Doc Rivers Dishes Thoughts on Matisse Thybulle's Struggles

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Matisse Thybulle knew he had to go into the 2022 offseason looking for ways to improve on the offensive end of the ball. Although Thybulle's established himself as one of the most dominant perimeter defenders in the game, his lack of production on offense has started to overshadow his value on the defensive end.

Thybulle was seen working on three-point shooting, finishing at the rim, and dribbling in the offseason. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the former first-round pick also spent time working on improving his offensive skillset with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan.

The Sixers saw an improved Thybulle on the offensive end during training camp last week in Charleston, South Carolina. The hope was that the public could see where he improved when the Sixers fired up their preseason against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

Unfortunately, Thybulle's offensive struggles continued through two preseason matchups. With games against the Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thybulle has averaged 16 minutes on the floor. During that time, he's put up three points per game while draining just 25 percent of his shots and going 16 percent from deep.

"It's a work in progress," said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. "All we can ask is that he puts in the time, and I think he's worked as hard as anybody."

Prior to training camp, Rivers noted Thybulle as one of three Sixers who outworked everybody this past summer. While Thybulle's hard work hasn't quite paid off yet, the Sixers' head coach encourages the veteran to remain confident and keep firing.

"He put in a lot of time with his shot, but there are so many things that go into it when you're not a good shooter," Rivers finished. "Learning to be that and learning to ignore misses and know that you put in the work and keep shooting. The problem is that you miss a couple, and then you start questioning, and you stop shooting. So far, he's not done that, and that's what we want him to do."

Thybulle has two more preseason games to change the narrative before the regular season begins. While Thybulle's defense remains strong and could help him crack the rotation whether his shot improves or not, the Sixers are hoping for the defensive standout to transition from a specialist to a two-way player.

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

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