What to watch in Sixers-Raptors Game 3: Who takes Thybulle’s spot?
The Sixers will be without Matisse Thybulle, who appeared in a grand total of 10 minutes in Game 2. He did post three blocks in those 10 minutes to his credit, but this was never a great matchup for Thybulle. Missing him in Toronto is not ideal, but it’s not the crippling blow some have made it out to be. Danny Green has gone above and beyond in the fifth starting spot (he should keep it beyond the Toronto series), and the Sixers probably need Shake Milton’s offense more than Thybulle’s defense in this particular matchup.
So the question is, who will take Thybulle’s spot in the rotation? Doc Rivers has gone nine-deep all season and has continued that in the playoffs so far. With Thybulle out, however, there’s a good chance we just see that rotation condensed to eight. Doc has made it clear he doesn’t trust Furkan Korkmaz or Isaiah Joe, and there’s no one else worth playing at the bottom of the bench. Odds are we just see more minutes for Shake Milton, who has been the best perimeter reserve through two games.
My personal recommendation would be to get Isaiah Joe out there and see what happens, especially if the Sixers are comfortably in the lead or struggling out of the gate. He’s the team’s best perimeter defender next to Thybulle and he’s an excellent rhythm shooter. The Sixers haven’t done enough experimenting with Joe this season, so it’s probably too late for him to make any sort of push. But Joe’s competitive defense and 3-point volume would help the Sixers a lot in theory.
Again, Joe probably won’t play. Expect to see more Shake Milton, expect Danny Green to log another 35+ minutes, and expect Georges Niang to stay out there for as long as possible for Toronto plays him off the court.