76ers vs. Lakers: Matisse Thybulle Details Offensive Success

Matisse Thybulle found a lot of success on offense during Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ bench struggled to offer consistent contributions in Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the veteran guard Shake Milton has been on a tear lately, he had one of his more quiet performances as he drained just three shots in 24 minutes, accounting for six points.

Furkan Korkmaz, who filled in for the injured combination of Georges Niang and Danuel House Jr., went 1-5 from the field, scoring two points in nine minutes.

Then, the third-year center Paul Reed struggled to stay out of foul trouble, collecting three fouls in under four minutes. While bench play certainly wasn’t the Sixers’ strong suit against the Lakers, the fourth-year wing Matisse Thybulle had his best offensive performance of the year.

Thybulle’s minutes have been up and down since the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season. After averaging over 20 minutes on the court over the last two seasons, Thybulle didn’t play for over 20 minutes in a single game this year until the sixth outing of the year.

Over a 12-game stretch, Thybulle averaged 15 minutes on the court and even picked up three starts. Then, the young wing battled an ankle injury, which took him off the floor for three games. Doc Rivers and the Sixers eased Thybulle back into the lineup.

After Thybulle clocked a little under eight minutes in the Sixers’ November 28 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 13 minutes on the court for the next four games. Defense remains Thybulle’s greatest strength, while his offense is still a work in progress.

Overall, Thybulle averaged just 1.5 points per game in 20 matchups going into Friday’s game against the Lakers. In the 13 minutes he saw the court on Friday, Thybulle made a notable impact as he drained four of his seven field goal attempts, accounting for a team-high of nine points off the bench.

“Guys found me,” Thybulle said regarding his offensive performance against LA. “I was able to get to the open spot and just finish easy buckets.”

When James Harden arrived on the Sixers last season, Thybulle had a few opportunities to display his value as a cutter. While the Sixers veteran focused a lot on his three-point shot in the offseason, three of Thybulle’s four baskets on Friday night were inside the paint. 

“I think last year, I got a really good feel of moving without the ball, and then this year’s just been doing it with a better awareness of who I’m doing it around,” said Thybulle. “James is such a good passer that now that I have a better feel for him, it creates more opportunities for me.”

Friday was a step in the right direction for Thybulle and his offensive growth. If the fourth-year veteran can remain consistent, offering the Sixers some scoring off the bench while keeping up with his defensive success, Thybulle will continue to see consistent minutes as long as he’s healthy. 

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