Matisse Thybulle back to having fun as member of Trail Blazers: ‘It’s been really nice to feel wanted’

Thybulle: "For me, specifically, I feel like there was a lot more fear-based play in Philadelphia as opposed to what I’m doing here in Portland.”

by Keith Pompey

Published Mar. 10, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

Matisse Thybulle is back to having fun.

The former 76ers shooting guard laughed with Portland Trail Blazers teammate Jerami Grant during a shooting drill after Thursday’s practice at the Liacouras Center.

There was a glow in Thybulle’s eyes as he sat on the cusp of his first game against the Sixers on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. One that wasn’t present in Philly at any point this season.

Perhaps it came from Thybulle feeling wanted, encouraged, allowed to be himself and no longer feeling devalued or afraid to make a mistake.

Thybulle explained how his reality changed for the better when the Sixers shipped him to the Trail Blazers in a four-team trade on Feb. 9.

“It’s been such a warm, welcoming reception from top to bottom, front office to coaching staff to players, a genuine one at that,” Thybulle said. “Like they are really happy to have me; teammates are excited to have my skill set on the floor with them. Coaches are excited to coach me.

“It’s been really nice to feel wanted in that capacity.”

Prior to the trade, Thybulle wasn’t just the Sixers’ best perimeter defender, he was also a two-time, second-team All-Defensive selection. Yet he fell out of favor with coach Doc Rivers and was underutilized this season.

Thybulle had not progressed offensively to the Sixers’ satisfaction. And based on his role this season, there was no guarantee he would have gotten significant postseason minutes for the Sixers.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said after trading Thybulle. “If you’re making it harder for the team on offense, I think it makes it harder to keep you on the floor defensively.”

But some wonder if the Sixers gave up on Thybulle too soon based on how he’s flourishing in his new opportunity and change of scenery.

He averaged career lows of 2.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assist, 0.9 steal and 12.1 minutes in 49 games, including six starts, this season as a Sixer. He shot 33.3% from beyond the three-point line.

In 10 games — all starts — in Portland, Thybulle is averaging 1.1 blocks to go along with career highs of 7.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 30.4 minutes. He’s also shooting a career-best 40.9% on three-pointers.

Thybulle scored 14 points while making 4 of 6 three-pointers and blocked three shots in his Trail Blazers debut against the Lakers on Feb. 13. Then, on Feb. 28 against the Golden State Warriors, he scored 15 points on 5-for-6 three-point shooting and blocked two shots. Thybulle has made at least one three in eight of his 10 games in Portland.

“Tisse has been a very good addition for us,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “It’s just that when you get in the league and you establish yourself, there’s a point in time it comes to, ‘Yeah, he can do this .. But let’s talk about what he can’t do.’ And that’s what everybody talks about with Matisse, is the fact that he’s not a consistent shooter.

“There are some nights where he makes three or four threes, and they just write those ones off. And then the tough nights like last night where it’s like, ‘Oh, well, there it goes.’”

Thybulle had two points on 1-for-6 — missing all four of his three-point attempts — in Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics.

Billups referred to Thybulle as someone who’s selfless with winning spirit — always positive.

“You never have to worry about him,” Billups said. “And I just love that about him. And his shot, keep working on it. Those are things you can keep working on. But what he has, you can’t work to get that. What he doesn’t have, you can work to get, which I love.”

It hard to say that what Thybulle is accomplishing in Portland is a surprise.

Heading into this season, there was belief he could be the Sixers’ most improved player. He spent the summer working out with Blazers perennial All-Star Damian Lillard in Phoenix, among other cities, to improve his outside shooting. He also spent time in Los Angeles to work on his ballhandling and finishing around the basket with Chicago Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan under the direction of ballhandling wiz Johnny Stephene, aka Dribble2Much and HandleLife Johnny.

Yet, after all of that offseason work, in his first five games with the Sixers he logged 23 seconds, 18 seconds, 3 minutes, 14 seconds, 2 minutes and a Did Not Play - Coaches Decision.

So does Thybulle feel that he ever got a chance to show what he worked on this summer?

“It’s hard when you are on such a talented team and a team that has so much demand to win now,” Thybulle said. “And for whatever reason, I fell out of favor in the lineup or whatever you want to call it. And I didn’t really feel like there was an opportunity to really showcase it.

“Now, it feels like I have all the opportunity in the world. The opportunity is there, and it’s going to continue to be there. I’m only receiving encouragement to take advantage of it.”

As a Sixer, Thybulle played with fear, knowing missteps would cost him playing time. The fourth-year veteran doesn’t feel as much pressure. He feels free to be himself under Billups.

“Any player that’s playing out of a place of fear is going to struggle,” he said. “Like there’s going to just be friction in everything you try to do. But when you play for a place of just discipline and receptiveness to what the game’s giving and what you are reading from it. I think there’s a lot more opportunity.

“And for me, specifically, I feel like there was a lot more fear-based play in Philadelphia as opposed to what I’m doing here in Portland.”

Right now, Thybulle is elated to have a fresh start. He feels like he’s playing a role that enables him to confidently showcase his skills and do what’s comfortable.

Rivers said at Thursday’s practice that he’s looking forward to seeing Thybulle on Friday.

“I don’t want him to do great [against us], obviously, but I think it’s a great place for him,” Rivers said. “I think playing along Dame and watching Dame work will help him as well at his position. You’re guaranteed to get open stuff with Dame. You have to.”

Rivers was the person that called Thybulle to tell him that he was traded. It was kind of an out of body experience for Thybulle even though he partly expected to be moved.

“When you hear the words you got traded, it’s like, ‘Whoa, I’m eating lunch in Northern Liberties,’” he said. “And then get the call, walking home and I’m just like ‘Whoa, this my last time walking down the street. This is my last day being a Sixer.’”

So how was the conversation?

“It was a fairly formal conversation,” he said, “more like a business transaction, I’d say.”