In this next draft profile article, I will be having an in-depth look at Matisse Thybulle, whom many Spurs fans are intrigued by. So let’s dive in hey.
College Team: Washington (Senior)
Position: Small Forward/Shooting Guard
Height: 6’5" (although some mock-drafts have him closer to 6’6")
Wingspan: 7’0"
2018-19 Stats: Over 28 games in 30min per game he averages nearly 10pts, 3.3 reb, 2.3blk, 3.5 stl, 2.3ast at 43.7% FG, 32.8% 3P and 85.7% FT.
Projected Draft Spot: Late 1st Rd-mid 2nd Rd.
Strengths:
Well where do I start…? How about for the 2017-18 college season he was the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year!!! Just take a look at his stats, in particular the blocks and steals. How good are those stats compared to some of the good-great 3&D players in the NBA? Well an extremely good Stepien Article outlines it and crunches the numbers better than I ever could. But what it boils down to is that this kid’s defensive numbers are ‘ELITE’. Whether it is blocks or steals – Thybulle is hungry for the ball when it is in the opponent’s hands – like crazy hungry. He will fly down from the arc to block someone in the post, he can read passes like the opponents posted their intensions on Twitter first.
On offense he has some range, with a serviceable deep shot (around 36% from deep over his four years at college), and he attacks the lane with athleticism and energy. According to a Stepien Shot Chart he rarely takes mid-ranged shots, most of his scoring is from the deep or at the rim. His court awareness is transferred into his passing, where he averages nearly 2.5 assists per game. He generates offence through his defence, as he is able to gather in a ball poked loose, or hold on to a steal which leads to an outlet pass to players starting a break.
Watch the "All-round Game vs Utah" highlights linked below and you will get a good glimpse into what he could bring to the Spurs. And the Colorado game shows that he can be productive on the offensive end as well.
Apparently, he is the only college player in the last 27 years that has averaged 1 3pt’er, 2 steals and 3 blocks per game.
Weaknesses:
He is a little undersized, but his wingspan makes up for that. Because Matisse is so intense, he often pushes the offensive pace too far and too fast, ending up making bad passes or turning the ball over. His deep shot is good, but he can be seen launching up threes without really looking to see if there is a player open. He can also try to attack the lane with too much energy and ends up not finishing.
At times on defence he over-commits, leaving other players open, or he gets caught up in fighting through screens – but this isn’t as often as it seems as he wouldn’t be averaging his other-worldly defensive numbers.
NBA Player Comparison: Danny Green, Andre Roberson, Kent Bazemore.
Fit with the Spurs:
Well what is one of the things the Spurs need the most….defence, defence, defence!!! The Spurs need defence at the moment more than they need dominant offensive skill sets. So, do I need to say more?
Have I mentioned the defence yet?
The Spurs have precedent in playing wings who don’t score heaps (here’s lookin’ at you Bowen and Green), so fitting Thybulle in with scorers wouldn’t be a problem. One knock on Danny Green was that he struggled to put the ball on the floor and attack the lane, Thybulle can do this, as well as score from the arc. I could see him fitting into a line-up with DeRozan, Aldridge, White (or Mills) and Gay, as he would bolster the defence and provide some outside shooting without clogging the mid-range zones.
Oh yeah, and he has played with Murray at Washington, and apparently, they are good friends. So maybe Murray can put in a good word with PATFO. Apparently, he is a smart, high character guy – the kind of guy the Spurs tend to draft.
He is a high character, hardworking type of guy. Check out the "His Story" video about how his mother died when he was in high school.
Highlights:
Next Profile: Jontay Porter
