Adou Thiero
Forward
Physical slasher who creates events on defense.
Despite being only 6’6’’, Adou Thiero spent a strong majority of his time playing the four rather than the three. That’s because he has an arsenal of tools unlike any other in this class. That positional capability makes his splotchy perimeter skills less damaging, and in fact gives him some enormous edges he is capable of exploiting. For that reason, Adou Thiero finds himself in the middle of the first round on Swish Theory’s 2025 Big Board.
Thiero has a seven-foot wingspan and measured with a 41-inch max vertical leap at Kentucky’s 2022 pro day. Some have reported it as high as 46 inches. Carter Bryant is the closest athletic comparison, but even he lacks compared to Thiero and has shown far less application of tools. In fact, Thiero may be the single best athlete in the class, to steal a line from fellow Swisher Avinash Chauhan.
And it shows, both on tape and the box score. He is not just potentially the highest leaper in the class but also the quickest (even surpassing the very quick Cooper Flagg). His ability to get off the floor in an instant means he can wait longer to commit to contesting, making his rim protection all the more viable as a four. He is also very strong, meaning he’s a durable leaper, unable to get knocked off his spot.
Thiero’s athleticism is best noted in the box score via his staggering free throw rate. Here’s a list of free throw rates by play type: 133 as a roll man (yes, he took more free throws than field goal attempts), 104 off of cuts, 91 in isolation, 86 out of post ups and 76 in transition. But most importantly, he drew 61 free throws on 100 drives – very strong in both rate and volume, and especially for a small-ball power forward. Not only does he use his strength and leaping but also is able to change pace, manipulating launch pads where the tools then take over.
Thiero has more signs of ball skills beyond that, too, even if unpolished. He is capable of basic reads which brought him 2 assists per game and has a stellar runner, shooting 17 for 29. The three point shot is not there but the free throw is decent at a career 71%. A defense would likely give him space, but he is excellent at using that space to create a physical advantage or get to his floater. With Thiero, it’s not as simple as “wing who can’t shoot,” as he has shown touch, some handle and generally sound decision-making.
Holding him back is how his feel is good but not excellent, but even that is mitigated by Thiero being one of the fiercest competitors in the draft. Many of his 49 dunks were through traffic, and his constantly hounding defense earned him 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. The side effect there is a bit of a fouling issue out of over-aggression, and another sign of perhaps not quite elite feel. But Thiero is a powerhouse who has proven he can score and rack up defensive events while just generally being physical, everywhere. Even at an older age of recently 21, there is plenty of upside here. If the driving, and foul drawing off of it, sticks, he could be a strong scoring option while also being a major defensive plus.
Matt Powers