4 NBA players the Minnesota Timberwolves should kick the tires on
By Bret Stuter
The Philadelphia 76ers have nixed the likelihood of trading Matisse Thybulle in the past. But does it make sense for the 76ers to do so going forward? I don’t think so, particularly in light of the fact that Thybulle is a liability for the team on offense. How poorly did he play? Well, of the 12 NBA Playoff games that the 76ers played, the third-year veteran sat on the bench for the entirety of three games.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the offense, but truly struggle to shut down opponents. Matisse Thybulle is the opposite. Thybulle has the defense but truly struggles to put up points consistently. See where this is going?
Timberwolves true value
The Philadelphia 76ers will want to inflate Thybulle’s value in any discussions, but the numbers say otherwise. While Thybulle is great on defense, the question becomes is that enough to be a starter or even a key rotational player off the bench in today’s NBA?
Did we mention the fact that Thybulle is good on defense? Well, I mention that multiple times because in terms of offense? He’s plateaued at an abysmal level, somewhere in the 8.1 range for 36 minutes. That’s hardly a player to consider anything more than a niche role player on the team.
What is elite defense alone worth in the NBA? I don’t have the answer to that. I do know that the Philadelphia 76ers, a perennial playoff team now, want to upgrade at the position. Do the Timberwolves pieces that may interest the 76ers? Beyond Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns, the Timberwolves would certainly listen to some suggestions.