Damian Lillard welcomes addition of Matisse Thybulle’s defense to Trail Blazers
Matisse Thybulle has found a new home in Portland after a deadline day trade from Philadelphia, giving the 25-year-old a fresh start in the Northwest.
After starting 50 games for the 76ers last season, the Aussie has dwindled his role this season, playing just 12.7 minutes a game. His offensive limitations hampered his ability to stay on court in Philly, shooting just 33.3 percent from the 3-point line.
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Now in Portland, his defensive-end skills are just what the Blazers need, especially with the departures of their top two full-backs in Josh Hart and Gary Payton II at the close.
“He’s a first-team all-defensive player,” Blazers star Damian Lillard told The Sporting News.
“He blocks shots, he gets steals, he gets deflections, he’s a good athlete, he’s a smart defender.
“I think the type of defender that he is has so many layers that he really helps our team and that’s something we haven’t had before.”
Thybulle was named to the All-Defensive Second Team each of the previous two seasons, and his energy and activity on the defensive side of the court is just what the Blazers have been lacking, currently ranked 27th defensively.
Portland can score with the best of them and rank in the top five in offensive efficiency, but they struggle to contain perimeter players on the other side of the floor and rank 29th in steals per game (6.3), 28th in th place at Deflections (12.3) and 25th in loose balls rebounded – making Thybulle’s presence on the starting lineup a welcome sight for Blazers fans.
With Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant averaging 73.6 points per game combined, there isn’t as much pressure on Thybulle to impact on the offensive side of the floor as there is on his defense to create offensive opportunities, force turnovers and exit in transition.
Thybulle’s defense was never an issue in Philadelphia, but the distance issues caused by his limited 3-point shooting made it difficult to gain minutes this season as the 76ers added more shots around James Harden and Joel Embiid.
In his Blazers debut against the Los Angeles Lakers before the All-Star break, Thybulle looked like a different player, full of confidence as he kicked in a three as he downed 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
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“Most people think he can’t shoot, but he can,” Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups told The Athletic.
“He shoots pretty well. I think you have to empower guys, you have to give guys confidence and usually you get the best version of them. I expect he’ll have a few more nights like this.”
While Thybulle was loved by Philadelphia fans, he and the 76ers did not reach an agreement Rookie-scale contract extension last offseason, making him a limited free agent in the summer.
Now, with a new opportunity ahead of him, he finds himself in a position to prove his worth on both sides of the ground, with a return to the Pacific Northwest for the Seattle native, the kind of homecoming that could only happen is making things easier, according to Lillard
“He’s also a basically coming home guy,” Lillard added. “He’s a North West guy, he’s getting closer to home and I think that will make him more comfortable and feel better about where he is.
“He’s been a really good player since he came into the league and then didn’t get many minutes in Philly, I think he wants to prove something.
“So I think in this position it can only be positive for our team.”