Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ regular-season debut Tuesday night left a lot to be desired. Was the team too hyped by NBA circles heading into the season? Probably. Is it just one game? Absolutely.
There’s plenty of time for the Sixers to right the ship, so much so, that it actually feels silly crushing the team too badly after one game. Joel Embiid will find his MVP form, Tyrese Maxey will settle in, and PJ Tucker will hit more threes (I hope). But for one player, game one might not have been a mirage at all: Matisse Thybulle.
Before the game, Thybulle was spotted warming up his shooting stroke from three. It would be the most time he’d spend on the floor of the Boston Garden all evening.
Matisse Thybulle firing jumpers before Game 1 of his fourth season:
Thybulle got less than two seconds of playing time Tuesday night against a Celtics team that was absolutely cooking on offense. Thybulle is arguably Philadelphia’s best defender; if he couldn’t get playing time on Tuesday when the team’s defense was abysmal, when will he? It’s a question echoed by Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice after the game Tuesday.
“If [Thybulle] can’t get any run when Tatum goes off for 35 points and the Sixers are in dire need of any competent perimeter D, what path does he have to actually playing this season?”
The prolonged bench time comes after Thybulle and the Sixers failed to reach an extension on the wing’s contract before Monday’s deadline.
Thybulle, Sixers Fail to Reach Contract Extension Monday
While all eyes were on the Sixers’ Tuesday night affair against Boston, the previous night posed yet another significant milestone. The Sixers had until 6:00 pm Monday to reach a rookie extension with Thybulle. With no agreement made, Thybulle will now head into restricted free agency next summer.
Does that mean Thybulle is guaranteed to walk? Not quite. The Sixers have first dibs on matching any offer by other teams next summer. It’s a risky gambit for Philadelphia, who could see Thybulle walk for nothing if the team doesn’t wish to match an offer.
But Sixers boss Daryl Morey isn’t one to let talent walk out the door for nothing. And for his offensive struggles, Thybulle is still a serious defensive talent. He’s made the All-Defensive second team in both of his last two seasons. He’s still young, meaning an upstart team with lots of scoring (ahem, the Detroit Pistons) could round out their rotation with his defense.
Thybulle’s also no stranger to the swirling speculation. Ahead of training camp, the former Washington Huskie opened up on his future in Philadelphia.
Thybulle ‘Would Always Want to Stay in Philly’
Ahead of training camp a few weeks back, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer published an in-depth interview with the Sixers wing. The two discussed Thybulle’s defensive contributions, championship expectations, and of course, his future.
“‘At this point, I would always want to stay in Philly,’ he said. ‘And if it’s up to me, that’s always going to be my choice,’” Pompey wrote on September 25.
While Thybulle might want to call the City of Brotherly Love home for his career, it remains to be seen if the feeling is mutual. If the Sixers determine early on that he’s not part of the championship core (evidenced by his lack of playing time Tuesday), then he could be a prime trade candidate ahead of the trade deadline in a few months.