The Philadelphia 76ers were able to work their way to 103-94 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night led by Tobias Harris and Al Horford, but the rookie made a big impact as well.
Matisse Thybulle scored nine points and he all three of his 3-point attempts and he has made seven of his past nine from deep over the previous four games as he continues to find his niche in the offense. An improvement for him has been shot selection as he is beginning to take more catch-and-shoot threes rather than trying to do too much when he doesn’t have to.
“He’s coming into a team that’s pretty good and taken some shots like he’s been in the league for 10 years,” said coach Brett Brown. “He’s rising up behind dribble handoffs, JJ(Redick) like shots and I love him for his boldness, but you have to remind him ‘You’re on a good team and you’re getting minutes’ that in itself is rare for a rookie. Now the shots you need to take are ‘X’.”
Thybulle admitted post-game that he has learned to take smarter shots rather than trying to be the next JJ Redick. He doesn’t have to be that on his team and he is beginning to understand that. This all comes with his NBA schooling as he grows as a player.
“I use discretion now,” the rookie added. “Every DHO someone goes under, I’m not going to pull. I don’t know how many DHOs they go under — I think I had one against the Knicks. Just knowing what they want from me and then looking at the numbers show me what I’m better at, and then just sticking to it.”
The big question mark surrounding Thybulle when he was drafted was whether he could actually shoot the ball and become the 3-and-D player that the team envisioned when they selected him. The team believes he can really shoot the ball and he’s been proving that lately.
“When he gets his waist over his feet and his shoulders follow and everything’s aligned, his balance makes him a really good shooter,” Brown added. “He’s improving on being able to stop on a dime, almost and find that, but it’s step shots. It’s side-stepping into a corner, that’s his shot right now, not rising up behind dribble handoffs. I think he understands that and I think the shots that he’s taking are in his wheelhouse.”
Thybulle will look to continue his hot shooting on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. [lawrence-related id=20499,20491,20486]