Before the 2025NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for theSixers at Nos. 3 and 35. Next up in this series is Arkansas’ Adou Thiero.
Arkansas star Adou Thiero had a breakout year in the SEC during his junior season playing under John Calipari in Fayetteville after transferring in after two seasons at the University of Kentucky. Often viewed as and mocked as an early second-round prospect, I believe Thiero can return top-20 if not lottery value if he can develop in a couple of key areas.
Let’s take a look at what gives Thiero such significant upside as a potential legitimate two-way difference maker.
Profile
Stats (PER 40 Min):
21.9 PPG
8.5 REB
2.7 AST
2.4 STL
1.3 BLK
54.5% FG
60.5 TS%
25.6% 3PT (2.3 3PA)
68.6% FT (9.4 FTA)
Team: Arkansas
Year: Junior
Position: Forward
Height: 6’7 1⁄2 (In Shoes)
Weight: 218 lbs
Wingspan: 7’0
Born: May 8, 2004 (21 years old)
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Strengths
Athleticism
Thiero is a truly nuclear athlete even by NBA standards. Whether it’s blowing by defenders off the bounce with a lightning quick first step, skying through the air for gravity-defying slams, or seemingly coming out of the rafters to erase shot attempts, Thiero’s athleticism pops in basically every aspect. He was 46th in the country in total dunks with 45 made on the season despite only playing 27 games and only 51% of Arkansas’ total minutes on the season as he was limited with injuries. That is an astounding number for a 6-foot-7 wing.
Adou Thiero is an A++ level explosive and functional athlete even by NBA Standards. The best athlete in the 2025 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/vIbyzwO26q
— Will Rucker (@Will_Rucker3_AD) June 18, 2025
Defense
Thiero is an excellent defensive playmaker posting 3.7 stocks per 40 Minutes, an outstanding level of defensive playmaking for a wing prospect.
Arkansas was significantly better on defense as a team with Thiero on the floor, good for 98 points per 100 possessions conceded with Thiero on and plummeted to 106.4 points per 100 conceded with him off the floor. Teams shot worse from all over the floor with his presence on the court. He is a force as a secondary rim protector and weakside shot blocker due to his 7-foot wingspan and special vertical athleticism. Thiero does a great job of contesting without fouling at the rim, at times walling up with two hands or swatting away shots emphatically.
His outlier quickness and quick hands coupled with his 6-foot-7, 218-pound frame makes him a stifling on-ball defender. Thiero plays with a relentless motor and always has to be accounted for as he is looking to jump passing lanes, chase down players for steals and deflections, and wreak havoc as an off-ball defender.
Adou Thiero ambidextrous shot blocking is one of my favorite niche traits of any player in this class. Left hand, right hand, walling up with two, chase downs, rotating from weak side, and meeting guys at the rim. pic.twitter.com/yrYXwTHY2D
— Will Rucker (@Will_Rucker3_AD) June 18, 2025
Driving/Rim Finishing
Over 55% of Thiero’s attempts at the rim were self-created and he finished over 58% of his rim attempts in the half court and 61.6% at the rim overall. His blur of a first step and grab-and-go ability in transition make him a difficult cover as a driver and play finisher especially when he gets a head of steam.
Thiero scored on 1.017 points per possession on his half court attempts this past season at Arkansas which puts him in the 82nd percentile, per Synergy. He also displays excellent floater touch which is a great counter to have to his driving and one that will be greatly needed — especially early in his career as he looks to improve as a jump shooter.
Thiero is also an outstanding weapon as a cutter off the ball where he ranked in the 97th percentile at 1.641 points per possession and finished 84% of his field goals on basket cuts.
Rebounding
Thiero has pulled down 8.7 rebounds per game per 40 minutes throughout his college career. During the 2024-2025 season with the Razorbacks, he put out an impressive 7.7 ORB%, a lot of those ending in put-back points for Thiero by way of layups and put-back dunks. We have seen how important extra possessions and rebounding are throughout the NBA playoffs. Thiero is a legitimate weapon on the glass from the forward spot.
Foul Drawing
Thiero posted a 69.2% free throw rate which is higher than any of the projected first-round prospects coming from the NCAA this season. Thiero uses his first step, strength, and creative rim finishing to apply constant pressure on the rim and get himself to the line at a high rate. This is an important trait for Thiero to help him bring offensive value and generate easy scoring opportunities.
Potential Swing Skill
Playmaking
Thiero’s 1.1 Ast/TO ratio is not going to jump off the page but as you dig deeper into the tape and his profile you will see that there is some untapped playmaking upside. Thiero was a point guard in his high school days as he was just 6-foot tall his junior season and that flashes at times throughout his college film as well. Thiero’s 14% assist rate is a solid number given his archetype. He has showed the ability to make passes on the move, throw skip passes with both hands, passes to rollers out of pick-and-roll, and hit quick extra passes to shooters and cutters as well.
There may be more there than we have seen to this point and improvements to either his handle or shooting could allow him to bend defenses more and leverage some of his passing chops as well.
Areas of Concern
Shooting
Thiero at this time is a complete project at as a shooter. He made just 21 threes in 72 games in his college career at a pedestrian 28.4% clip. Thiero also is a below average free throw shooter for his archetype shooting just 71.1% from the line in his career. While the form on his jumper does not seem to be broken, he has failed to knock it down with any kind of consistency or efficiency. Thiero’s floater touch, rim touch, and flashes of pull-up shooting from two give some optimism for his potential development as a shooter, but it is best to view it as a complete work in progress at this stage.
Overall
Adou Thiero is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft. His defensive impact, defensive versatility, S tier athleticism, elite play finishing capabilities, relentless motor, and intriguing ball skills make him a top-20 prospect in this class — with potential to be even more if he lands with the right team to utilize and find value in his current skillset while he looks to develop as a shooter.
Thiero’s shooting development will ultimately determine his ceiling while his other skills give him avenues to immediate role player value in the right system. Given the Sixers’ excess of perimeter shooting, Thiero could slot into a nice role as a transition scorer, driver, cutter, defender, and rebounder and he should be near the top of Sixers wish list early in the second round.