NBA Draft Scouting Report: Kentucky's Adou Thiero
Adou Thiero
Guard | Kentucky
Height: 6'8” | Weight: 220 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.13
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
In his second season at Kentucky, Thiero has emerged as an improved complimentary piece that impacts the game beyond the box score. Not only has he developed as a player, but he’s also gotten much stronger and has filled out his frame relative to his freshman season. Although he still has much work to do if he’s truly going to put together a long NBA career, the jumbo guard has become a fairly well-rounded player who has the tools to stick at the next level.
Thiero is an efficient scorer inside the arc, but still needs to prove he can shoot it from the perimeter. While he has converted at a respectable rate that requires defenders to take him seriously on the perimeter, his 3-point attempts are on low volume and he's not considered a real threat from that range.
With that in mind, he is a good free throw shooter and with more time developing could become a better shooter. As a driver, he’s quite effective and understands how to leverage his strong frame and size to overpower defenders as he gets to the rim. Theiro is also a good positional rebounder, especially on the offensive end as he generates second-chance points.
One of the more impressive things about Thiero year-over-year is how much more quickly he is processing the game. As a sophomore, he earned a much more significant role than in his freshman season, and also figured out how to take care of the ball. He hasn’t generated as many assists as perhaps a traditional lead guard would, but there’s is passing upside with Thiero’s game. He could be the type of player who gets to the NBA and plays in a system that allows him to showcase things we never saw at the college level. He historically was more of an average-size guard, but has grown a ton and maintained those skills even now at his size.
Thiero projects to be a versatile defender given his size and frame. He plays with physicality and leverages his tools well, along with being a very productive shot blocker for his size and role.
When it comes to box score stats, Thiero’s numbers don’t jump off the page. But when watching him play and seeing how many parts of the game he impacts positively, it’s easy to envision him becoming a high-end role player in the NBA. He also has more upside than just a role player, but needs the opportunity. The former three-star guard played a prominent role in high school and absolutely stuffed the stat sheet.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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