Matisse Thybulle Deserves to (and should) Start
Few rookies – no, few players – have the defensive ability of Matisse Thybulle. The rookie came into the NBA highly touted by scouts everywhere for his fantastic hands and unique blend of length and quickness that allowed him to give opposing guards fits.
There were serious concerns about how his collegiately-refined game would translate to the faster-paced, shooter-heavy NBA. However, few have concerns about the rookie’s potential after his first 39 games.
Although he has missed eight games, Thybulle has been a consistent and dangerous presence on the defensive end of the floor. He ranks 13th in the entire NBA in steals per game with 1.6 and is top five in the NBA in steals per 36 minutes with nearly 3 per game. In the 27 wins, he has been a part of, the Sixers boast a 95.7 defensive rating with Thybulle on the court and he has shot the three at a 37% clip, well above the NBA average.
The Sixers are an impressive 18-4 in games where Thybulle plays at least 20 minutes and lineups that include Thybulle consistently rate below 100 in defensive rating.
Not only has Thybulle been one of the best rookie defenders in the league, but he has been one of the best individual defenders in the league and that is why the Sixers should start him moving forward.
With the absence of Joel Embiid, Thybulle has been called upon to start six straight games. The Sixers are 5-1 in those games with Thybulle playing 31 minutes per night while racking up over two steals per contest. While Embiid and Josh Richardson are injured, it is imperative the Sixers keep Thybulle in the lineup and Brett Brown will absolutely do so. But once Embiid is healthy, Thybulle should become the overnight starter in place of Al Horford.
The debate as to whether or not Embiid and Horford can gel is quite stale and Thybulle has more than proven he can be a star presence on the defensive end while spacing the floor on the offensive end. There is no doubt that Horford and Ben Simmons have played their best basketball with Embiid off the floor. And by starting Thybulle, Simmons and Horford would get ample time together on the court when Embiid checks out for the first time.
Typically, Joel subs out about halfway into the first quarter while Simmons finishes out the frame. And by subbing in Horford for Embiid, Brown can find some minutes for the faster-paced Simmons, Horford, and Harris combination. With Thybulle in the starting lineup, Brown can shift Tobias Harris to the power forward position and allow everyone besides Embiid to play outside of the paint, thus giving the big man plenty of work to operate inside.
Thybulle has been an incredible contributor not only on the court but is as a fan-favorite off the court as well. His easy-going personality and childlike innocence has helped him form a unique bond with the city of Philadelphia already.
As All-Star season rolls around, Thybulle has certainly earned his spot in the Rising Star Challenge and it would be a great honor for him to be able to spend time at All-Star weekend.
Most importantly, Thybulle has earned himself a spot in Brett Brown’s starting lineup. Even if Josh Richardson and Joel Embiid are back in the near future, Brown needs to give Thybulle a chance to be an everyday starter.
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