Matisse Thybulle went 4-6 from three and scored 14 points in 26 minutes on his Portland debut. He shot 5-9 overall against the Lakers and added six rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal while committing two fouls.

After the game he said this:

That quote will infuriate the portion of Sixers fans who think Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey haven’t done enough to foster young talent in Philadelphia. They’ll talk about Isaiah Joe and Charles Bassey and now Thybulle as guys who weren’t properly brought along.

Whether that’s true or not is hard to say at this exact point in time. Players typically get a bump when they move from a less-favorable situation to a more-favorable situation. We’re talking about young guys who switch environments and can work on their game without the overarching pressure of team expectations. They’re not stuck behind veterans and blah blah/etc.

It goes both ways, obviously. The Sixers’ title chances never hinged on what they were going to get from Isaiah Joe or Matisse Thybulle. They hinge on Embiid, Harden, Harris, Maxey, Melton, and the core of the playoff rotation. But that’s not to say that the margins can be ignored, which is the recurring gripe throughout Doc and Daryl’s tenure.

Oh yeah, the Sixers won also. They’re 37-19 and 3.5 out of first with the All Star break looming. Jalen McDaniels had 8/5/3 in 28 minutes.