Lakers fans have waited plenty long to see rookie Adou Thiero debut in the purple and gold. And it seems they\u2019ll need to wait even longer than Opening Night.<\/p>\n
While the Lakers will face off against the Warriors in the late slate, Thiero won\u2019t be joining his teammates on-court as he continues to work back from a knee injury he suffered in college.<\/p>\n
The Lakers had to move up multiple times at the 2025 NBA Draft to grab Thiero at No. 36, adding to his hype as a 6-foot-8, hyper-athletic forward. He followed head coach John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas for his third collegiate season, breaking out with 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He\u2019s a high-flier, able to thrive around the rim and create chaos on defense.<\/p>\n
Lakers rookie Adou Thiero putting in work. \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n
(via @JordanRichardSC<\/a>)<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/TRUiloMN3g<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Thiero had surgery following a hyperextension 27 games into his season with the Razorbacks, and has since missed the Lakers\u2019 Summer League and preseason slates. Now, he\u2019ll miss the team\u2019s 2025-26 opener, alongside LeBron James.<\/p>\n Still, the hype is building for Thiero. Los Angeles\u2019 head coach JJ Redick has even helped to stoke that fire.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s insane,\u201d Redick said of Thiero. \u201cI mean, head at the rim, it\u2019s insane.\u201d<\/p>\n Redick’s early impressions echo the thoughts of several draft evaluators who watched Thiero throughout the ’25 cycle. He has legitimate claim to being the most athletic player in the class, offering not just verticality, but a fairly incredible mix of speed, size, power and more.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not yet known when Thiero will be able to return to play, or if he\u2019ll even be able to crack the team\u2019s starting rotation. Despite his otherworldly athleticism, there\u2019s no guarantee he\u2019ll be able to fit in as a frosh, especially given that Luka Doncic and co. will be looking to win as many games as possible in a tough Western Conference.<\/p>\n Adou Thiero going through some defensive slide drills after practice. pic.twitter.com\/YR8EIiC5sX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) October 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Still, the Lakers seems to have gambled on a player that won’t need to add much to his game to succeed next to a few all-time passers, as Thiero can get out in transition, cut and more off the ball.<\/p>\n The Lakers and Warriors will tip off at 9 p.m. CT on Tuesday night. For now, the current plan for Thiero is for him to be evaluated in a few weeks<\/a>. The team certainly won’t rush him back, seeing as he isn’t likely to help in the short-term as an NBA newbie.<\/p>\n