Rookie Matisse Thybulle has already made a positive impact with the Philadelphia 76ers and there is little reason to believe he won’t continue to do so.
The Philadelphia 76ers got a steal in the 2019 NBA Draft when they traded up to the 20th pick and snagged Matisse Thybulle who has easily been the best defender in this draft thus far. His performance on the court this season paints a bright future for him in Philadelphia.
There have been a handful of players’ futures with the franchise that has already been dissected but Thybulle can potentially have the longest future based on how his contract’s length and his upside. His ability as a perimeter defender makes at least a rotational player for years to come and if he can develop more on offense, he could become a starter.
Thybulle is only a year or two of experience away from becoming an elite defender in the NBA. He can guard multiple positions and is above exceptional as a pick-pocketer and a shot blocker. He leads all rookies in steals per game and is third in blocks per game.
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This season, Thybulle has averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks, while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from downtown. Defensively, Thybulle just needs more experience to refine his skills, offensively he needs to develop into a more consistent shooter and being able to attack the basket when opponents close out hard on him at the 3-point line.
Despite the things that Thybulle needs to work on, he’s still proven to be a quality rotational player for the 76ers. It doesn’t seem likely that the Sixers should want to part ways with the 6-foot-5 wing.
The Sixer Sense’s co-site expert Christopher Kline has suggested that Thybulle can be traded if it means that Philly can get off of Al Horford’s horrendous contract. However, it appears that he will be in the 76ers plans for years to come unless something drastic like that happens.
The Philadelphia 76ers have struck gold when they drafted Thybulle and unless something major happens, it appears he has a long and bright future in the City of Brotherly Love.