Philadelphia 76ers: Why Matisse Thybulle has a real chance at minutes
The Philadelphia 76ers’ most recent first-round pick has a chance to earn legitimate playing time.
There are no questions about who the Philadelphia 76ers will start. A busy offseason has left the Sixers will a full slate — including five starters on contract through at least the 2020-21 season. Four of the five are on contract for at least three more seasons.
How the bench will shape up, however, remains to be seen. The Sixers have more depth than fans have grown accustomed to seeing. There’s a legitimate backup point guard, a sturdy option at center and serious wing depth. Brett Brown finally has a margin for error.
The wings remain the stronger point in Philadelphia’s rotation. Beyond Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson, the Sixers possess three strong candidates for playing time — James Ennis, Zhaire Smith and Matisse Thybulle. Brown will need to determine what his priorities are in training camp, whether it be veteran experience or the development of youth.
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I have written about my expectations in the past. Ennis and Smith are likely candidates to hoard most of the backup wing minutes. Ennis has the experience, while Smith provides more dynamic potential on offense. That leaves Thybulle as the odd man out.
The expectation is Brown will give Thybulle a chance to earn minutes, though, and it’s far from time to count him out. The Sixers are capped out moving forward. There’s no room for major free agent additions, so developing young, cheap talent is a priority — especially in the regular season.
Thybulle enters the NBA as a four-year senior. He explicitly said his reason for staying in school was to enter the league as ready as possible. His defensive instincts are already elite, while his open-court speed and 3-point shooting are potentially valuable weapons.
Right now, Thybulle projects as a better shooter than Smith. That will carry weight in certain conversations, even those Brown hosts in his own mind. The Sixers need spacing around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Thybulle seems equipped to offer it.
If Summer League was any indication — admittedly, the sample size is too small to draw definitive conclusions — Thybulle can hit spot-up 3s comfortably. He can also work in dribble handoffs, curling around screens and hitting the occasional off-movement shot. That was perhaps his biggest development in Vegas.
Thybulle has the potential to provide an easier fit than Smith, even if Smith is more apt as a straight-line driver who can beat closeouts. If Thybulle consistently hits 3s at a tangibly higher rate than Smith, there’s room for debate. He’s one of the most experienced, accomplished rookies in the 2019 class.
The Sixers also have great personnel for maximizing Thybulle’s unique skill set as a defender. While I tend to favor Smith’s on-ball prowess, Thybulle can wreak havoc as a free safety, roaming into passing lanes and forcing turnovers.
Not dissimilar to Smith, Thybulle thrives in the open court off turnovers. He can swing an outlet pass or bolt up court himself, often outrunning his opponents. At 6-foot-7, his open-court speed is a valuable weapon, and one the up-tempo Sixers will appreciate.
In Richardson and Simmons, the Sixers have two strong on-ball defenders. Ennis — who I expect to receive the most playing time of the reserve wings next season — was also entrusted with important matchups last season. Those three, in conjunction with Joel Embiid and Al Horford cleaning up messes inside, provide the perfect environment for Thybulle to reign as a killer off-ball defender.
There’s a not-impossible chance Brown finds consistent minutes for both Smith and Thybulle next season. They both complement each other for similar reasons — Smith being a stellar on-ball defender and straight-line driver, whereas Thybulle spaces the floor and plays passing lanes.
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Regardless, the onus next season should be on getting Smith and Thybulle a fair shot. Both deserve to, if nothing else, compete for secondary minutes in preparation for expanded roles in the future. Both have skill sets that fit Philadelphia’s defensive mentality quite well.