Lakers Choice Thiero is slightly stronger than Lewis, with 0 shooting ability and a big risk of knee and shoulder injury

On June 27, the Lakers traded upwards in the NBA draft, exchanged the No. 55 pick to the 36th pick, and chose Adutiello. This time, unlike what I imagined, the Lakers did not choose a center but chose a forward!

Just before the draft began, the Lakers made a noise. They were very interested in center Ke Brenner, who was 216cm tall, and they tried to win him. However, what they didn't expect was that the Hornets took action in advance and chose him at the No. 34 pick!

Let's first look at how the rookie selected by the Lakers this year are like? He is 199cm tall, has an arm span of 213cm, and is statically talented. He can average 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He can contribute 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game on the defensive end. Overall, it is quite OK!

His advantage is that his style of play is very explosive, a bit similar to the Rockets' Whitmore, and belongs to the type that the Lakers need, because the Lakers' overall athletic ability is relatively weak, especially in the playoffs, the shortcomings of insufficient defensive ability are very obvious. In theory, Thiero can well supplement the Lakers' shortcomings in this regard.

But the shortcomings are also very obvious. They have no shooting ability, especially 3-pointers, which is terrible. For comparison, take Brother Biao of the Lakers for example, his 3-point shooting percentage exceeds 28%, while the Lakers' rookie's 3-point shooting percentage is only 25%. To put it bluntly, it is outside the 3-point line, without any threat, and can be completely empty.

Frankly speaking, this rookie may not be able to play in the new season of the Lakers. The reason for saying this is that Vanderbilt averaged only 12 minutes of playing time last season. The reason for such a short time is that he has no threat on the offensive end and is often emptied by the opponent, so he can only play so little time. So, the ideal situation for Thiero in the new season is to play at the last moment without any suspense in the game, which means a few minutes.

So, since you won't play too much next season, what is his potential? Compare the rookie Lewis selected by the Lakers at the No. 40 pick in 2023!

Lewis is 201cm tall. Lewis averaged 31 minutes per game, scoring 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists, shooting percentage of 46.8%, three-point shooting percentage of 34.8%, and free throw shooting percentage of 78.7%.

From the comparison of the data between the two, it can be seen that in terms of physical talent, one is 199cm and the other is 201cm. Lewis is better, and the dynamic talent is similar. Lewis was also attracted by the Lakers because of his hot physical fitness at that time, and his score, rebounds and assists are similar. Thiero's offensive success rate in the inside is better, while Lewis's outside and free throws are much better than Thiero!

Overall, Thiero is at Lewis' level. However, from the perspective of playing style, Thiero belongs to the type of rushing and playing hard, and may get more opportunities in the Lakers. Lewis is not too active. This is Diallo's only advantage and the only opportunity!

But in addition, when Thiero was in college, his knees and shoulders were injured, and he had a long rest. He had a potential for injury and could not do it. His playing style is very similar to Vanderbilt, and his injury situation is also very similar. This is a not very positive aspect.

In short, the Lakers should not have expectations for Thiero next season. After all, Ghost Brother and Reddish have no chance. Lewis is just playing soy sauce. Vanderbilt averages only 12 minutes per game. It is very unrealistic to count on Thiero. Seeing that Pelinka signed so many two-way contracts today, I still hope that he will focus on how to improve the team's strength.

Lakers' Choice Thiero is slightly stronger than Lewis, with 0 shooting ability and a big potential for knee and shoulder injury