Sixers' Matisse Thybulle Likely To See More Minutes in NBA Playoffs

When looking at the Sixers' matchup with the Wizards, Matisse Thybulle looked to be in line for big minutes. With having to slow down so much firepower in the backcourt, the Sixers should lean on their second-year defensive specialist. 

That was not the case in Sunday's game one victory. Thybulle saw the court, but not to the volume many expected. He played just under 14 minutes in game one, about six minutes less than his per game average in the regular season. 

The minimal time did not stop him from leaving his imprint on the game. Thybulle racked up two steals and blocks and did a fine job defending Bradley Beal while Ben Simmons took a breather. 

Doc Rivers spoke about Thybulle's minutes after practice on Tuesday. He said it was based on the flow of the game and that Thybulle will likely play more moving forward. 

"I can't even tell you what his minutes were. I never know. I go by the way the game is being played and the flow of the game. If he didn't play a lot of minutes, he may play a ton of minutes tomorrow," Rivers said. 

Personnel also played a factor in this decision. With Joel Embiid getting into foul trouble early, this caused a shift in the rotations. Rivers went on to say that he doesn't like the trio of Dwight Howard, Ben Simmons, and Thybulle on the floor together. 

Situations like this make it difficult for Thybulle to show what he can do in big minutes. His inconsistency as a floor spacer limits the time he can share the floor with specific teammates. 

This should not be a recurring theme moving forward, as Embiid rarely gets himself into early foul trouble. Having Embiid on the floor for longer stretches allows Rivers to give a guy like Thybulle more run. 

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.