Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors during Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round at Wells Fargo Center on April 16, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a loss at the hands of the Washington Wizards by a score of 121-111. The team battled some injuries with James Harden spending some time in the locker room before returning during the game. Joel Embiid missed the matchup due to illness and De’Anthony Melton was ruled out shortly before the game with lower back soreness. Matisse Thybulle also left the game with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter due to an ankle injury. He appeared to roll the ankle when navigating a screen and abruptly called for a sub following the injury. The defensive standout made his return to the Sixers bench after some time in the locker room, but never checked back in the game.
What is Thybulle’s Injury?
Following the game, Rivers took questions from the media but did not have much clarity on the injury. He referred to it as an ankle sprain but said he did not have much more information. Thybulle favored the ankle when walking off the court and to the locker room.
Matisse Thybulle left tonight’s game in the third quarter with an ankle sprain. Rivers called it a sprained ankle, but said he really wasn’t sure of what the exact injury was.
It was unfortunate timing for Thybulle as he was given the opportunity to start with Melton out due to injury. Rivers lumped Thybulle in with Paul Reed when discussing his rotations and concerns for players. As he stated per Zach Ciavolella of Philly Sports Network, “I thought Paul was okay. I thought offensively… same struggle with Matisse… in a lot of ways they start playing off the ball, and that’s something that he’s gonna get better at.”
It was an inconsistent performance for Thybulle who ended the matchup with two points, two assists, two fouls, and a steal in his 16 minutes of play. The Sixers’ small-ball lineup struggled against the Wizards’ length and the team was unable to get out in transition the way that has been the case in the previous two games Embiid missed. Thybulle has benefitted from these transition opportunities but they were not as easy to come by in this matchup.
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Thybulle’s Role Moving Forward
Recovering from the injury will be the first step, but Thybulle seemed on track toward earning a spot back in the rotation leading into the game. After playing just five minutes through the first five games of the season, Thybulle finally saw an extended opportunity and made the most of it. The Sixers struggled greatly out of the gates and needed a defensive boost. The two-time All-NBA Defensive second-team member made his presence felt and deserves a ton of credit for helping the team improve in this area. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to give a full display of what he could do with the starters in this matchup.
“…It means a lot when the spearhead of our team, the guy who everything’s run through, supports you.”
–@MatisseThybulle on @JoelEmbiid
Here’s the moment when Matisse headed to the bench after his pair of 3’s last night. A small moment, but a meaningful one.
During the time he was on the court, it was not Thybulle’s best work. There was a great deal of buzz coming into the season surrounding his reworked jump shot. While it is still early in the season, the results of this have not been seen. Thybulle has attempted just seven three-pointers thus far and connected on two of these long-range shots.
Even more discouraging than this is his seeming disinterest in attempting the shots. On a few occasions against the Wizards, he passed up on jump-shot opportunities in favor of putting the ball on the floor or making a pass. Rivers talked after the game about getting Thybulle more involved as a roller moving forward. While this could be a better way to hide the deficiency, the bottom line is that Thybulle will not be the desired three-and-D wing he is capable of being until his confidence and shooting ability change.
This will be a matchup that Thybulle and the Sixers will look to move on from quickly. The team is now 4-5 on the season and will be back in action against the Knicks on Friday. Updates on the defensive ace’s status should be monitored until then, but the door does not seem to be closed on him making a quick return.