Rookie Matisse Thybulle has special skills for a defender but his discipline is what is going to allow him to play more minutes for the Sixers, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes.
“I should have a higher tolerance level to endure his wild decisions defensively,” head coach Brett Brown said after the team’s contest against the Jazz. “Because they are punishing. This league is so unforgiving when you just forget, ‘Oh, I left Joe Ingles, I forgot he could shoot, and I’m just going to make any play I want — And oh, my bad.’ [Thybulle] is getting better at that and I have to allow him to get better at that.”
If Thybulle had joined the Sixers three or four years ago, he’d have plenty of court time to experiment and grow. However, this is not “The Process” version of the Sixers any longer. The stakes are much higher as the team looks to make its first NBA Finals appearance since 2001.
“I’m always reminding myself, if we woke up tomorrow and it’s April 15th, would I feel comfortable that I’ve grown him the way that I should? And I need to do more, and better, sort of within the confines of what I’ve just said,” Brown said.
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Thybulle, whom the team traded up in the 2019 draft to nab, isn’t taking his playing time for granted. The rookie is using his court time to learn from his mistakes and gain the reps needed to be a contributor on a playoff team. “Just being out there and seeing it live, I think, is huge,” Thybulle said (via Bodner in the same piece). “Most of these games, it’s my first time [playing against a team]. We played against [Utah] twice now, so I had a better feel for the guys. And just with each game, I get a better feel for the pace and what I can get away with, with the refs or with help-side and those types of gambles.”
- With Ben Simmons and Thybulle on the squad, the Sixers have options when defending opposing perimeter threats, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia explains. The duo shared defensive duties guarding Utah’s Donovan Mitchell on Monday and held him to just 6-for-19 from the field.
- Some around the league aren’t thrilled with Joel Embiid and his antics on the court. Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke wasn’t shy when given the platform to discuss the big man’s style (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). “I hate that team…I think Embiid gets away with a bunch of crap the league ignores,” Burke said of Indiana’s recent matchup with the Sixers.
Officials give Embiid the Shaq treatment… Embiid gets to push & root more than others. Part of that is that few centers really want to play that way, but there is a tradition.
There used to be more physicality. Ex-Piston Bob Lanier was funny, he seemed to prefer to lean on another.
Also, with Embiid, there are the “antics”. Fine with him because he’s the big guy, and likes social media.
Embiid is a clown. Absolutely hate the way he show boats around while beating up on terrible teams, but when he lays an egg against Gasol and the Raptors, nothing. Or how about last year’s playoffs, when he’s running around doing the airplane after a game 3 win against the raptors, only to be completely shut down for the rest of the series and leave the building literally in tears. This guy is a clown, vastly overrated, and has no respect for the game or opponents. And the thing is, he’s not even that good to be running around like a chicken with his head cut off. Neither is Philly.
Thybulle is a great young player, and Philly should be giving him as many minutes as possible so he can help them in the playoffs.
I get that playing Korkmaz off the bench gives them more spacing, but Thybulle is MUCH better defensively. And it’s not like Korkmaz doesn’t make mistakes…
It’s an odd rotation choice, IMHO.
Playoffs? Hahaha
Teams are just envious of Embiid, he is just a monster center, one of the best ever, envy just eats other teams & fans, right?
You crack me up every time Flava