When the Philadelphia 76ers took the floor on their opening night on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards, they were an entirely new team under a new coach at Doc Rivers, looking to start on the right foot.
The team has made many changes in the off-season, adding many players it believes will help the team move forward in the Eastern Conference. The new additions, in addition to the continued development of other players, caused Rivers to make some adjustments to the rotation.
One of those noticeable changes was that beloved newcomer in 2020, Matisse Thybulle, did not see the ground until 42.2 seconds before the end of the game, when he was asked to defend Wizards sniper Davis Bertans. Thybulle led all newcomers to steals in the 2019-20 season as he impressed on the defensive end, but was not in the rotation to start the season on Wednesday.
There are a few possible reasons for this current situation, as Rivers may have resorted to Furkan Korkmaz a little more due to his shot to make room for Joel Embiid in the fourth period. Another reason could be the lack of time for the second-year side player at camp due to an injury, which is what the new coach explained.
“I mean, Matisse wasted some time at the camp,” explained Rivers. “The youngsters (Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton) are playing very well, I thought in the first half, he was great. Matisse will have his chance and I tell him this every day. “
The positive side of Thybulle’s reaction was that it was positive. After such a successful debut season, he was expected to have a role in his second season and he could have been in a bad mood for not playing until the end of the fourth period, as he was playing in his current role.
Instead, he jumped out of the bank when his number was called and he was ready to work.
“What I liked about Matisse is that you’ve been in this league for a long time, I haven’t played everything, you turn to it, they’ll often give you bad body language,” added Rivers. “Matisse tore his, he couldn’t wait to get in. That tells me a lot about him.”
As the season continues, Thybulle will likely have to increase his offensive game to win a rotation spot again. However, your defensive acumen should give you the opportunity to get into the heart of Rivers throughout the season.