PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have a very talented team led by two of the game’s brightest stars, James Harden and Joel Embiid. The two can overcome a great many flaws a team has.
The Sixers don’t have many flaws, but one is the inconsistency on the offensive end from Matisse Thybulle. He is one of the elite defenders in the league, a legitimate contender to win Defensive Player of the Year, but his offense comes and goes.
After scuffling on the offensive end for two games, Thybulle bounced back on Monday when he had nine points on 4-for-7 shooting, and he had six steals in the loss to the Denver Nuggets. The six steals tied a career-high and the defensive effort he brings is what allows him to earn playing time considering his up-and-down play on offense.
“The No. 1 thing is he has to be dynamic defensively every night because if he isn’t, then it’s hard to play him,” coach Doc Rivers admitted. “It’s the same thing with an offensive player. I had Lou Williams. If Lou Williams didn’t score, why would I have him on the floor, right? So just look at that in reverse.”
There have been plenty of games recently when teams sagged off Thybulle and focused their defensive attention on Harden and Embiid. However, because of Thybulle abilities on the defensive end, Rivers continues to turn to him because he makes a difference.
“When Matisse is really effective defensively, even if they’re helping off of him,” Rivers finished. “I think he gives us enough that we can still be good.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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