Matisse Thybulle Talks Emotional Growth Dealing With Low Minutes

76ers' defensive standout Matisse Thybulle addresses his limited playing time as of late.

Matisse Thybulle’s role hasn’t been consistent so far this season. When the Philadelphia 76ers tipped things off back in late October, Thybulle was on the outside of the rotation, averaging just one minute on the floor through the first five games.

With Doc Rivers expanding the rotation, and injuries creating more minutes to go around, Thybulle saw a notable increase in playing time before he went down with a setback of his own.

Prior to his ankle injury, Thybulle averaged 15 minutes on the floor over 12 games, even picking up two starts. While the defensive standout was handed a steady role upon his return on November 28, Thybulle’s struggled to see the floor over the last few games.

Following a 21-minute outing against the Golden State Warriors on December 16, Thybulle followed up with a seven-minute showing against the Toronto Raptors. When the Sixers took on the Detroit Pistons two nights later, Thybulle saw the floor for 13 minutes.

Then over the last two games against the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks, Thybulle played in under five minutes total. It’s unclear whether the fourth-year wing will see his minutes increase once again when the Sixers take on the Washington Wizards Tuesday night or not, but Thybulle isn’t sweating the inconsistent minutes right now.

“I just show up every day and be ready for whatever is to come,” Thybulle said on Tuesday morning. “I never really know what to expect. It’s just being ready — you never want that to be why you don’t perform well. So, not allowing that to be an excuse. It’s just a new challenge as with anything. ... Not something I’m not familiar with.”

Not all pros can carry a similar positive mindset when minutes are hard to come by. Sometimes, players naturally gravitate one way or another when facing adversity, but over time, players can learn to adapt, which is something Thybulle’s done since joining the Sixers as a rookie in 2019.

“When I was a rookie, emotionally, it had a stronger toll on me,” Thybulle explained. “That would change my attitude and would change my behaviors. Now, as you can see, it’s not something that weighs [on me]. There’s no dark cloud looming over me. I think as a professional, you learn how to weather these storms and show up and do your job.”

A positive mentality is just as important as physical skill set in the NBA. For Thybulle, he’s worked hard on improving in both of those areas and feels the benefits in year four.

“It’s like a survival skill,” he continued. “Either you can become bitter and resentful, and then that’s gonna hurt your ability to perform. Or, you just allow it to be what it is, and it could become fuel, and you become a monk, and it’s just like every day is the same regardless of what the external circumstances are.”

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