As the 76ers prepare for a demanding first-round playoff matchup against Boston, the head coach Brett Brown has suggested that he will implement a special action plan to try to counter the Celtics’ weapons. And Matisse Thybulle points out as the main protagonist of this new experiment.
“We are talking a lot about all the things we can do,” said the coach when asked about the possibility of Thybulle being part of the starting team. “It is being considered. Matisse will have an important role in defense in this series. “
Brown, of course, did not go into further detail when asked directly about who Thybulle would replace as the new starting man. If Joel Embiid’s presence is confirmed from the first game of the tie, the equation boils down to two names: Shake Milton, current starting point guard after Ben Simmons moved to power forward, or Al Horford, the main casualty. of this approach.
In Philadelphia they have come to terms with the idea that Simmons will not play another minute this season. A delicate absence that will force Brown to look for alternatives on the bench to face the talented outside game of the Celtics, led by men like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Kemba Walker.
A challenge that has been accentuated not only by the loss of the point guard, who defended Tatum for much of the possessions in the four games played between the two teams this season, but also because Glen Robinson III will not be available until, at least, within of a week because of a muscle strain.
“It’s a big challenge. They have a lot of talented scorers on the wings. The loss of Ben and the absence of Glenn Robinson are a punishment, ”said Brown. “That means we will have to go with other less obvious players. We’re not going to have Josh Richardson and Matisse playing the 48 minutes. This is why we have a team and a group effort. Everything has to be accurate. We will not have the luxury or the margin of maneuver that allows us to take a wrong step, a mistake or an inappropriate reading. It will be difficult.”
If we delve into advanced statistics we will better understand how important Ben Simmons had been in the defensive gear against the Celtics so far. According to data from Second Spectrum, the two-time All-Star defended Tatum for 155 of the 250 possessions the Massachusetts team had. The forward presented an effective percentage on field goals of only 28%. This increased to figures above 50% when the defender was anyone else from the roster de Philadelphia.
In the case of Thybulle, the sample is very small. He rookie He has defended the Celtics star in 16 possessions. Six of them finished in a shot to the basket and four in success. Far from being daunted, the one from Arizona has declared that he is ready for this new challenge. “It is no different than any other,” said the guard. “In every game I’ve played, my job has been to defend the best rival player, maybe with the exception of Kawhi or LeBron. The stakes now are a little higher but in terms of how I’m approaching it, it’s exactly the same way I’ve approached every game. I’m just trying to prove myself to the league, to the coaches and my teammates. “
Whether with or without Thybulle in the starting five, one thing is clear: The 76ers are fully aware that if they want to win the series, the Celtics will demand very high performance across the board.
(Cover photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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