Philadelphia 76ers wing player Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the league. As he prepares for his fourth season, the defensive star out of Washington already has All-Defensive team appearances on his resume in recognition of how he disrupts opposing game plans.
The biggest criticism of Thybulle remains his work on the offensive end.
In his third season in the league, Thybulle shot 31.3% from deep on 2.2 attempts per game and just 28.6% from deep in the playoffs. His postseason was wrecked by his vaccination status: He was unable to play in Toronto in the first round. Canada has since changed its vaccination rules, so he is allowed to play in Toronto in the 2022-23 season.
After the Sixers were eliminated in the second round, Thybulle vowed to become an offensive asset. Per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Thybulle worked out with Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard as well as other prominent shooting figures:
Thybulle spent time over the summer working out with Portland Trail Blazers perennial All-Star Damian Lillard and renowned shooting coach Phil Beckner in Phoenix among other cities. Improving his outside shooting was one of his focuses. He also went to Los Angeles to work on his ball handling and finishing around the basket with Chicago Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan under the direction of ball-handling wiz Johnny Stephene, aka Dribble2Much and HandleLife Johnny.
It is clear Thybulle took this summer seriously. As the Sixers are about to embark on training camp on Tuesday, they could absolutely use a much more offensive-minded Thybulle to help them chase their championship.
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