JJ Redick says Adou Thiero was ‘awesome’ after early mistakes in his Lakers season debut

Adou Thiero finally got his 2026-27 minutes. In the Los Angeles Lakers’ 124-118 Emirates NBA Cup home win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, the second-year forward checked in for his season debut and finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 7 minutes — all four boards on the offensive glass.

Adou with the hustle, Ziaire with the finish 💪 pic.twitter.com/kGK5lgMKfR

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 7, 2026

Redick: mistakes, then ‘awesome’

Coach JJ Redick did not sugarcoat the first two defensive possessions, then praised everything that followed. “I thought his first two defensive possessions, he made mistakes. And then after that, he was awesome. He literally did everything we asked him to do… I thought he played a great game,” Redick said after the win.

JJ Redick on Adou Thiero's season debut:

"I thought his first two defensive possessions, he made mistakes. And then after that, he was awesome. He literally did everything we asked him to do… I thought he played a great game."

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) November 7, 2026

Why the Lakers needed the look

Thiero had been sidelined since the preseason with left-knee swelling — the same knee that needed surgery in spring 2025 — and only cleared the injury report this week after a live practice with the Coachella Valley Lakers. With Walker Kessler anchoring the middle and Luka Dončić dropping 53 in the comeback, Redick still carved out a short stretch for the athletic forward rather than holding him for the upcoming road trip.

LUKA TO ADOU pic.twitter.com/NuoLMrAlcN

— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) November 7, 2026

Beat writer Jovan Buha flagged the line mid-third: 4 points, 4 offensive rebounds and 2 assists while Los Angeles flipped a 34-15 quarter. Walker Kessler called it a really good debut. The Lakers are 8-2 and 1-1 in Cup group play; Thiero’s next test is whether the knee holds when the minutes climb on the four-game trip.