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It’s time for Sixers to give Matisse Thybulle more minutes | Off the Dribble

The Sixers are 20-6 in games in which the rookie plays at least 20 minutes, but he hasn't reached 20 in any of the last 11 games.

The Sixers could have used Matisse Thybulle (right), here knocking the ball away from the Bulls' Zach LaVine in January, against the Warriors in the fourth quarter Saturday night.
The Sixers could have used Matisse Thybulle (right), here knocking the ball away from the Bulls' Zach LaVine in January, against the Warriors in the fourth quarter Saturday night.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

Happy Monday, folks.

Let me start this newsletter by saying it’s good to be home. The 76ers have to feel the same way coming off their 1-3 California trip. Now, the Sixers (38-26) will have a four-game homestand, beginning Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, to try to pick up some much-needed victories.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers. Thank you for reading.

— Keith Pompey (offthedribble@inquirer.com)

Sixers not taking advantage of Thybulle’s defensive impact

The 76ers might want to get back to making defense a priority.

Sure, their three-point shooting on the road has improved drastically. But that doesn’t really help when you can’t make defensive stops.

That was the problem in Saturday’s 118-114 loss to the struggling Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. The Sixers went with more offensive-minded perimeter players instead of Matisse Thybulle in the fourth quarter, and the move backfired.

The Warriors shot 66.7% and made 10 of 12 foul shots in the final quarter. The Warriors hit 7 of their last 9 shots before making 5 of 6 foul shots in the final 51.7 seconds. They also scored 16 of their 60 points in the paint in that quarter.

All the while, Thybulle, arguably one of the league’s top defenders, watched from the bench. That can’t happen.

We all realize the team wants to improve its three-point shooting. But stellar defense is supposed to be this team’s identity. A lack of defensive presence cost the Sixers in recent road losses to the Los Angeles Lakers (Tuesday) and Warriors.

Thybulle played 17 minutes, 28 seconds at Golden State. It was, by far, the fewest minutes of any of the Sixers starters. He finished with 5 points on 2-for-5 shooting. He made 1 of 3 three-pointers. The rookie also had 3 assists, a rebound and a team-best plus-6 rating.

Yet, his number wasn’t called in the decisive fourth quarter, even after it was evident that his teammates couldn’t make stops. That proved to be a major mistake.

The squad is 20-6 in games in which he’s played at least 20 minutes. However, he’s played fewer than 20 minutes in each of the last 11 games.

Starting five

  1. Loss to Golden State was another missed opportunity for Sixers to gain ground in Eastern Conference standings. Sixers center Al Horford: “I mean, at this point in the season when you see that there’s fewer and fewer games, you have to handle business.”

  2. Sixers postpone Monday’s Youth Foundation Gala out of caution because of coronavirus. The Sixers say players across professional sports have been advised by leagues and public health officials to exercise caution.

  3. Sixers fall, 118-114, to last-place Warriors.

  4. It’s not Al Horford’s fault that his time as a 76er has been less than ideal. The Sixers are the ones who made a huge miscalculation by signing him to a four-year, free-agent deal last summer to play out of position.

  5. NBA memo tells teams to prepare for games without fans amid coronavirus outbreak. One potential scenario discussed in the memo is playing games in empty arenas, but nothing has been implemented.

Eric Paschall’s solid development

The Warriors are high on Eric Paschall, and they should be based on how he dominated vs. the Sixers.

They couldn’t cover the rookie reserve power forward out of Villanova in Saturday’s game. Paschall had 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, as well as six assists and three rebounds. It marked the fourth time in the last five games that the 41st pick in last June’s draft had scored at least 20 points, and the 13th time this season.

“I think for him, coming in this year having a chip on his shoulder being the second-round pick,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Paschall’s development, “he wanted to not only prove his worth to himself, but prove his worth around the league.”

Important dates: Next Five Flow

Wednesday: Detroit Pistons at Sixers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Saturday: Indiana Pacers at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

March 16: Washington Wizards at Sixers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

March 18: Toronto Raptors at Sixers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

March 19: Sixers at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Passing the rock

Send questions by email or on Twitter (@PompeyOnSixers)

Question: What’s the deal with Thybulle? Is Brett losing confidence with him? If Matisse was playing Korkmaz’s minutes Saturday, I think they win that game. — @Dwetz86 on Twitter

Answer: Thanks for the great question and observation. Brett Brown says that he’s going to with Furkan Korkmaz’s and Alec Burks’ ability to make shots over Thybulle’s defense while “hunting three-pointers."

Right now, he’s not satisfied with Thybulle’s three-point shooting. While all that sounds good, the Sixers defense is horrible when Thybulle doesn’t play.