Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
If you thought the Philadelphia 76ers were off to a shaky start this season, prepare for even more turbulence. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Sixers star James Harden is set to miss the next month with a tendon strain in his foot. For all of the Sixers’ sluggishness so far this season, Harden was one of the lone bright spots.
But the injury concerns don’t end there. Also on Thursday, the Sixers added Matisse Thybulle to the injury report, with the defensive ace suffering from an ankle sprain.
For Sixers-Knicks tomorrow:
-James Harden (right foot tendon strain) is out.
-Joel Embiid (non-COVID illness) and Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) are questionable.
-De’Anthony Melton isn’t on the injury report after missing last night’s game with back stiffness.
It’s not been the hottest of starts for Thybulle this season. But there’s been an early correlation between the time Thybulle sees the floor and the end result for Philadelphia.
More Thybulle Playing Time Equates to More Wins
So far this season, the Sixers are 2-0 in games Matisse Thybulle plays more than 20 minutes. And through the first four games of the season, when Thybulle was seeing less than two minutes per game, the Sixers slumped out to a 1-3 start.
Let’s throw in a few obvious caveats. First, the sample size here is microscopic. Second, there are likely several other reasons why Philadelphia won those games besides Thybulle’s insertion into the lineup. For example, the two wins came against the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls, who are a combined 9-8 to start the season. And Philadelphia’s early losses came against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs, who are a combined 16-6.
But it’s also worth noting that Philadelphia’s defense was mightily improved against Chicago and Washington, with the Sixers giving up just 101.9 points per 100 possessions between the two, which is above average. It makes sense — Thybulle is Philadelphia’s best perimeter defender by a good margin. He also plays with the tenacity and effort missing from Philadelphia’s early showing, especially in transition.
Even if he’s been mildly frozen out of Philadelphia’s main rotation this season, Thybulle’s keeping his head up and working to earn the trust of his teammates.
Thybulle on Earning Embiid’s Trust
In basketball, just about everything must be earned. Wins, awards, postseason appearances, trophies, all of it: earned. The same is true for chemistry on the floor; in other words, trust is something that, like an MVP award, must be earned. It’s something Thybulle’s been working towards every single day this season.
“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.”
Thybulle’s facing a do-or-die season in Philadelphia. The Sixers opted against extending Thybulle to a rookie extension ahead of the season opener a few weeks back, meaning Thybulle is headed for restricted free agency next summer. While he has little control over how much time he gets on the floor, he absolutely controls his impact. And if he fails to make one, it could cost him millions in a few months.