3 players who must step up moving forward: Matisse Thybulle
Like with Joe, I had Matisse Thybulle on this list before joining Joe and Tobias Harris as players in the COVID safety protocol, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. We all at the site also wish both Thybulle and Harris speedy recoveries. That being written, some readers may question why is the Philadelphia 76ers’ best defender on this list.
It’s a fair question, but to be clear that isn’t the reason why he’s on this list. He’s seventh in the league in steals per game (2.3) and 10th in blocks per game (1.8). It should be noted that he’s only one of three none bigs in the top 22 in blocks and leads all non-big men in blocks.
It’s never been a question of his defensive production with Thybulle, but his struggles on the offensive end of the floor. This season, the thrid season wing is averaging a career-high 5.1 points on a career-high 47.5 field goal percentage. It’s good he’s having career highs in two important categories, but on the same note, it’s sad that these are considered career highs.
It should also be noted that he’s still only hitting 31.6 percent from the 3-point line. He needs to be a bigger threat on offense. That’s literally the only reason why he’s not a starter. If he can be more of a two-way player then the Sixers would have one of the best role players in the NBA.