Philadelphia 76ers: 5 takeaways from Doc Rivers’ first press conference
4. Thybulle, Milton earn praise
Rivers spoke at length about his excitement to coach Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris, but the coach’s praise extended beyond just the team’s max contract recipients. Rivers was also quick to praise Philadelphia’s youngsters — most notably Matisse Thybulle and Shake Milton.
"He's an NBA All-Defensive player now." Doc Rivers on Matisse Thybulle.
— Tom West (@TomWestNBA) October 5, 2020
Is Thybulle actually an All-Defensive player right now? I’m not sure. While his peak rivals that of the NBA’s top wing defenders, Thybulle does go through stretches of inconsistency on the defensive end. He’s tremendous off the ball, springing into passing lanes and using his 7-foot wingspan to create chaos, but on the ball, Thybulle is much less reliable.
That said, a leap forward is not unheard of in a player’s sophomore season. Thybulle was much better defensively than most rookies, and he is primed to reach All-Defense levels sooner than later. His instincts and activity level are singular. He is a special player.
Doc Rivers with simple marching orders for Shake Milton: “If you can play like you played against us in LA, I don’t have to say another word.”
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 5, 2020
Before COVID-19 upended the NBA season, Shake Milton dropped 39 points on Rivers’ Clippers in Los Angeles. That is still Milton’s career high, and it clearly stuck with Rivers. While his comment was sarcastic, Milton has all the tools to carve out a significant role in Philadelphia moving forward. He’s the kind of quick-trigger shooter and smart, savvy decision-maker this offense desperately needs.
Someone outside the core will need to step up in order for Philadelphia to compete next season. It’s safe to expect both Thybulle and Milton to have every opportunity to establish themselves as building blocks.