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76ers' Matisse Thybulle Says Kawhi Leonard is Hardest NBA Player to Guard

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle recently stated that the hardest NBA player he had to guard during his rookie season was Clippers' Kawhi Leonard.
Justin Grasso|
76ers' Matisse Thybulle Says Kawhi Leonard is Hardest NBA Player to Guard
76ers' Matisse Thybulle Says Kawhi Leonard is Hardest NBA Player to Guard

Ever since his playing days at the University of Washington, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle has been recognized as a stellar defensive talent. That's precisely why the Sixers knew they had to gamble with their first-round pick to take Thybulle, as Philly was working on becoming the top defensive team in 2019-2020.

Although Thybulle has work to do like any rookie coming into the league, his defensive skillset transitioned well into the NBA. And throughout the season, the former Washington guard has been recognized as the top defensive rookie this season.

Matisse Thybulle loves the defensive side of the ball. Any chance he gets to talk about it, the 76ers rookie is an open book. So recently, during an online Q&A session, Thybulle was asked to name the hardest player he's had to defend during his rookie season in the NBA. To no surprise, Thybulle's selection was somebody 76ers fans know quite well at this point.

"The hardest guy for me to guard?" Thybulle repeated. "I'd say it was Kawhi [Leonard]. It's funny because he wasn't even my matchup for that game so I just got switched onto him a couple of times. Just seeing how he's just a methodical dude out there on the court, he just gets to his spots on the court and elevates and it's one of the hardest things to stop."

[RELATED: Revisiting Kawhi Leonard's Dagger Against the 76ers a Year Later]

No surprises here considering Kawhi Leonard singlehandedly eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs with a dagger buzzer-beater in Game 7 last year. Also, the Los Angeles Clippers star dropped 30 points on the Sixers during both matchups against Philly this season. 

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

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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