Tag: Matisse Thybulle

3 trade candidates for Sixers ahead of February 9 trade deadline

Here are three trade candidates for the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the February 9 trade deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been playing much better basketball as of late as they have eight of their last nine games. They had their 8-game winning streak end in a Tuesday loss to the Washington Wizards, but they have been playing terrific as of late.

Their strong play now has the Sixers back in the mix in the race to come out of the  Eastern Conference, but that doesn’t mean this roster is set. President Daryl Morey is always one to look out for any possible moves to help his team be in a better position moving forward.

HoopsHype has come up with a few candidates the Sixers can move before the Feb. 9 trade deadline and Sixers Wire will evaluate each option while also giving HoopsHype’s reasoning at the end.

Doc Rivers explains Matisse Thybulle’s up and down minutes for Sixers

Doc Rivers explains why Matisse Thybulle’s minutes have been up and down for the Philadelphia 76ers.

WASHINGTON — Coach Doc Rivers’ rotation for the Philadelphia 76ers continues to be fluid.

Philadelphia added wing depth in the offseason by bringing in Danuel House Jr. and De’Anthony Melton, and their arrival changed roles and court time for some previous mainstays. The most notably affected veteran has been Matisse Thybulle, who is averaging the fewest minutes of his career (11.3 minutes) per night. He continues to make a defensive impact when he gets playing time. He is averaging 2.4 steals per 36 minutes off the bench. When he starts, Philadelphia is 4-1.

The minutes have been up and down for Thybulle, and he opened up on how he’s handling that on Tuesday., Rivers explained the reason for the inconsistencies.

“We have a lot of guys,” he stated. “I have a feeling you could probably ask that after every game about one of our guys. We built the team that way and each game will be different for some of the guys. There’s guys who are clearly in the rotation daily and then there are guys who will be game-by-game.”

Rivers has a point. House Jr. is a regular contributor, Melton is going to deserve minutes on a nightly basis even when Tyrese Maxey returns. Thybulle has battled to get playing time.

However, it feels as though he already has battled and won a regular role. While Thybulle hasn’t become the 3-point shooter or the offensive player the Sixers hoped he would be, he’s an elite defender who continues to improve as a cutter off the ball. He can make a difference on the floor, and Philadelphia should give him more of a chance on a regular basis.

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Player grades: Sixers have winning streak snapped in loss to Wizards

The Philadelphia 76ers drop a road matchup to the Washington Wizards to have their 8-game winning streak snapped.

WASHINGTON–The Philadelphia 76ers invaded Capital One Arena on Tuesday to take on the Washington Wizards looking to keep building their winning streak. They entered the night winners of eight in a row and they had been playing some tough basketball out on the floor.

With that being said, the Wizards have some good talent of their own led by Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis and they were too much for Philadelphia to handle. The Wizards came away with a 116-111 win to snap the winning streak and hand the Sixers their first loss since Dec. 5. Porzingis had 24 and 10 boards for Washington and Beal had 19, with 17 coming in the first half.

Joel Embiid led the way with another monstrous game of 48 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia, James Harden had 26 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds and Tobias Harris had 15 points. De’Anthony Melton had six points while Montrezl Harrell had nine points off the bench.

Here are the player grades following the loss:

Matisse Thybulle opens up on handling inconsistent minutes for Sixers

Matisse Thybulle opens up on his inconsistent minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers and how he handles the situation.

WASHINGTON — The Philadelphia 76ers continue their four-game road trip on Tuesday when they visit the Washington Wizards having won eight games in a row. They have been playing excellent basketball and risen in the East standings.

They have received production up and down the roster, but it has been peculiar that Matisse Thybulle has been in and out of the rotation. The defensive star out of Washington has made an impact when he has played. The Sixers are 4-1 when he starts, and he always seems to make a play.

After playing 13:02 in a Dec. 21 win over the Detroit Pistons, Thybulle played 33 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers and only 3:54 on Christmas Day against the New York Knicks.

“Just show up every day and be ready for whatever’s to come,” said Thybulle. “I never really know what to expect. So it’s just being ready. You never want that to be why you don’t perform well. So not allowing that to be an excuse.”

Even with his minutes so inconsistent, Thybulle remains professional and wants the focus to be on the team. Whatever he is dealing with, he is going to do so individually.

“Just a new challenge as is everything,” he added. “Just a new challenge. Not something I’m not familiar with.”

As a rookie, Thybulle’s minutes were up and down. There was a stretch where he would play a slew of minutes and then be stuck on the bench in others.

The difference in how he handles the situation now is he has time in the league. This is his fourth season so he understands how rosters are run.

“When I was a rookie, emotions would have a stronger toll on me and that would change my attitude or change my behaviors,” he admitted. “Now, I guess you can see it’s not something that weighs — there’s no dark cloud looming over me. It’s just, I think as a professional, you learn how to weather the storms and still show up and do your job.”

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Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers get past Knicks on Christmas Day

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers were able to get past the New York Knicks in a Christmas Day matchup.

NEW YORK–The Philadelphia 76ers invaded Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day looking to drop off a lump of coal to the rival New York Knicks and pick up an 8th straight win. Following a 7-0 homestand, the Sixers were hoping to continue to build the momentum they’ve had recently.

The Knicks are a physical bunch who have also been playing some great basketball as of late. New York entered the day winners of eight of its last 10 games and they used a heavy dose of physicality to throw Philadelphia off, but the Sixers were able to keep scrapping and they came away with a 119-112 win. Joel Embiid had 35 points and eight rebounds to lead the Sixers to their 8th straight win. The Sixers did not lead until early in the fourth quarter

James Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and De’Anthony Melton had 15 points. Shake Milton had eight, Georges Niang added 16 off the bench, Tobias Harris had eight and six rebounds, and PJ Tucker had six points.

