Matisse Thybulle Injury Status for Blazers vs Pacers

Will the two-time All-Defensive Teamer make his season debut against Indiana?

Sep 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4). Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are on a heck of a hot streak.

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Portland has won eight of its last nine contests, and is currently on a four-game win streak. The Trail Blazers' victims in that stretch include several clubs that are currently in the playoff hunt, as of this writing: the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic (twice), Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns (also twice).

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Defense and youth have made a major difference for Portland this year. Second-year forward Toumani Camara has emerged as a major defensive force, while rookie center Donovan Clingan and trade acquisition Deni Avdija have flashed plenty of potential on that end of the hardwood.

The team boasts a near-immaculate injury report heading into Tuesday's tilt against the 28-20 Indiana Pacers, ironically with one defense-first exception.

INJURY REPORT 2/4 vs. IND:

OUT
Matisse Thybulle (R Ankle Sprain)

— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) February 4, 2025

Two-time All-Defensive Team shooting guard/small forward Matisse Thybulle will have to wait at least another game to make his season debut for Portland in 2024-25. He has sat out all 50 of the 21-29 Trail Blazers' games thus far this season. Currently suffering through a right ankle sprain, the 6-foot-5 wing is the only player for Portland who has been ruled out.

The action tips off at 10 p.m. ET in Portland. For Indiana, starting center Myles Turner (right peroneal sprain) and starting wing Aaron Nesmith (right ankle sprain) are both questionable to suit up, as are two-way players RayJ Dennis, Enrique Freeman and Quenton Jackson — all of whom are with Indiana's NBAGL affiliate squad, the Indiana Mad Ants.

Backup Pacers centers James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson are both done for the season with their respective right Achilles tendon tears.

One can only imagine how much Portland's defense will improve with the advent of Thybulle, whenever he does return.

Then again, the 27-year-old Washington product could also potentially be a trade chip for Portland, but his $11.6 million player option may dissuade interested potential partners from making a move.

When healthy, he's still a clampdown menace on the wing. He also has a refreshingly philosophical approach to the game on that end of the hardwood.

I could listen to Matisse Thybulle talk about defense all day.

"The narrative and verbiage in sports in general but especially in defense is war and battle and defeat and it becomes this life or death thing... For me it's like you're kind of outwitting them. Whether it's a… pic.twitter.com/0cZEDHeLRJ

— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) October 1, 2024

But he's often not healthy. Last year, he averaged 5.4 points on a mediocre .397/.346/.759 slash line, along with 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.4 assists and 0.8 blocks in 65 games (19 starts).

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