Philadelphia 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle had himself an interesting rookie season in 2019-20. He had to handle the responsibility of providing a 3-and-D presence to the team as well as all of the rookie duties the veterans threw at him.
He had to handle all of that while also transitioning from college to the NBA and he also had to deal with the effects of a global pandemic that suspended the season in March and he then couldn’t finish his rookie season until August when the season resumed.
As new rookies Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed come into the fold, they will also be dealing with some unprecedented stuff. They will have very little time to get acclimated to the team before the season tips off with no summer league to prepare and very little communication with their new team.
“It’s a hard one for our rookies,” said coach Doc Rivers. “They’re all in now and doing individual workouts. It’s so separated right now. Just think on the first day of camp, our rookies probably won’t know the other players on the team. That’s insane and I guarantee you they won’t know them.”
That is where Thybulle will come in and teach them the ways of the NBA.
“There’s so much to learn,” Thybulle said. “You get a lot thrown at you so however I can help these guys out, I’d be happy to do it because it’s hard when you don’t have a lot of people who have been through what you’re about to embark on. I had it pretty good and pretty rough. It was a combination of everything so I think I’ve seen a lot in terms of what can happen as a rookie.”
Throughout the season, the veteran players on the Sixers such as Tobias Harris would send Thybulle on runs to go to Popeye’s or Chick-fil-A to get the team some food before their road trips. He had issues with this at times as it became almost comical to watch.
Being in his second season, he does not have that type of authority with the rookies just yet.
“I don’t know if I’ve earned that status yet,” he said with a laugh. “I think I have a couple more years before I can send guys on Popeye’s or Chick-fil-A runs.”
The main thing is that he is there to help. He is not a veteran or anything, but with what he experienced as a rookie, he will able to help his younger teammates into this next transition of their career.
In some ways, the lack of camp and the lack of time allows them to not overthink and to just play basketball.
“As coaching staffs, you don’t wait,” Rivers added. “You get going so we’re going to throw these guys right in the fire. In some ways, that may be good. They don’t overthink and some will struggle. I think for the rookies this year, the mental toughness factor will be gigantic.”
Luckily, they will have guys like Thybulle and Harris to help them with the mental factors of the season. [lawrence-related id=39698,39695,39681]