Here are the player grades following the win on the road:

Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers rally from 20 down to beat Clippers

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers rally from a 20-point deficit to knock off the Los Angeles Clippers at home.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to end the 7-game homestand with a sweep of the seven games as they welcomed the Los Angeles Clippers into the Wells Fargo Center on Friday. The Clippers offered a big step up in competition so this offered a nice test for the Sixers.

Using a steady dose of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers were playing some excellent basketball to start and they built a lead as large as 20, but the Sixers flipped the switch and they were able to rally and win the game 119-114. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 44 points and seven rebounds to help Philadelphia to a 7th straight win after an 8-0 run late in the fourth to seal it.

James Harden added 20 points, a career-high 21 assists, and 11 rebounds, and De’Anthony Melton had 13. Tobias Harris also added 14 and eight rebounds while Georges Niang had 11 and Shake Milton added 13 off the bench.

Here are the player grades following the comeback win:

Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers cruise past Pistons for 6th straight win

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers cruise past the Detroit Pistons at home for their 6th straight victory.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Detroit Pistons into the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday looking to continue their winning ways. They had taken advantage of the friendly stretch of schedule, winning the first five games of the seven-game homestand.

The young Pistons, a rebuilding bunch, gave the Sixers a punch early, but Philadelphia overcame that and cruised to a relatively easy 113-93 win. The Sixers led by as many as 21. J

oel Embiid had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to ensure the Sixers walked away with the win over Detroit.

James Harden added 15 and eight assists. Tobias Harris continued his strong play with 17 points. De’Anthony Melton had 12 and nine rebounds, and Shake Milton added nine, five rebounds, and five assists off the bench. PJ Tucker pulled down 10 rebounds, Georges Niang had 11 points and Montrezl Harrell had 10.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers overcome physical Raptors at home

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers were able to knock off the physical Toronto Raptors at home.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Toronto Raptors into the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night to continue their 7-game homestand and they looked to remain perfect during this stretch. The Raptors, losers of five straight entering the night, gave the Sixers some trouble all night, but Philadelphia just had more.

Joel Embiid had another big night on the offensive end going for 28 points and 11 rebounds as the Sixers were able to come away with a 104-101 win in overtime for their fifth straight victory. The Raptors rallied from a 14-point deficit and took a lead in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers were then able to rally and pick up the win.

James Harden had 14 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, Tobias Harris added 21 points, and De’Anthony Melton had eight and seven rebounds. Danuel House Jr. had nine off the bench and Montrezl Harrell had seven.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Matisse Thybulle admits Sixers took short-handed Warriors lightly to start

Matisse Thybulle admits the Philadelphia 76ers took the Golden State Warriors lightly to begin the game.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the Golden State Warriors on Friday and they came away with a 118-106 win for their fourth straight. They are beginning to figure it all out as they continue to move forward on their title quest.

However, it was a tough start for the Sixers on Friday. The Warriors, who were missing the likes of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins, came out firing in the first quarter.

They drilled nine triples, five from Donte DiVincenzo, and they scored 38 points in the first quarter. Philadelphia looked like they were sleepwalking a bit before they hit the gas pedal in the third quarter and sped to a win.

“The biggest challenge is not playing down to your competition,” said Matisse Thybulle who drew the start in place of the injured Tobias Harris. “I think my coach has been telling me that since I was in eighth grade is the biggest mental challenge and when you have the star player out, and a handful of others, you think it’s gonna be easier, but more times than not, it’s harder because now guys who normally don’t get opportunities. Their team dynamic changes and then you sit back thinking it’s gonna be sweet.”

The Warriors really put it on the Sixers to start the game. Philadelphia looked a bit disinterested and if it wasn’t for James Harden and Joel Embiid and their offense, the Sixers might’ve been trailing that game by more than just five after one quarter.

“They came out and they wanted to prove a lot and they did that,” said coach Doc Rivers of the Warriors. “DiVincenzo, I kept seeing a Villanova jersey, he was phenomenal at the beginning of the game. From that point on, defensively, I thought we were pretty good. Still had our stretches, I don’t think we played with great life tonight, but we won the game, and we’ll take it.”

With that being said, the Sixers need to start games better and be able to bring more energy than they did. They got away with it on Friday because of how short-handed the Warriors were, but that can’t happen on a regular basis.

“Effort’s a big thing and then focus,” said Thybulle. “Like those things don’t really show up as specific events, but when you calibrate them, there’s just this tendency of bad things stop happening.”

The Sixers will play host to the Toronto Raptors on Monday.

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Player grades: Joel Embiid, James Harden lead Sixers past Warriors

Joel Embiid and James Harden have big games to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the short-handed Golden State Warriors at home.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers continued the homestand on Friday as they hosted the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Dubs were shorth-handed as they were down Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green all to injuries, but Philadelphia entered missing Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris.

With that being said, Philadelphia still had Joel Embiid and James Harden to lean on and they hopped on their star duo’s collective back in order to come away with a 118-106 win. Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds and Harden added 27 points, nine assists, and five rebounds to lead Philadelphia in this one.

De’Anthony Melton added 17 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Shake Milton chipped in with 11 and six rebounds, and Georges Niang had 11 off the bench. PJ Tucker had seven and six rebounds.

Here are the plater grades following a fourth straight win: