Amid a season impacted by injuries and limited opportunities, Lakers rookie wing Adou Thiero erupted for a career-high 25 points against the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, an outing that could bode well for him as the regular season winds down.
Lakers Rookie Proves His Worth With G League Career High
Thiero Shows Out vs. Santa Cruz
Thiero’s 25 came on 10-of-12 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from deep. He continued to stuff the stat sheet with six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal as the South Bay Lakers defeated Santa Cruz, 113-104. The 21-year-old’s athleticism was on full display with an array of authoritative jams and sky-high rebounds, and his laser-accurate perimeter shooting—previously a concern coming out of college—came as a pleasant surprise.
The rookie’s career night had Lakers fans and Warriors announcers pushing LA to give him real opportunities.
Y’all telling me they can’t find mins for this? pic.twitter.com/2uB7F5SFmU
— 4 4 4 (@SlimSleepr) March 9, 2026
This Adou Thiero sequence is ABSOLUTELY INSANE 🤯
He gets a put back dunk and hits a three on consecutive offensive possessions, and instantly gets a block right after 👀 pic.twitter.com/wwT1QoOCBm
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) March 9, 2026
Thiero’s outburst now brings his regular-season averages up to 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and one block while shooting 74% from the field, 100% (6-of-6) from deep and 40% from the free-throw line.
Adou Thiero Gives Lakers Athleticism They’ve Missed
Even after the Lakers’ recent success—holding a 15-9 record in their last 24 games with a top-10 offense and top-15 defense, according to head coach JJ Redick—Thiero is continuing to make a case for an increased workload with the parent team. Across 18 games with LA (5.7 MPG), he’s averaged 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds on 47.6% shooting from the field and 80% from the free-throw line. His last appearance came on Mar. 1 against the Sacramento Kings, when he recorded three points, a rebound and an assist in four minutes.
Thiero has shown tremendous potential on both ends of the floor, and if his outside shot stays consistent, he could give the Lakers a true 3-and-D wing with his 6’7”, 220-pound frame. His path to the rotation won’t come easy. But if he had to replace someone, perhaps it’d be Jake LaRavia—who has had a rough start to March with 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15 minutes per game.
For a team that still needs to address a lack of defense and athleticism, Thiero clearly checks those boxes, and he could eventually be a part of LA’s rumored “Dallas 2.0” plan, which looks to surround Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with athletic 3-and-D wings (among other priorities). For now, however, Sunday’s game served as a bold statement: Thiero is ready for more than the typical rookie duties.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
