Matisse Thybulle is one of my personal favorite players in Sixers history, but he’s always had a few flaws on the offensive end. My fellow writer Lucas Johnson wrote about his shooting improvements, which you can read here. I’m going to build on that post, focusing on the playoff implications of the improvements of Philly’s favorite Aussie.
In his post on Tuesday, Johnson wrote about how Mattise has grown as a shooter since James Harden’s arrival in Philly.
"Prior to the All-Star Break (pre-Harden), Thybulle was averaging 5.6 points on 28.6 percent shooting from behind the arc. Since the All-Star break, the defensive wing has averaged 6.3 points on 38.1 percent from deep."
Mattise has always been a lockdown defender, but by finding his range he could be exactly what this roster needs to make a run and possibly vie for a ring.
How Matisse Thybulle’s newfound shooting touch impacts the Sixers’ playoff aspirations
Last season in the playoffs, Matisse was something of a non-factor on the offensive end, but he was eclipsed by the horrific play of his fellow Australian who shall not be named.
In the almost 19 minutes Mattise played per playoff game last season, he averaged a measly total of 5.3 points, the eighth lowest on the team. He did that while shooting 48 percent from the field and under 33 percent from 3-point range, while shooting just under three 3’s per game.
Now in this new-look Sixer’s offense, the team is based around the superstar pairing of Joel Embiid and James Harden, and the speed of Tyrese Maxey. Everyone else needs to be able to revolve around those three while making hard cuts to the rack and hitting their open 3s. Matisse has always been able to do the former, but now he can be a factor from all parts of the court.