Adou Thiero is getting a very specific Lakers assignment.
After a stronger Summer League showing, Thiero said JJ Redick has already talked with him about becoming a better defender. The message was not vague. "JJ, he says that the things he wants, you know, we need a point-of-attack, on-ball defender and everything," Thiero said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
That is the cleanest path for Thiero to matter in Los Angeles. He said he is trying to "go out there and cause havoc," get reps defending on the ball and keep the offensive side simpler. For a young wing fighting for trust, that is a better job description than trying to prove everything at once.
The rest of the night fit that theme. Thiero said the performance felt familiar because it was not far from the things he did in the G League last season, but he also admitted he had been rushing after returning from a break and working back to full health. This time, he felt himself slowing down and letting the game come to him.
Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott saw the same thing. "He just wasn't rushed tonight," Abbott said. He pointed to Thiero attacking matchups, reading paint help, making the right pass and then finding more room to finish at the rim once the defense had to respect those decisions.
Even the highlight did not fully satisfy him. Thiero called his windmill dunk "one of my worst windmills" because he did not like his footing when he watched it back. He also singled out his chemistry with rookie Cameron Carr as one of the positives.
That kind of self-scouting is useful for a player with a narrow opening. The Lakers do not need Thiero to win July with dunks. They need to know whether his strength, athleticism and defensive reps can become real point-of-attack minutes when the games get heavier.
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