Luka Doncic praises Adou Thiero's 'insane' improvement

This season, the Los Angeles Lakers have shown significant depth at the wing and forward positions, largely due to the emergence of second-year player Adou Thiero. Although Thiero did not play much during the previous season due to injury, he has shown immense potential, with a 6-foot-7 frame, 220 pounds, a seven-foot wingspan, and a vertical leap of at least 41 inches.

Considered the best natural athlete on the Lakers' roster, Thiero has demonstrated the ability to surge to the basket off the dribble, draw fouls, and contribute on the boards.

At the Las Vegas summer league in July, Thiero made an impressive showing, catching the attention of coach JJ Redick. Redick remarked during a press conference in late September that Thiero had undergone an unbelievable period of development over the past two months. Following Media Day, superstar Luka Doncic also expressed his admiration for Thiero's progress.

During an interview with ESPN 710 L.A., Doncic stated, "I can't name one specifically, but our new signings, I think they're very underrated and they're going to help us a lot. But what I saw from Adou, like you said, this year and the improvement is insane. So, I'm very excited for him."

Thiero's development was hampered last season due to injury concerns. However, as the summer league progressed, he exhibited greater discipline while driving to the hoop and displayed promising defensive skills. In the summer league games played in July, Thiero averaged 15.4 points on 55.3% field-goal shooting, along with six rebounds and 1.8 steals in 25.8 minutes per contest.

If he can improve his finishing ability when close to the rim and increase his outside shooting proficiency, he may secure a substantial amount of playing time and even vie for a starting position. This account was originally published on Lakers Wire: Luka Doncic praises Adou Thiero's insane improvement.