Thiero would get some garbage time minutes in the blowout loss and acquitted himself well as he finished with three points and a block in just under 10 minutes. It was a long process for Thiero, who only recently took part in a stay-ready game before being cleared to suit up again, but the rookie was focused on just getting better throughout and now feels back to normal.

“Just going in every day and getting 1% better every day,” Thiero responded when asked about his rehab process. “Just trying to get the leg back right. It feels good and back to normal now.”

For a player like Thiero who relies on his speed and athleticism, making sure his knees are OK is crucial to his future success in the league. But with this injury he was forced to sit and watch, which while frustrating, was ultimately beneficial for him.

“I would say just sitting on the bench and having to watch a lot, just wanting to always play and it’s always a struggle to watch,” Thiero said. “But gaining a little bit of experience from everything, being able to learn from the guys that’s on the floor right now, that was very beneficial throughout this whole process.”

Even though it was a short time on the court, Thiero was able to provide a highlight as his lone bucket came on an alley-oop from Bronny James that he skied high to throw down while also being fouled. It was a moment that Thiero admitted felt good.

“It felt good, I would say. It always feels good to leave the game without a donut so that was a good feeling.”

And the feeling wasn’t new for the rookie as he had thrown down a couple big dunks during practices and those stay-ready games, leading up to Tuesday’s contest.

“Yeah, I’ve tested it out a couple times already,” Thiero added. “So today wasn’t no different than what’s been going on in those 5-v-5 games.”

The Lakers are in need of some quickness and athleticism on the perimeter and specifically on the defensive end and that is something Thiero can provide to this team. With him having missed so much time already in his first year, it could be difficult for him to crack JJ Redick’s rotation down the stretch of the season. But if he continues to improve, make an impact and, most importantly, stay healthy, he could get a chance to show what he can do.

Lakers’ Austin Reaves graces cover of SLAM Magazine

Someone else who also recently returned from injury is guard Austin Reaves, who was in the midst of a career year before succumbing to a calf injury. Even still, Reaves recently graced the cover of SLAM Magazine for the first time and discussed his basketball journey that has led him to this point.

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A knee issue dating back to his time at Arkansas delayed his initial debut for the Lakers while a sprained MCL has kept him out since Dec. 30. But now it looks as if Thiero is progressing well and could be nearing a return for the team.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers have assigned Thiero to the South Bay Lakers of the G League with the rookie having recently participated in his first full-contact stay ready game:

The Lakers have assigned Dalton Knecht and Adou Thiero to South Bay for today’s practice, the team announced. Thiero, out since Dec. 30 with a sprained right MCL, participated in his first full-contact stay ready game since the injury earlier this week, sources told ESPN

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 8, 2026

This is great news for Thiero as he has been unable to make the impact he would have liked in his first NBA season, but should be able to suit up once again soon. Whether he will be able to crack head coach JJ Redick’s rotation is unclear, especially after the addition of Luke Kennard, but Thiero’s potential as a defender is at least a good option to have for L.A. in the latter stretch of the regular season.

The most important thing is for Thiero to be completely recovered from this knee issue. Particularly for an athlete of his caliber, lingering knee issues can be scary so he and the training staff must do everything in their power to ensure those problems are behind him.

Thiero has appeared in just 15 games for the Lakers this season, mostly in garbage time, though he did acquit himself well in a couple of G League appearances earlier this season. In three games for South Bay, Thiero averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in just 20.3 minutes per contest.

JJ Redick applauds Luke Kennard’s ability to make reads in Lakers debut

While Adou Thiero is known for his defense, Luke Kennard is on the opposite end as one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA today. And in his Lakers debut he showed some other facets of his game, particularly his ability to make reads which stood out to head coach JJ Redick.

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It’s unclear when Thiero injured his knee, but it is worth nothing that he recently worked his way back from left knee surgery, which forced him to miss Summer League, the preseason and the start of the regular season.

The Lakers have been cautious with Thiero in his rookie season to make sure his body was 100% healthy and in NBA game shape. He has appeared in 15 games, averaging just 5.8 minutes, 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds.

When the Lakers traded up to draft Thiero in the second round out of Arkansas they knew he already had surgery on his left knee, but they saw enough potential in him that they were willing to take that risk.

Now, he is dealing with a separate MCL sprain in his right knee and the Lakers again will surely be cautious with his long-term health in mind.

The injury comes at an unfortunate time as Thiero may have otherwise gotten a look in the rotation with the Lakers’ need for defense and athleticism.

L.A. is currently without a number of key players as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are dealing with calf injuries while Gabe Vincent is still nursing a back issue, with Thiero now joining them.

