WASHINGTON — Coach Doc Rivers’ rotation for the Philadelphia 76ers continues to be fluid.
Philadelphia added wing depth in the offseason by bringing in Danuel House Jr. and De’Anthony Melton, and their arrival changed roles and court time for some previous mainstays. The most notably affected veteran has been Matisse Thybulle, who is averaging the fewest minutes of his career (11.3 minutes) per night. He continues to make a defensive impact when he gets playing time. He is averaging 2.4 steals per 36 minutes off the bench. When he starts, Philadelphia is 4-1.
The minutes have been up and down for Thybulle, and he opened up on how he’s handling that on Tuesday., Rivers explained the reason for the inconsistencies.
“We have a lot of guys,” he stated. “I have a feeling you could probably ask that after every game about one of our guys. We built the team that way and each game will be different for some of the guys. There’s guys who are clearly in the rotation daily and then there are guys who will be game-by-game.”
Rivers has a point. House Jr. is a regular contributor, Melton is going to deserve minutes on a nightly basis even when Tyrese Maxey returns. Thybulle has battled to get playing time.
However, it feels as though he already has battled and won a regular role. While Thybulle hasn’t become the 3-point shooter or the offensive player the Sixers hoped he would be, he’s an elite defender who continues to improve as a cutter off the ball. He can make a difference on the floor, and Philadelphia should give him more of a chance on a regular basis.
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