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A shooting star, seen as a symbol of hope and good luck, is actually just a small piece of rock or meteor burning while entering the Earth’s atmosphere. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves now sidelined for the rest of the regular season, LA’s late push shifts toward searching for any beams of light they can find.
Against OKC on Tuesday, that image shining in the sky was Adou Thiero. The moments gave flashes of a tantalizing athletic two-way wing while also being far enough away to notice the raw skills as a chunk of unmolded clay.
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An already shorthanded purple and gold team was also playing without LeBron James. A valiant effort kept it close in the first half before the eventual takeover, as the number one seed led by as many as 41 points.
The rookie contributed to the early competitiveness. He immediately began flying around the floor after checking in. Watch as he rises for the impressive offensive rebound in the clip below, tracking it down and snatching it away from seven-foot Isaiah Hartenstein.
On the extra possession, Thiero cuts behind and attempts to finish over the top of the big man. He draws two of his ten free throws on the night. Getting to the line is one thing. Converting is another, as he finished 5-10 from the charity stripe, an example of both the potential and the unmolded clay.
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His two field goals made were a spot-up 3-pointer and a double pump dunk off a baseline cut. The jumper is still as shaky as it was when he was drafted out of Arkansas. The swish on one was evened out by hitting the side of the backboard on the other.
Thiero took just three 3-pointers all season, but did shoot 9-14 during his South Bay tenure. It’s a small sample, but something the team hopes will translate next season.
The dunks are extremely fun to watch and help reverberate the hype around Thiero. Everything in between still needs clear work as the lack of creativity around the rim in traffic leads to turnovers or rushed decisions.
On defense, he flashed the potential of strong on-ball chops by leveraging that 220-pound frame and 6’4” height with a 7-foot wingspan. Watch below as…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-young-shooting-star-showed-152400879.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-09 15:24:00
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