ready-made solution already on the roster. However, most of his season was spent either rehabbing and recovering from various injuries or getting up to speed in the G League.

However, that hasn’t dampened the team’s excitement for Thiero entering his sophomore campaign. Evidenced by his playing time this preseason, the team still has a lot of belief in him.

If you read between the lines, they’re also signaling some of that belief as well. On a recent episode of “The Zach Lowe Show,” Dan Woike of The Athletic spoke about the Lakers’ pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga this summer. In doing so, he also expressed how high the team is on Thiero.

“Another ceiling raiser for them is Adou Thiero. Part of the reason, I think, why they weren’t totally bent out of shape about losing out on Jonathan Kuminga, I mean they were interested but it wasn’t a full-press recruitment, I would say…The version of Kuminga they wanted, they didn’t want the ‘I think I can be T-Mac’ version. They wanted, like, ‘Is there a way I can be some sort of discount Aaron Gordon?’ Hyper athlete who can space the floor a little bit and defend and run in transition and be a monster.

Adou Thiero is one of the best athletes in the NBA. Adou Thiero didn’t play a lot last season because of a knee issue. A knee issue that kept him out of the NCAA Tournament in college. A knee issue that pushed him down a lot of draft boards. A lot of teams had him red-flagged. He’s been healthy for most this preseason…He’s a guy that gives them a level of pop and athleticism that, really, no one else does.”

Seeing how much more controlled and impactful Thiero has been this preseason should give the Lakers even more hope that Thiero can be a meaningful piece of the team this season. It certainly seems like he’s going to get the opportunity to do so once the season starts.

On a team with plenty of wings, Thiero’s incredible athleticism sets him apart. If he can add some of the other skills along the way this season, then the Lakers could be looking at a new, young piece of their core.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.