What to Expect from Matisse Thybulle in the Playoffs
Sixers’ rookie guard Matisse Thybulle has certainly proven himself to be a reliable player in his first season in the NBA.
In the 57 games Matisse has played in his rookie season, he averages 4.1 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Matisse’s presence is mainly felt on the defensive end, proving already to be a nightmare for other guards in the league.
So with the promise, he has shown in this shortened first year in the NBA, what can we expect from the rookie when the playoffs begin?
As stated earlier, Matisse is a defensive stopper off the bench for the Sixers. And while the playoffs often see a shortened bench, Matisse is sure to play some substantial minutes during this playoff run, especially with teammate Ben Simmons returning from his back injury. It’s most likely we will see Matisse backing up Simmons and allowing Josh Richardson to run the point when Simmons comes off of the court. We should also expect to see Matisse run alongside Simmons when Furkan Korkmaz needs a rest as well. When Ben and Matisse run side by side defensively, it has proven to be a significant struggle for opposing offenses to get going.
As for his stats specifically, we can expect about the same amount of output from Matisse. Thybulle did not average insanely high numbers in the regular season, so a significant drawback is not likely.
On the same note, he will most likely not be playing the same amount of minutes per game and because of that, it is unlikely to see an increase in his per-game averages.
This does certainly depend on his minutes per game during the playoff rotation. In the regular season, Matisse was seeing 19.5 minutes per game. His minutes total will most likely stay about the same or be slightly diminished as the starting five will be playing the majority of the games in the playoffs, but Matisse is the first guard off of the bench.
Ultimately, we do not know exactly what to expect from Matisse in his first playoff appearance. The rookie has proven himself to be very reliable in the regular season, so it will be fair to assume he will be reliable in the playoffs.
How do you think Matisse will do in the playoffs?
Featured Image: Jason Miller/Getty Images
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.