Marcus Smart reveals advice for Adou Thiero

Marcus Smart has mentored Thiero a bit during his rookie season with the Lakers and he recently shared the advice he gave the forward.

“Keep going,” Smart said after a recent practice. “In this league, everyone comes into this league as a star and then you got to adjust to the role that you’re given. Not everybody is going to be a star or that guy in this league the way that they want to so you gotta figure out a way to be that guy and to be able to get yourself on the court. We got a lot of talent here, so it’s going to be hard for a dude to come in and just take spots. He has to go out and prove and show that, hey, he deserves to be on the court and he deserves to find some playing time for him.

“And that’s the way he’s gonna be able to do it. Let the scoring come second and that’s all I’ve been telling him. We got a lot of guys that can score the ball, there’s not a lot of guys that want to play defense. So being able to go out there and play that defensive role gets you on the court, everything else you can add it to it.”

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Thiero was considered to be a first-round talent, but he slipped in the draft due to health concerns. He suffered a knee injury in his final season with the Razorbacks and had a procedure to address it in the offseason. As a result, Thiero was forced to miss Summer League as well as portions of training camp.

However, the rookie was activated earlier during the 2025-26 season and has been spending most of his time down with South Bay. Playing in the G League allows Thiero to get consistent minutes and develop without the pressures of performing for the parent team.

After a recent practice, Thiero described how playing with South Bay has helped him ease back into the player he knows he can be.

“Just being able to get back to who I am, remembering who I was coming off this injury and being able to just get back up to speed with everything,” Thiero said.

While Thiero is slowly finding his rhythm and timing back, he admitted he feels like he can’t be 100 percent until he figures out how he fits on the Lakers.

“I still feel like, with trying to find where I fit on this team, I can’t really get back to that exact person but I could take some things from what I did in college and level up from there,” Thiero said.

The current roster is full of veterans who are deserving of minutes, so it’ll be hard for Thiero to crack the rotation unless more injuries mount. He’s seen stints here and there, with the athleticism popping off the screen though the lack of a jumper makes it more difficult stick.

As of now, the most important thing is to get Thiero healthy as the Lakers can’t afford more injuries. He might not be a major contributor this season, but he’s still got the upside to become a useful player down the line.

Adou Thiero gets game ball from NBA debut

Thiero made his Lakers debut in November against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring four points and one rebound. For some reason, officials didn’t want to give the game ball to Thiero, though his teammates and Giannis Antetokounmpo secured it for him.

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Unfortunately though, Thiero has had to deal with some issues off the court now to. According to Dennis Broad and Karla Rendon of NBC Los Angeles, Thiero’s SUV was recently stolen and one of the people arrested for is was the brother of Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua:

Two men, including the brother of Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, were arrested over the weekend after allegedly taking Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero’s SUV without his consent, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies were called to the One Hotel in West Hollywood after the vehicle was tracked to the hotel, LASD exclusively told NBC4 Investigates. There, the suspects had valeted the car and entered the hotel.

While reviewing security footage, deputies were able to identify the suspects and found them soon after. They then arrested them on suspicion of taking the SUV.

It’s unclear where or when the SUV was stolen, according to law enforcement.

The suspects arrested in the case were identified as 27-year-old Trey Rose and 27-year-old Samson Nacua, who is the brother of the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua. Both men face a charge of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and remain behind bars.

It’s unclear if Thiero had any sort of prior relationship with Nacua or if this is just a coincidence, but it is quite the Mad Libs of the current Los Angeles sports scene.

Thiero is currently traveling with the Lakers to Utah for their game against the Jazz on Thursday night, but it’s good to see he can do so with some peace of mind now that suspects have been arrested.

Marcus Smart reveals advice for Adou Thiero

Being a rookie in the NBA is not easy, but luckily for Thiero, he has veterans like Marcus Smart to lean on. After a recent practice, Smart revealed the advice he’s been giving Thiero.

“Keep going,” Smart said. “In this league, everyone comes into this league as a star and then you got to adjust to the role that you’re given. Not everybody is going to be a star or that guy in this league the way that they want to so you gotta figure out a way to be that guy and to be able to get yourself on the court.

“We got a lot of talent here, so it’s going to be hard for a dude to come in and just take spots. He has to go out and prove and show that, hey, he deserves to be on the court and he deserves to find some playing time for him.

“And that’s the way he’s gonna be able to do it. Let the scoring come second and that’s all I’ve been telling him. We got a lot of guys that can score the ball, there’s not a lot of guys that want to play defense. So being able to go out there and play that defensive role gets you on the court, everything else you can add it to it.”

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