Sixers: Ranking every bench player in order of importance

Ranking every Sixers bench player — 2. Matisse Thybulle

Matisse Thybulle is arguably the best pound-for-pound perimeter defender in basketball. He makes more of a per-minute impact on that side of the ball than just about anyone. In under 20 minutes per game last season, Thybulle tallied more total blocks than Joel Embiid and more total steals than Ben Simmons.

The magic of Thybulle is hard to quantify. He blurs the line between reckless and precise unlike any other player. He can overextend for a steal, only to block the jumper from behind seconds later. He can leave his man unguarded on the catch, then contest the shot attempt. When locked in, Thybulle is probably the NBA’s best on-ball defender, and he made his money out of college playing off-ball in a zone system at Washington.

For Philadelphia, Thybulle is a cheat code in the second unit. An instant momentum-swing. The kind of low-minutes bench player who can take Devin Booker or Jayson Tatum off the board. After a strong showing in the Olympics, there will be anticipation around Thybulle’s offensive development in year three. If he can become a league average shooter, then the “Start Thybulle” campaign will start.

If Thybulle could give the Sixers anything on offense, he’d probably take the top spot on this list. He’s too limited, however, to earn the top spot. Defenses ignore him, and when the goal is to free up space for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, that is a problematic fact. Even so, he’s an All-Defense off the bench, which is virtually unheard of.