Doc Rivers Offers Injury Update on Matisse Thybulle

The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with a handful of setbacks at the moment. The star guard James Harden is currently recovering from a tendon strain in his foot, which has kept him off the floor for over two weeks.

Veteran reserve Furkan Korkmaz is dealing with a knee effusion, which has forced him to miss several games. Tobias Harris started dealing with hip soreness, which held him out of Friday and Saturday’s matchups, while Tyrese Maxey was diagnosed with a small fracture in his foot after suffering a setback against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sixers’ standout defender Matisse Thybulle is another player that’s been dealing with a setback. Last Sunday, when the 76ers faced the Utah Jazz, Thybulle went to the locker room in the second half to get his ankle checked out.

While Thybulle returned to the floor to wrap up the matchup, the young veteran mentioned that he looked forward to Philly’s four-day break as he wanted to rest and recover. While Thybulle downplayed the severity of his setback, he missed both of the Sixers’ practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

The fourth-year wing was cleared for action to face the Bucks on Friday night, but he played in just four minutes in the Sixers’ win over Milwaukee.

On Saturday night, it was a similar situation as Thybulle checked in for fewer than five minutes off the bench. Since Thybulle’s been back in the Sixers’ rotation lately, it was strange to see him play in limited minutes, especially as the team lacks depth due to numerous setbacks.

Following the loss to Minnesota, Doc Rivers offered clarity on why Thybulle’s playing time has been limited.

“I watched him move in the first half,” said Rivers. “I made the decision when I took him out, that was the last he was playing that game because it does no good for him. It just extends the injury longer, and so I’m thinking we have two days off and a game. Let’s see if we can get him. We need bodies, and my thought was, why use him now and then we lose that body. I made that decision and halftime, and I told him to enjoy the game.”

Thybulle didn’t see the floor at all in the second half. While the Sixers could’ve used his defensive star power, Rivers didn’t see the benefit in risking further injury. It’s unclear if Thybulle will be back out on the floor for Tuesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers need all the depth available to them, but they can’t afford any more long-term injuries as the setbacks continue to pile up early on in the year.

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