Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking every player on the 2019-20 roster
10. Matisse Thybulle
Thursday, June 20 … The Philadelphia 76ers made a trade with the team that must not be named (Boston Celtics). The hopeful Philadelphia 76ers gave up their 24th and 33rd picks for the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. With that 20th pick came the 22-year-old small forward out of the University of Washington, Matisse Thybulle.
All 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, and 7-foot wingspan of a small forward, Thybulle is considered one of the best defenders in the 2019 draft class. The Philadelphia 76ers saw Thybulle’s potential to not only fill in the gaps on defense but also make an impact on offense.
Defense. It’s the name of the game. Especially when it comes to the 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Thybulle averaged 31.1 minutes of play per game. During that time he asserted himself on the defensive end and averaged 3.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Thybulle exerts all of the characteristics that you would want to see in a defender.
Watching the bouncy wing, you can tell that he is very intuitive with his game, as he creates off-ball havoc and waits for an opportunity to make a move. His alertness and energy resemble that of a recent “gritty” fella that won over the hearts of Philly fans. The T.J. McConnell-type will hopefully earn the respect from the hard work-loving Philly fans.
Although his liveliness on the court is a huge positive, it is also something that he needs to work on a bit. Like many rookies in the league, Thybulle tends to overplay his defender which leads to a better scoring opportunity. The Sixers hope to see the first-round draft pick become more patient over the course of the season.
Thybulle can be seen making his opponents really have to work to get to the rim or even get a shot off. This skill helps him to be able to defend multiple positions on the court which is something the Sixers will definitely try to utilize during the season.
Not only can Thybulle chase down a defender and intercept the pass, but he can then get to the rim once the ball is in his hands. Once Thybulle makes it down to the offensive end, he’s able to catch and shoot, and create movement. During summer league, he averaged 11.6 points a game.
Offensively, Thybulle is a team player, which is highly endorsed in the City of Brotherly Love. He has the ability to hit his teammates during the transition and the halfcourt. There were many times this summer where he made himself more accessible to his teammates to hit him for shots. We hope to see him do this in situations where Embiid may draw a double and Thybulle can get himself to the open spot on the court.