Blazers' Matisse Thybulle Talks Fresh Start After Sixers Trade

After his debut with the Trail Blazers, Matisse Thybulle explained what helped him unleash one of his best performances of the season.

For the first time in his NBA career, Matisse Thybulle suited up for a team that wasn’t the Philadelphia 76ers. After spending the last four seasons in Philadelphia as their former first-round pick, Thybulle recently got a fresh start with the Portland Trail Blazers via a four-team trade.

On Monday night, the Blazers hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, which became Thybulle’s debut in Portland. Despite just joining the team, the young veteran got the nod to start and made it clear that from the jump, he felt great about his new venture.

“I felt really good,” Thybulle told reporters after the game. “First thing was I felt comfortable, and I didn't realize how much you can take that for granted. So, just to be out there and feel comfortable and, like you said, to feel and know that, like, I'm wanted and needed, and the coaching staff and the players have my back. I mean, I think it showed in just my ability to play and be more of myself, I think.” 

This season, Thybulle played an uncertain role in Philadelphia. While the Sixers expected the defensive standout to take a leap in his development on the offensive end, Thybulle’s 33 percent shooting from beyond the arc didn’t convince Doc Rivers and the 76ers that he could be relied on in certain situations.

Therefore, Thybulle’s playing time was down to 12 minutes per game, as opposed to his career average of 22 minutes per game leading up to year four. Thybulle was well aware of the criticism surrounding his three-point shot during his time with the Sixers. So, he wanted to get off on the right foot in Portland in let shots fly.

“It's like, get that monkey off your back, like just one of those things you want to do,” Thybulle said when discussing his shooting on Monday night. “It's like, I've been in the gym. And my coaches, they've seen it. My teammates, they've seen it. But it's like until you do it in a game, no one will really believe it. So to have had a chance this early to kind of get that out of my system, I guess, in a sense, feels good. Take some of the pressure away.”

Thybulle started off his Portland stint with a bang. Earning 27 minutes of playing time, he launched six threes, which marked a season-high in attempts from beyond the arc. Although he’s averaged 33 percent from deep this season, Thybulle knocked down 67 percent of his deep shots on Monday. He finished his Blazers debut with 14 points, one point shy of his season-high.

“The freedom I have here to shoot open shots, make plays, be a part of the offense, I think frees me up mentally,” Thybulle explained. “It allows me to kind of tap into the confidence that is there based off of the work that I've been able to put in over the last few years. Whereas in my roles in the past, there weren't opportunities, or the involvement in the offense, so it would make it hard to kind of feel grounded or comfortable. So like second-guessing myself, and doubting myself would creep in. I mean, it's early, but to have one practice and one game under my belt and already feel comfortable, I think, says a lot.”

On the Sixers, Thybulle’s highest-average usage rate on offense was during his rookie season, coming at 10.9 percent. This year, his usage rate was 8.7 percent throughout the year. While his debut in Portland wasn’t significantly higher, it was at 14.2 percent, a number Thybulle only exceeded seven times this season out of the 49 games he played for the Sixers. 

Consistency will be key for Thybulle in Portland, but so far, he’s off to a great start. As he feels more comfortable and trusted in a role that’s guaranteed for now, it seems Thybulle is in a place that could help unlock the best version of himself. 

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