Adou Thiero turned his promise into production against Thunder in Summer League

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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/adou-thiero-turned-promise-production-064737772.html

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Publish date : 2026-07-11 06:47:00

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