Matisse Thybulle Makes Strides at Third Sixers Training Camp

Since coming to the Sixers as a first-round pick in 2019, Matisse Thybulle earned himself immediate praise in the NBA for his defensive skill set. As the young

Since coming to the Sixers as a first-round pick in 2019, Matisse Thybulle earned himself immediate praise in the NBA for his defensive skill set. As the young guard entered the league with a notable reputation on defense coming out of college, Thybulle didn't slow down at all in the NBA.

During his rookie season, he averaged almost 20 minutes on the court. He collected 63 defensive rebounds, snatched 94 steals, and blocked 47 shots. In year two, Thybulle was even better on defense.

Averaging precisely 20 minutes on the floor, Thybulle grabbed 17 more rebounds, 11 more steals, and blocked 24 more shots during his sophomore effort on the Sixers. Although he was just a bench player technically, Thybulle earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team for his massive improvement on that side of the ball.

Now, heading into year three, the young guard is looking to make strides on the other side. Last year, Thybulle's offensive averages were down. Perhaps, a lack of confidence played a factor. Thybulle always earned praise for his defense, but his offense was always in question. But after showing improvements and building confidence in the Olympics this past summer, Sixers veteran Danny Green sees Thybulle has a much more improved mindset. 

"It's a big difference in this league when you can tell a player's confidence level," said Green after Philly's second practice. "That can make or break a player or change a player's whole game. You can tell he's come back a lot more comfortable within himself, within the offense, and he's played his game and do what he does best. He's got a medal. I'm jealous of him. It's great to see, but he's coming back as a more mature player and a more confident player, and we're going to need that from him."

Over the summer, the Sixers gave Thybulle an obvious task; work on his shot. In addition, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers also believes Thybulle can find many other ways to score, and he shouldn't be limited to just a three-and-D guy.

"He's really worked on his shot, which we just got to keep working on, but there are other ways for him to score," Rivers explained. "With his speed, I asked him, 'You get one breakaway every 30 games. Like how is that possible with your speed? You should get two a game.' Yesterday, he had one, and so we laughed at it. Today, he had one. I really believe we get a rebound he should be releasing with his speed, and he's been catching and finishing."

Thybulle making strides on the offensive side of the ball could do wonders for the Sixers. While his defense will certainly keep him on the floor no matter what, an offensive improvement could turn him from a rotational and situational player into a full-time starter. So far, it sounds like he's on the right path.

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