After John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas, Thiero became one of the best wings in the United States. He is a dynamic, powerful athlete who helped him become a gunslasher, drawer and defender at the college level. Thiero's external shooting and offensive role will cause problems, but
- Team: Arkansas
- Height: 6'8
- Weight: 220
- Wingspan: 7'0
- Age: 21.1 (May 8, 2004)
Adou Thiero – Arkansas forward (21.1 years old)
NBA comparison: Peyton Watson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Thiero is similar to other super sports we've seen, with limited offense wings, but the NBA results are mixed. Watson and Kidd-Gilchrist both flourished at the NBA level, but faced a solid rotation session for great teams due to their shots. Thiero's offensive potential may erode Watson's, but he must overcome similar obstacles and rely on similar advantages.
Advantages
- Ridiculously powerful, explosive athlete with elite first steps and power translation speed
- College-level main machetes, efficient terminators, who keep fouling on the drive, explosive vertical athletes
- Improvements as Arkansas midrange shooter manufacturer, short floats and pull-up
- The motor never stops running, always hits glass and transitions
- Excellent outside defender, constantly breaking the pass lane and spinning to the basket game
- Strength and horizontal bursts make him the player of challenge
weakness
- Weak floor gaskets, the team regularly packs up the paint, dares him to shoot
- Can drive traffic recklessly and usually not stand out from his drive
- Inconsistent ball control limits his ability to score on the drive
- Reactive point guard, he missteps his footsteps and loses to a drastic change in direction
- Lack of core strength can allow bigger players to hit his position
Offensive role: Slasher/Energy Wing
Defensive roles: Defender on the ball/multi-functional ball
2025 NBA Draft Projection: First Round, Select 25-30
Teams that are confident in developing their own three-point shooting ability will be spread all over Tiro in the draft. On the offensive end, he still has enough room to even exceed his shooting, but Thiero's elite athletic tools and defensive upside room make him a first-round draft pick. Thiero's profile has high-end features from which creative patient teams can extract value.
