Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle shows that he can make threes
So much for Matisse Thybulle not being able to shoot. That was the knock on the 76ers’ first-round pick during the predraft process.
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LAS VEGAS – So much for Matisse Thybulle’s not being able to shoot.
That was the knock on the 76ers’ first-round pick before the draft. Analysts raved about his stout defense but said he had some developing to do in making perimeter shots.
That hasn’t been the case here at the NBA Summer League.
Thybulle made 2 of 4 three-pointers in a 96-81 loss Wednesday to the Detroit Pistons. He shot 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from beyond the arc in the four games here.
That’s second on the team behind sharpshooting second-round pick Marial Shayok (41.1 percent) for players with more than two attempts.
“Someone on the Pistons said, ‘Hey, bro, they told me you couldn’t shoot,’ ” Thybulle said. “I’m like, ‘That’s what everyone has been saying. I don’t know where they got this idea that I can’t shoot.’
“But I hope that I proved a little bit now that I’m a decent shooter.”
Knowing what he’s capable of, the 6-foot-5 swingman was never worried about the label. For him, it was just a matter of convincing others.
Thybulle is averaging 12.0 points on 41.6 percent shooting from the floor. He has made 9 of 10 foul shots and leads the team with eight steals.
His shot came into question after he made just 30.5 percent of his three-pointers last season at the University of Washington. He shot 35.8 percent from that distance during his four-year career.
But even on draft night, he expressed confidence in his shot and gave the impression that his percentage was misleading.
“As I said before, three-point shooting, three-and-D, I feel I can fit into that right off the bat,” he said June 21. “I took a step back in college and allowed some of my teammates to score and that shows with my offensive numbers. But three-point shooting comes naturally to me and I am excited to do it.”
In other news, the Sixers announced Thursday that Mike Scott and Kyle O’Quinn signed contracts. Scott got a two-year, $9.8 million contract to remain with the team. O’Quinn’s deal is for one year and $2.1 million.