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Adou Thiero 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Benjamin Yu | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 8:24 PM ET

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero is among the most athletic wings in the draft this year. Thiero’s athleticism and physical tools allow him to make dynamic plays on both ends. He did suffer an injury that kept him out for a good portion of the year, including, a significant part of his team’s NCAA run. Nevertheless, the third-year wing has shown more than enough to attract draft interest from NBA teams. Let’s dive into an evaluation of Adou Thiero and his skills in this 2025 NBA Draft profile.

Adou Thiero 2025 NBA Draft Profile

College Career

Thiero started his collegiate career with the Kentucky Wildcats under then-coach John Calipari. He didn’t see much playing time in his rookie year, however, his opportunities increased going into his sophomore year. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-7 wing averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. Furthermore, he played 25 games that year, starting in 19 of them.

Thiero transferred to Arkansas for his junior year, joining coach Calipari on the Razorbacks. In Arkansas, Thiero became a major figure and starting wing for the team. Additionally, his production took another major jump. Specifically, Thiero averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 27.5 minutes per game. He shot 54.5% from the field, 25.6% from three, and 68.6% from the free throw line. Thiero’s abilities as an athletic wing defender and rim-finisher helped lead Arkansas to the NCAA tournament, making it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Texas Tech.

Strengths

The things that pop out immediately for Thiero are his athleticism, aggressive defense, and high motor. Unquestionably, Thiero possesses elite-level athleticism that allows him to make highlight plays on both ends of the floor. He has the quickness and vertical pop to be a versatile wing defender who can guard multiple positions and fly around defensively on the court. It also helps that he has a 6-foot-7 frame with a 7-foot wingspan.

He brings a pit-bull mentality on defense, constantly hounding his defensive assignment and being an active presence on the boards. Thiero’s best attribute as a defender is his ability to be an elite defensive playmaker. He is incredibly disruptive in passing lanes or against ball-handlers, creating transition opportunities through these turnovers. Not only does he use his length in passing lanes, but he has shown skill as a shot-blocker as well. Most importantly, Thiero plays defense with great energy and motor, never giving up on the play.

Offensively, Thiero’s athleticism and physicality make him an imposing threat in transition and cutting off the ball. He is excellent at putting pressure on the rim and has the strength to finish through contact. Thiero can use that strength to bully opposing players straight to the paint and convert explosive finishes at the rim. Similarly on defense, Thiero is consistently active on the offensive glass. While Thiero isn’t a true playmaker, he has shown the ability to be a connective and unselfish passer.

Weaknesses

The clear area of improvement for Thiero is his shooting. Thiero has demonstrated poor three-point shooting without many positive shooting indicators backing up the idea of further development. Specifically, Thiero’s free-throw numbers at 68.6% don’t help the idea of Thiero becoming a better shooter. Shooting is a major swing skill for Thiero, and its development is necessary for him to reach his potential.

Thiero isn’t a great shot-creator either, with simple straight-line drives being his most consistent form of shot-creation. He is far more suited as a play-finisher than as a shot-creator or playmaker. His handle is loose, and he can be turnover-prone, which can be partially attributed to his questionable decision-making at times. He will sometimes charge into the paint without a plan and get swarmed by defenders, losing the ball in the process. Defensively, that questionable decision-making manifests itself in his lack of defensive discipline at times. In particular, Thiero will gamble on the defensive ends, leaving him out of position to defend when he gets burned.

NBA Comparison

Given his blend of size, athleticism, and defense on the wings, several comparisons come to mind. One high-end comparison for Thiero is OG Anunoby. While Thiero isn’t a credible threat from three like Anunoby is, they are still both sturdy wings who can cause havoc on the defensive end. If the shooting ever comes around, the Anunoby comparison would be even more accurate. Another name is Jonathan Kuminga as both players are bigger wings who possess athletic gifts that make them effective rim-attackers.