76ers: How Matisse Thybulle’s Confidence is Coming Back

Philadelphia 76ers former first-round pick Matisse Thybulle hit some new lows last season during the 2022 NBA Playoffs. As Thybulle was a part-time player in the first round of the postseason due to his vaccination status preventing him from playing games in Toronto, the Sixers’ standout defender had to be phased out of the lineup.

But Thybulle’s struggles on offense played a part in a lack of minutes distributed to him when he was available to play last season. Through nine games during Philadelphia’s 2022 playoff run, Thybulle averaged just three points while shooting 29 percent from three.

As his offensive contributions shrunk deeper in last year’s playoffs, it became apparent that Thybulle would need to improve offensively if he wanted a role during the 2022-2023 NBA season. Thybulle worked hard in the offseason to improve his three-point shot, finishing at the rim and his dribbling.

In training camp, the Sixers saw an improved Thybulle who was less hesitant to let shots fly. While the team understood how much work Thybulle put in on the offensive end during the summer, the evidence wasn’t enough to issue the fourth-year defensive standout steady playing time right away.

Through the first four games of the season, Thybulle totaled roughly five minutes on the court. In the fifth outing, he failed to see the floor at all. As the Sixers struggled defensively, Thybulle was the obvious candidate to throw in the mix as Doc Rivers expanded the rotation.

After registering a DNP against the Toronto Raptors in late October, Thybulle saw the court for over 21 minutes in a rematch on the road in Toronto. From then on, he’s been a consistent player off the bench and even picked up three starts over the last nine games.

Over the last three seasons, Thybulle averaged 21 minutes on the court. While he’s still averaging fewer minutes on the floor over the last nine games with 18 minutes, the veteran wing admitted that simply having a role in helping Thybulle improve mentally.

“I’m starting to feel like myself again,” Thybulle said following Sunday’s game against Utah. “Some of that has to do with just feeling more confident in my role. At the beginning, I wasn’t playing, and then when I came back, I’m like, ‘I don’t wanna do anything wrong to not play again,’ and now it feels like they’re more consistent.”

Thybulle’s offense is still a work in progress. While he looks less hesitant with his shoot and is letting threes fly rather than shying away from shooting when the defense gives him the open look, the former first-rounder is still struggling to produce in the offensive department as he’s averaging fewer than two points per game and draining just 19 percent of his threes.

However, Thybulle’s defensive value is still helpful for a team that struggled to find success on that side of the ball at the start of the year. Knowing he can keep his spot in the rotation as long as he’s consistent in his role, Thybulle has credited his coaching staff for keeping him confident and comfortable.

“I feel like I have a spot and solidified value on this team, and realistically, it’s just getting back to feeling like myself,” said Thybulle. “Some of the coaches have a lot to do with that, actually. Brian Adams has pulled me aside and started making me more tailor-made edits on who I’m gonna be guarding and how I should guard them and what to look for, and how they’re trying to score. I think that’s just giving me the confidence to go out there and play at my own pace.”

Lately, the Sixers have been shorthanded, so Doc Rivers has been forced to rely more on players who haven’t garnered a steady role in the rotation when the team is at full strength. While Thybulle picked up playing time with both Joel Embiid and James Harden healthy, nothing is guaranteed when the other All-Star returns to the mix.

As long as Thybulle continues to show his defensive value and grows more confident on the offensive side of the ball, the fourth-year veteran has a chance to keep his spot in the rotation when changes become inevitable.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.