Philadelphia 76ers: Why Brett Brown should trust his young players

Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle are young players who could be critical to the Philadelphia 76ers’ postseason success. Should Brett Brown trust them with valuable minutes when the playoffs start?

There’s something special about seeing a young athlete develop right in front of your eyes. Their initial reluctance and lack of confidence in a new environment, quickly turns into a revelation that maybe even they didn’t expect so soon. When players come into their own, everyone notices. Especially their coach.

The young Philadelphia 76ers players who have raised eyebrows this season are Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle. Both have earned minutes in the rotation and added value to the team in various ways. With so much riding on this season’s outcome for the 76ers, why should Brett Brown go all in when it comes to this young duo?

If you look at the upside for Matisse Thybulle, there’s plenty. On the defensive side of the ball, he is a threat that opponents must worry about. His anticipation skills are uncanny, coupled with his athleticism, keeping the other team’s perimeter players on edge. His steal rating and block rating are tops when it comes to rookies. He is number one in steals with 60, and he is number five in blocks with 40. Keep in mind that Thybulle is ranked 24th in minutes per game among rookies at only 19.5 a game. Could you imagine what kind of consistent chaos he could create with more minutes?

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Offensively, he needs more time to refine his dribbling skills and decision-making ability. Yet, if the present lineup consists of four viable scorers, Embiid, Horford, Harris, and Milton, Thybulle would not be a liability on offense. If his only job would be to fill the lanes on fast breaks and hit open 3-pointers, the team’s offensive flow would not skip a beat. Thybulle can deliver where he is needed, and Brett Brown already sees his potential, evident by the minutes he is dishing out to the rookie.

Shake Milton may have had a rough start to his NBA career, but he has made the most of minutes he absorbed from Ben Simmons’ injury. He has been so impressive that he was appointed the starting point guard position. It seems Brown has placed his eggs in the Shake basket, and the coach should feel comfortable doing so.

We all saw how Milton caught fire before the coronavirus caused the suspension of the season. Yet, when play resumed in Disney, Milton picked right up where he left off. He started all three scrimmage games and generated enough shots for himself and others to constitute a smart decision for Brown.

Although Milton did not average more assists per game than Ben Simmons, he did have some nice passes to several teammates in each game. His ability to drive and finish with either hand, or stop and pull up, has been a much needed addition to the offense. Lastly, his three-point shooting has been steady averaging 45n percent in the three games, giving Brown the ability to space the floor when Milton is in the starting lineup.

Are concrete statistics enough for Brown to set sail with these young players on the ship? One could argue that Thybulle and Milton impact the game in intangible ways that make them assets. If you think about Thybulle’s pass deflections, the outcome does not always have to be a steal. His deflections are important because of how they disrupt the timing of the opponent’s offensive set. The seconds that are lost in the play involving Thybulle’s deflections will help lead to poor shots or shot clock violations.

With Milton, his offensive contributions with the 24-second clock running down give the Sixers a crafty player who can score in multiple ways. We have seen him drive the lane or pull up from deep and bail them out when Simmons or Embiid cannot. Milton and Thybulle have proven that their strengths elevate their value over any underdeveloped aspects of their games. The box scores won’t typically reveal their influence on a game, but they cannot be overlooked.

With these two blossoming players growing right before our eyes, Brett Brown should grant them the minutes they have earned and more. Thybulle and Milton are ready to contribute to the team’s success — now.

Twenty to thirty minutes a game for both will give the Sixers what they need to support a team with two All-Stars and savvy veterans. The youngsters have complemented the stars when others have not. There’s a reason why the team parted ways with James Ennis III and Trey Burke. In addition, Brown has to face the fact that Mike Scott is a shell of himself, while Furkan Korkmaz is a question mark because of his athletic deficiency. What Thybulle and Milton bring to the 76ers is just as refreshing as it is rewarding.

What does Brown have to lose? A lot. But the risk of trusting Thybulle and Milton will be worth it in the short term and long.