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The future between Matisse Thybulle and the Philadelphia 76ers has been the most unclear it has ever been. The former first-round pick survived an offseason filled with trade rumors and enters the season in the final season of his contract. Sixers President of Basketball Operations declined to comment on the status of the negotiations during Sixers media day and Thybulle enters the season with a lot to prove. While it is still very early, the signs have been extremely positive surrounding his progress.
Joel Embiid has been the latest member of the Sixers to speak highly of the two-time All-NBA Second Team defender’s impact. Following the third day of training camp Embiid was asked about Thybulle and put it:
“I’m so proud of him. So far, you can tell he’s put in the work all summer. He’s been amazing. Obviously, he needs to keep going when it matters, but he’s made a lot of improvement and that’s what we want. That’s what we want from everybody on this team and he’s been doing an amazing job,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Thybulle’s Shooting Struggles
Thybulle is an electrifying defensive talent but his lack of offensive ability limits how much he has been capable of being on the court. Providing the proper spacing around Embiid has been the priority for the Sixers and Thybulle’s lack of shooting ability has made him a difficult pairing with the team’s superstar.
As a rookie, the Washington product connected on 35.7% of his three-pointers while attempting 2.4 per game. However, his long-range production sunk to just 30.1% the following year. Last season, he connected at a 31.3% rate. While this shooting percentage still needs to improve, it is the lack of confidence in the shot that is especially concerning. Despite playing 5.7 more minutes per game than he did as a rookie, Thybulle saw his three-point attempts decrease to 2.2 long-range attempts per game.
The Offseason Work Paying Off?
One of the themes of Sixers media day was how much work Thybulle has put in this offseason. Along with Tyrese Maxey and Paul Reed, the defensive stopper was mentioned as being in the gym the most.
Thybulle pointed out this was the first offseason since coming to the NBA that he had a chance to take a step back and have a full offseason to make improvements to his game. He spent time with the Australian National team competing in the Olympics following his rookie year and the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted plans last year. With a full offseason and a blank slate to work with, Thybulle appears to have capitalized on the opportunity. He even spent time working out with DeMar DeRozan and Dame Lillard.
While the early signs of training camp are promising, there is a lot on the line for Thybulle this season. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be a free agent this coming off-season. The Sixers also have made some notable additions to their roster which make minutes more competitive than ever. The addition of PJ Tucker likely pushes Thybulle out of the starting lineup and the bench rotation is deeper as well. Expect all eyes to be on him as the season is set to begin and for Thybulle to put his offseason work on full display.
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