One of the more confounding things about the Philadelphia 76ers‘ start to the season revolves around Matisse Thybulle. Prior to Thursday’s win over the Raptors, Thybulle had logged fewer than seven minutes of action through five games.
And look, it’s a league where everything must be earned. Wins are earned. Losses are earned. Playing time is earned. Unless a rookie is drafted near the very top of the lottery, chances are they must fight, claw, and, outplay their way into the roster. In other words, they must earn a spot.
But perhaps the biggest thing that must be earned by a player can’t be found on the box score: trust. While Thybulle might not have shown enough to have earned more playing time, it hasn’t stopped the two-time Second Team All-Defense player from trying to earn his teammate’s trust. And the one player he’s set his sights on? Joel Embiid.
“Joel’s been one of my biggest supporters since I’ve been on the Sixers and always been one of the loudest in celebrating my successes,” Thybulle said after Saturday’s win over Chicago. “It absolutely means a lot that the spearhead of the team, the guy who everything’s running through, supports you, and I think it helps to just to keep earning [Embiid’s] trust. Like, he wants to trust me and like me and celebrate me, but to do the work and have the results that can actually materialize it. It feels good and it sure makes me excited.”
Tyrese Maxey had a CAREER NIGHT!
🔔 44 PTS (CAREER HIGH)
🔔 8 REB
🔔 4 AST
🔔 9 3PM (CAREER HIGH)
🔔 @sixers WIN
While the early showing wasn’t great from Thybulle, he’s seemingly worked his way back into Philadelphia’s rotation over the last two games.
Thybulle Seeing More Action Lately for 76ers
While Thybulle saw limited floor action early on, he’s coming off two-straight games playing 20-plus minutes. Further, his two most recent games are his only net-positives of the season. Inserting Thybulle into the rotation makes sense for Philadelphia, considering he’s the Sixers’ best perimeter defender by a longshot.
Further, lineups featuring Thybulle are putting up an above-average defense, giving up just 109.9 points per 100 possessions according to Cleaning the Glass. Those lineups are generally D.O.A. offensively, but that’s to be expected given Thybulle’s offensive woes. By comparison, Philadelphia’s starting five (Embiid, Tucker, Maxey, Harden, and Harris) are giving up 108.4 points per 100 possessions. It may not seem like much, but the 1.5 point-difference is roughly 20 percentage points better when compared across the league.
Will Thybulle fix Philadelphia’s terrible transition defense? Not by himself. But when that comes down to effort, one can expect Thybulle to put in a little extra given his slow start. He’s a player champing at the bit for time and clearly willing to make the most out of it whenever he gets an opportunity.
Plus, there are potentially millions on the line for Thybulle this season.
Thybulle Facing Make-or-Break Season
Ahead of the new season, the Sixers had a decision to make on Thybulle. The former Washington Huskie was entering the last year of his rookie deal, meaning either Philadelphia had to extend him or let him hit restricted free agency next summer. The Sixers chose the latter.
That means Thybulle will be hit free agency for the first time in his career next summer. Philadelphia has first dibs to match any offer made by another team, but certainly risks losing him if a team flush with cap space (Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers) makes an above-market value offer.
It’s good news for Thybulle, at least in theory. It would help his value tremendously if he played on the court and showed he could be a productive player outside his obvious defensive brilliance. That goes for the Sixers, as well, who might look to move Thybulle at this year’s trade deadline.
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Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle Working on ‘Earning Embiid’s Trust’