Sixers' Doc Rivers Cuts Matisse Thybulle Some Slack After Quiet Preseason
The Philadelphia 76ers' revamped roster certainly doesn't lack talent. As Philly's new President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, focused on bringing in better-fitting veterans to play alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, it made it harder for younger players on the Sixers to crack the regular-season rotation this year.
Sixers second-year guard Matisse Thybulle had been through a lot in his one season with the 76ers last year. He went from having minimal minutes at the beginning of the year to being benched entirely. Then, he found himself back in the rotation with notable minutes and even started a handful of games for Philly last year.
Overall, Thybulle averaged just under 20 minutes of playing time in 65 games last year. Although he didn't hold much value offensively, his defensive skillset made it easy for former Sixers head coach Brett Brown to get him consistent minutes as the 76ers aimed to be one of the NBA's best defensive squads.
These days, the 76ers are looking for more balance, though. During the offseason, Morey and the front office prioritized finding better shooters through the trade market and the draft. After upgrading in that department over time, it offered some difficult competition for Thybulle as he looks to impress his new head coach.
Through barely a couple of weeks' worth of training camp, Thybulle has struggled to stand out to Doc Rivers. Lately, the veteran head coach has had a lot of praise for several bench guys such as Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, Mike Scott, Dwight Howard, and Tyrese Maxey -- but not a lot for the second-year guard.
On Tuesday night, Thybulle had a chance to chance to change that. During the preseason debut against the Boston Celtics, Thybulle checked in as the fifth sub of the game. In 10 minutes of action, he registered nothing more than a single rebound.
Friday night came around, and Thybulle had a shot at redemption as the 76ers were set to take on the Indiana Pacers for the preseason finale. Although Maxey got in before him, Thybulle managed to see the court for 14 minutes on Friday. He showed the good side of his game with two steals and two blocks on defense, but once again was a non-factor on offense as he scored a single point.
One would think Thybulle is on the outside looking in at the Sixers' ten-man rotation, but Doc Rivers wasn't ready to make that claim after the game. "Well, I mean, he's missed most of the preseason," Rivers said on Friday night. "So, we're just taking our time with him. I wouldn't read into any rotations right now."
To be clear, Thybulle was healthy and present for both of the 76ers' preseason games this year but did miss a few training camp sessions early on with an ankle injury. While Rivers has admitted in the past that it was difficult to get a legitimate look at what Thybulle brings to the table as he was limited at times in training camp, it's also going to be difficult justifying playing Thybulle over a preseason standout like Maxey if he ends up making that decision.
By no means should the 76ers give up on the second-year guard out of Washington, but he should only see the court in certain scenarios when the Sixers need a boost on defense. Last season, Thybulle proved he's limited offensively, and so far, he hasn't shown enough to prove otherwise in year two.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
