Congratulations! The Lakers get a bargain with a 15+5 arm span of 2.13 meters, and another short and strong forward assists James

On June 27, in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Lakers selected forward Adu Tiero from the University of Arkansas with the 36th pick. The Lakers' first goal in the second round was center Carlke Brenner, who was 2.16 meters tall, but was "intercepted" by the Hornets at the 34th pick. The Lakers' initial second round pick was the No. 55 draw. They exchanged No. 55 draw and cash for the Bulls' No. 45 draw and cash, and then they exchanged No. 45 draw + cash for the Timberwolves' No. 36 draw, and finally selected Tierro.

Kalkebrenner and Thiero originally had the draft at the end of the first round, but fell to the second round. Both rookies have been playing in the NCAA for many years and are more mature than those who only play in college games for one year. However, because of this, they are regarded as having less potential and have fallen into the second round.

The Lakers' lineup is seriously lacking in centers, so it is best to choose a center in the draft. Kalkbrenner, who is 2.16 meters tall and has an armspan of 2.29 meters, is the Lakers' first choice in the second round. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 65.3%, a three-point shooting percentage of 34.4%, and a free throw percentage of 68.1%. Among them, he made 20 of 22 shots in a single game, scoring 49 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.

However, the Hornets selected Calc Brenner at the 34th pick, frustrating the Lakers' plan to strengthen the center. The Lakers held the No. 45 pick at the time, perhaps because they were worried that their favorite target would be intercepted again. They continued to trade the draft picks up and selected Thiero.

Tiero was born on May 5, 2004, with a naked foot height of 1.99 meters. ESPN listed his height as 2.03 meters, which should be the height of his shoes. Tierro weighs 100 kg. He is a short and strong forward, able to play in both small forward and power forward.

In the 2024-25 season, Thiero played 27 games for the University of Arkansas, averaging 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.7 turnovers, with a shooting percentage of 54.5%, a three-point shooting percentage of 25.6%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 68.6%.

Tiero has very distinct advantages and disadvantages. He is an excellent defensive player and a good player in fast breaks, but lacks shooting ability. His NBA template is Vanderbilt.

The Lakers welcomed another defensive forward. Objectively speaking, the Lakers' choice to Thiero has caused Finney Smith, Vanderbilt and Thiero to overlap. Last season, there was Reddish in the Lakers' team. His function was also defense, but he lacked shooting ability. Can Thiero do better than Reddish? Reddish was the No. 10 show in 2019. He was a scorer when he first debuted, but his shooting ability was too poor and he gradually became a defensive role player.

Tiero has always been a defensive player. In his last season in high school, he averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game at Quak Valley High School, leading the team to a season record of 27 wins and 1 loss. He has had a brave performance of scoring 44 points in a single game, setting a record for the highest score in a single game in the high school team history.

Tiero scored 1,624 points in his high school career and ranked third in the team history. After graduating from high school, Thiero entered the University of Kentucky to play, and his father also played for the University of Kentucky. Thiero played for two seasons at the University of Kentucky and followed his mentor Calipari to switch to the University of Arkansas in the 2024-25 season, becoming the core of the team.

After Thiero was selected, Calipari posted a message on Twitter: "I am extremely proud of Adu's growth from a 5-foot-11-inch (about 1.73 meters) year to an NBA player. This is an incredible journey. No matter which round of draft he is, he is the kind of player who will sigh 'How was he selected? It's such a big bargain'. Some of us have players selected in the second round, or even lost, but they all have a brilliant NBA career in the end! He has the mental and physical fitness he needs to succeed in the NBA. Come on, Adu!"

Callipari is optimistic about Thiero's success in the NBA. Thiero has excellent athleticism and a pair of long arms. If he can practice shooting and off-ball offense well, he will still have a chance to shine in the Lakers.