Sixers swingman Matisse Thybulle is listed as ineligible to play on the team’s latest injury report and will miss Thursday’s game against the Raptors, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter).
This is significant news because a report last week indicated that the Sixers might have unvaccinated players. On January 15, Canada implemented a rule barring unvaccinated players from entering the country.
If the Sixers face the Raptors in the playoffs, any Philly players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 would be ineligible to cross the border to play in Toronto. Based on the injury report, the lone player impacted appears to be Thybulle.
Philadelphia is currently the No. 4 seed in the East and Toronto is the No. 5 seed, so as of right now they would meet in the first round of the playoffs, but that could change with three games remaining. The Sixers are in a three-way tie for the second-best record in the East at 49-30, while the Raptors hold a one-game lead on the Bulls.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports observes (via Twitter), Thybulle would presumably miss games 3, 4, and 6 (if necessary) of a playoff series if the two teams are matched up. Thybulle will forfeit Thursday’s game check worth $31,006 due to being ineligible to play, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Thybulle is an elite defender and arguably the league’s premier perimeter stopper. He earned a second-team All-Defense nod last season in just his second season despite only playing 20 minutes a game, a testament to his outsized impact. He will surely be in the conversation for another All-Defensive team honor this season.
Through 64 games this season, including 49 starts, Thybulle is averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks in 25.4 minutes per contest. He isn’t an offensive threat, but the Sixers don’t need him to be with fellow starters Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris more than capable of scoring plenty of points.
The Sixers close their regular season schedule at Toronto on Thursday, followed by home back-to-backs against Indiana and Detroit over the weekend.
say it ain’t so
Toronto is a scary place to play for any Eastern conference foe
Well, at least he’s probably the most replaceable out of the starting 5.
Sure, their best perimeter defender who is considered the best in the league at that should be easy to replace. Normally it would be tough to replace a player who is the best at anything but we’re talking about defense here so who gives a crap?
It’s not like stopping the other team from scoring was going to be a big factor in helping them win. This “starting player” has hardly helped the Sixers score. Totally replaceable.
He’s good, but not the best perimeter defender in the league. A bit overrated as a defender: he’s a borderline All-Defense guy but his reputation is so good partly because he plays on a high-profile team.
Jeez man took the comment pretty hard. He’s a very good defender, not the best in the league. I didn’t necessarily say he was replaceable but the most out of those starting 5. His offense is atrocious too, so Danny Green playing in his spot isn’t the biggest change on that roster at all.
Raptors away without Thybulle will be tough but we can do it.
Then after we have back to back home games against the Pacers and Pistons.
Could be 3/3 and equally as likely 2/3.
Celtics also have the same record as us, have the Bulls today then Bucks tomorrow then finish with the Grizzlies.
They could easily go 0/3 to finish.
I think they end up with the Raptors in the playoffs and apparently they have two key players unvaccinated and will be without Rob Williams. Raptors probably beat them in a 7 game series with 3 home games and no Rob Williams.
Say they then make the second round of the playoffs, they then likely have the Heat/Nets which would be a really tough series with the advantage of no unvaccinated players in Canada again. Which obviously means no Kyrie.
It’s really a huge advantage for the Raptors
I’m just gonna point out that the Raptors played an entire season of home games in Tampa and several times this year played in Toronto but with no fans. They’ve been at a significant disadvantage for two seasons now.
Yes no doubt they have had it hard but going into the playoffs with other teams missing key players cause of Canada’s covid rules will favour them a lot.
Just for example say they have the Celtics in the first round who are already without Rob Williams, but also miss Jaylen Brown in home games cause he’s unvaccinated.
Then say they make the second round it’ll be likely the Heat or Nets. Well already we know the Nets be without Ben Simmons and without Kyrie in games in Canada cause he is also unvaccinated. I can’t speak on the Heat and vaccination statuses of players but I’d assume atleast 1 player on the roster is likely unvaccinated too.
It’s a huge advantage to have
Heat and bucks are all vaccinated. That was confirmed
Cheers
There’s no advantage, the Raptors can’t play unless they’re vaxed either.
Yeah, technically it’s not an advantage cause they also have to be vaccinated but all their players are and key players on multiple east conference playoff teams aren’t and they will miss players.
Advantage isn’t the correct word but you know what I mean.
Sure there is, Toronto is 100% vaxxed. They have to be.
There’s no advantage! They are just smarter and committed as a team. They are all vaccinated.
Do you not realize that the US has the same rule implemented on Jan 20, 2022?(link to dhs.gov)
If any of the Raptors were not vaccinated they would be ineligible for every single one of their road games!
I know this was said but I keep hearing this over and over so I thought I’d drop a link. Straight from dot gov.
But pretty much every Raptor is a U.S. citizen so that rule does not apply to them. Regardless, they’re all vaxxed.
Say what?
Your comment re their citizenship is entirely false.
Of their top 15 players, 8 are non Americans – Siakam (Cameroon), Achiuwa (Nigeria), Anunoby (Great Britain), Boucher/Birch/Banton (Canada), Watanabe (Japan), Mykhailuk (Ukraine – Prayers!!!). All except OG only came to the USA to play NCAA-BB & I think he has not taken American citizenship either despite his much longer residency.
As a sixers fan, it’s his choice.
As a human being, it’s his choice
Agreed
Dumb mandate (at this exact moment, given the current state of covid infections), even dumber decision to be afraid of something (an exceedingly safe vaccine) over an actual virus (which can have long-term implications and is more of an unknown in that regard).
Everyone loses. But a choice is a choice and must be respected. Life will go on for all parties. And what one party main lose (the sixers) another party may gain (the raptors). Always a silver lining to be had.
You’re right that being afraid of a vaccine is dumber than a mandate. However, you don’t just have to respect someone’s choice they make about their body/health simply because it’s a choice. If an athlete refuses treatment for a major injury because of their own personal choice not to have surgery, I can’t really respect that and their teammates won’t either.
Those are the rules.
If Doc is coaching, borders, vaccinations, player availability, seeding, etc… all irrelevant. Everybody’s goin home.
Glenn Rivers is the weakest link on the Sixers. He’s gotta go.
I’ll be consistent bc chastise Kyrie… wth Tisse.
this team gets shelled by TOR even when Tisse is playing if we are honest