During the second quarter of the Lakers’ Game 2 defeat against the Thunder, Adu Tiello found himself at the scorer’s table when Luka Doncic approached him. Doncic, who hasn’t played since April 2 due to a hamstring injury, leaned on the scorer’s box and shared some words of encouragement with Tiello.
He wanted to motivate Tiello as the rookie stepped into the playoff rotation following an injury to Jared Vanderbilt, who suffered a dislocation of his right little finger.
“He just advised me to go out there and give it my all, to not overthink anything,” Tiello recalled. “I aimed to keep it straightforward and ease the pressure off myself.”
In a game lacking in bright spots for the Lakers, apart from Austin Reeves’ recovery from a rough first game, Tiello helped fill in the gaps needed by the coaching staff.
In just six minutes, he grabbed three rebounds and appeared eager, energetic, and tough on the court.
As they prepared for Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena, it was clear that the Thunder had the upper hand on the Lakers in numerous areas.
“Expect high energy and physical play from him,” Coach J.J. Reddick noted. “I think he performed admirably.”
This impression earned Tiello additional playing time in Saturday’s Game 3 loss, where he led the team with eight rebounds—five defensive and three offensive—and scored four points in 13 minutes.
“I prayed for moments like this and worked hard to get here,” Tiello stated. “I’ll just give my all for the team.”
He recognized a shift in both focus and energy during his increased minutes in the playoffs compared to the regular season. “It’s definitely intense,” he said. “The atmosphere is electric, and every play counts.”
However, his inexperience showed late in the third when he committed a moving screen violation while attempting a dribble handoff with Rui Hachimura.
There were also instances where his determination masked the fact that he’d played just 149 minutes over 25 regular-season games before the playoffs.
“I’ve been told I did some things well, but there’s still much for me to improve,” he acknowledged. “I know I haven’t had many reps, but we have to maintain discipline and absorb the team’s principles.”
To compete with teams like the Thunder and Spurs in the future, the Lakers need to cultivate players like Tiello into reliable rotation members.
At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Tiello possesses valuable athleticism and leaping ability, making him a resource the Lakers seemingly lacked for much of the season. This has been a notable difference compared to the advantages the Thunder and Spurs have over them.
Currently, the Lakers find themselves short on young talent they can rely on in critical moments.
Austin Reeves was once that emerging talent, but now at 27 and in the fifth year of his career, he’s facing a substantial pay increase soon. Max Christie showed promise before being traded as part of the Doncic deal last winter.
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ 2023 draft picks have not made an impact, and the 2024 selections were limited to late-game rotations against the Thunder when the outcome felt decided.
In contrast, the Thunder boast several young players like Kason Wallace and Jared McCain on rookie contracts, helping them secure a 3-0 series lead going into Monday’s game. It’s evident that the Lakers may be missing a crucial opportunity in their team development.
This emphasizes the importance of giving Tiello more playing time. For the Lakers’ future, let’s hope this experience proves beneficial.
