CAMDEN, N.J. — For the Philadelphia 76ers, their preparation for their first-round series with the Toronto Raptors is focused on how they can keep them off the glass and how they can combat their physicality.
However, there is one not-so-small detail that could hurt when the Sixers go on the road.
Matisse Thybulle is not fully vaccinated and that means he is not allowed to enter Canada. He will not be able to play in the road games in the series, meaning the team will be without its best perimeter defender.
“I knew all year,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I encouraged him all year, but as a coach, you gotta be a human, too. It just puts you in a tough spot. I gotta support the kid, and I told him I didn’t agree, but I told him I support him. I will and I’ll make sure as much as I can that his teammates support him. Tough spot for us to be in, but it is what it is.”
The Sixers have made adjustments as they prepare for this series. Danny Green moved into the starting lineup in place of Thybulle and that raises the question of whether that affects Philadelphia’s preparation for this series.
“No difference in preparation,” said Rivers. “The first two games, Matisse is playing. That’s the one thing as a staff, we decided, we’ll cross Games 3 and 4 when we get to Games 3 and 4. I wanna prepare for Games 1 and 2. I don’t wanna have a second plan and the distraction of that. We’ll get to Game 3 when we get to Game 3, but the first two games, we are whole and that’s how we’re gonna work.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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