Armed with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Danuel House, and PJ Tucker the Philadelphia 76ers have no lack of outside shooting. It’s a problem that plagued them throughout the Ben Simmons years: you could pair JJ Redick and Seth Curry with the playmaking guard, but it was never enough. Finally, finally, the Sixers have cracked the shooting code.
That’s to no one’s relief more than Matisse Thybulle. For the past three seasons, fans watched as Thybulle provided electric defense and absolutely nothing on offense. Hopes that he could become a Mikal Bridges-esque three-and-D fizzled after Thybulle shot 30.7% from three over the last two years.
But that hasn’t stopped Thybulle’s Sixers teammates from continuing to support him through this very difficult time. Here are a few quotes culled from the lineup, per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Tobias Harris: “I’m super proud just because he’s putting the time and the work in and just having the mentality to let it fly. I don’t care how many shots he makes. I just care that he’s letting them go and it’s real growth because you just look at the game, the first one was an airball. More times than not, most guys fall into a tunnel, like should I take the next one? And the next one he took was a fast 3, no conscious. That type of mentality is huge.”
Doc Rivers: “He does so much great things on the defensive end, but really what you’re seeing now the preseason is him being able to knock shots down, be confident shooting the basketball, and that’s what we need for our group.”
Furkan Korkmaz: “I can see that he’s feeling more comfortable, more fresh-minded. I think he reset himself and then he’s ready to knock down those 3s in the regular season.”
This might be the most good shooters that the #sixers have had on one team, like, ever.
The support comes after a weak preseason showing by Thybulle.
Thybulle’s Struggled Shooting For Most of His 76ers Career
The former Washington Huskie entered the season with one goal in mind: to improve his shooting. He bragged to teammates about his improved shot. Players knew the work he put in behind the scenes. Heck, even the shot itself looked smoother.
The only problem? It didn’t, shall we say, go through the net. It’s like your college buddy who swears they’ll get a head start on the 20-page paper that they need to ace in order to graduate, only to be found the night before wedged between textbooks in the library, high on fear, adrenaline, and Adderall. The talk is great. The product is not.
Against the Brooklyn Nets last week, Thybulle went 1-3 from deep, leading Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice to lower his hopes for the Sixers wing this season.
“Matisse Thybulle got the Sixers sales pitch heading into training camp, with plenty of talk about the work he put in and potential improvements that could be in store. Not sure I see much of a difference yet.”
Nonetheless, Thybulle righted the ship in his next three preseason games. Sort of.
Thybulle Still Struggling With Inconsistent Shooting
Over the next three games, Thybulle went 0-3, 3-5, and 0-0 against the Cavaliers and Hornets. The 3-5 performance stands out as one potentially positive sign from Thybulle. Prior to netting his last three attempts from deep, Thybulle completely blanked the first two, leading to collective groans from Philadelphia loyal.
Those numbers highlight another problem with Thybulle’s offense: its inconsistency. Thybulle cannot be counted on to come through in big spots from deep, at least not yet. Nonetheless, he’ll give fans a reason to cheer during the one-off game when he puts the ball through the hoop.
It’s a long season, but the scars of last season’s playoffs are still open. Thybulle needs to put it together, and soon if he wants to earn a second contract in Philadelphia.
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Sixers Rallying Behind Matisse Thybulle After Rough Preseason