76ers' Ben Simmons 'Loves to See' Matisse Thybulle's On-Court Confidence

Philadelphia 76ers fans know Matisse Thybulle as the fun-loving rookie on the team who always has a smile on his face. Ben Simmons, however, has seen a different side of him lately while on the court -- which is a good thing, according to the All-Star.

It might be hard to believe, but as Thybulle's on-court confidence grows down in Orlando, the rookie has started talking trash to get into the heads of his opponents. And recently, he tested his trash-talking on Sixers star, Ben Simmons. 

"He's getting better," Simmons said in regards to Thybulle following Friday's scrimmage game over the Memphis Grizzlies. "He actually was talking sh*t to me the other day when we were at practice, so I love to see that side of him. Usually, people think Matisse is very calm and a to himself kid -- very nice mannered -- but when he was on the court the other day he was definitely talking a lot to me."

It seems Thybulle's confidence is translating nicely on the court. As the Sixers took on the Grizzlies for the first scrimmage of the summer, Thybulle checked in the game for 16 minutes. During that time, Thybulle put on an expectedly solid defensive effort snagging three steals. He also totaled for five points on the offensive end, draining one of his four three-point attempts along with throwing down the dunk of the game.

We knew Thybulle could throw down a solid dunk running through an open lane, but Friday's slam in traffic was something nobody has witnessed or expected from the rookie throughout the 2019-2020 NBA season. "You love to see it," Simmons claimed after the game. "Guys are getting confident and finding their own. The way he's attacking the rim, he's only going to get stronger and better. To see him come down the lane like that and dunk on somebody who is also athletic and strong is a good sign."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_