Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle’s defense is essential vs. Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers will need the rookie at his sharpest in the first round.

Ever since the Philadelphia 76ers became “competitive” in the Brett Brown era, they have been reluctant to lean on youth — especially in the presence of comparably talented veterans. This postseason, however, the Sixers’ young talent is essential. If the Sixers’ youngsters don’t produce, any hope of true contention is out the window.

Shake Milton will need to initiate the offense against playoff-intensity defense. Furkan Korkmaz will need to avoid total exploitation on defense. Most important, however, is Matisse Thybulle. The rookie out of Washington — who Boston originally drafted at No. 20 — could determine life or death for the Sixers.

Replacing Ben Simmons on defense is a group effort. Josh Richardson will take on more difficult assignments, especially in crunch time. Al Horford will need to channel his versatility of old. But for Thybulle, his ability to hold up in significant minutes will determine whether or not the Sixers can aptly defend the Celtics’ vast array of perimeter weapons.

More from Sixers News

• 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
• 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
• 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
• Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
• Breaking Down Bombshell Report on Sixers Star James Harden

My assumption is Richardson draw the initial Kemba Walker assignment, because he’s the only player on the roster with any chance of holding Walker under 40. That leaves Horford, Milton, and Tobias Harris to defend Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown — not ideal matchups, regardless of how you mix and match them.

I’m close to comfortable in saying the Sixers should start Thybulle over Horford for defensive purposes. He’s the only wing defender on the roster (beyond Richardson) who is any way comparable to Simmons. Thybulle will never touch Simmons as an on-ball defender, but his ability to swallow passing lanes, protect the weak side, and cover large swathes of area on the court is something the Sixers will sorely miss in Simmons’ absence.

If Thybulle can’t do his part to disrupt the likes of Tatum and Brown, the Sixers will have severe issues in this series. Tatum is an all-world offensive talent — the kind of isolation scorer who can consistently punish favorable matchups, which he figures to see a lot of without Simmons shadowing his every move.

Tatum is bigger and stronger than Thybulle, and by no means would I expect Thybulle to come in and shut Tatum down. Of course, one should also mention Thybulle’s history of foul trouble — he must be disciplined now more than ever, for his presence has never meant this much to Philadelphia’s success.

We can, however, expect Thybulle to draw the Tatum assignment (and the Brown assignment, and the Hayward assignment) from time to time. And when he does, he will need to hold his own. He did so against James Harden on Friday — a game in which he recorded four steals and two blocks. If there was ever a way to inspire confidence ahead of the most important 4-7 games of your career, locking up James Harden is the way to do it.

The Sixers will need Thybulle to defend high-profile scorers without fouling. They will also need him to generate turnovers and, in turn, generate transition opportunities on offense. Without Simmons, Philadelphia’s transition attack will unavoidably take a step back. But it’s still important to run the floor and create matchup advantages whenever possible. The Celtics’ set defense — while ill-equipped to handle Joel Embiid — is highly disciplined.

This is a sizable test for the rookie. Brett Brown has already acknowledged the importance of Thybulle’s defense, so make no mistake about it. Thybulle will have a chance to play important stretches in this series. He may even close games over Horford, depending on how the matchups work out.

Let’s see if the All-Rookie candidate lives up to his reputation.