Matisse Thybulle

Lauren Rosen

The 76ers (15-12) will look to keep a good thing going at home Friday, seeking their fourth straight victory as they host the defending champion Golden State Warriors (14-15).Friday’s matchup marks the midpoint of a season-long seven-game homestand for the 76ers, while the Warriors will visit South Philadelphia for the third stop on their six-game Eastern Conference swing.The Sixers’ injury report on Thursday evening included Tyrese Maxey (left foot fracture), who is out Friday, and Furkan Korkmaz (non-COVID illness) and Danuel House Jr. (left foot laceration), who are probable.Warriors’ two-time MVP Stephen Curry will also miss Friday’s matchup (left shoulder soreness), as will Andre Iguodala (left hip injury management) and Andrew Wiggins (right adductor strain). Draymond Green (right quadriceps contusion) is questionable.

The Warriors have struggled of late, dropping four of their last five games and each of the first two games on their current trip - a 128-111 loss Tuesday at Milwaukee, and a 125-119 loss Wednesday at Indiana.Golden State is 2-13 on the road this season.The Sixers, meanwhile, have won three in a row, most recently beating the Sacramento Kings, 123-103, Tuesday. The victors scored a season-high 80 points in the first half, capped off by the last of James Harden’s four second-quarter triples.

In addition to their three-game winning streak overall, the Sixers have won nine of their last 10 games on home court, including five straight.

Friday’s matchup is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Quote to Note:At Thursday’s practice, Doc Rivers and the team hosted a group from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. Rivers discussed the meaningful visit after practice:“We had eight guys here. The lowest guy served 20 years, one guy served 32 years. Every single one was completely innocent. It puts things in perspective, obviously, listening to all those stories. Each one of those guys was really impressive, and said, ‘We all had to let go of bitterness. And move forward.’ It was really a powerful thing for our players.”

Follow Along Friday:Watch: ESPNListen: 97.5 The Fanatic

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76ers Host Golden State Warriors | Gameday Report 28/82

Matt Murphy

The 76ers’ next game is a meeting with a familiar opponent - their last, in fact - the Atlanta Hawks. The two-game series shifts to South Philadelphia for a 7:30 p.m. contest on Saturday.The Sixers (5-7) fell to the Hawks (8-4), 104-95, in Atlanta on Thursday.Joel Embiid matched Trae Young of the Hawks as the game’s leading scorer with 26 points. Tyrese Maxey, who scored 15 points, said postgame that Embiid continues to encourage him throughout the early stages of the new season. For Maxey, decision-making remains a focus.“I feel like I’m doing a good job of getting other guys involved, getting guys shots,” Maxey said. “I think I can do a better job of that when I get into the paint. Teams are so focused on my driving [ability] to where I can find a lot of shooters and find a lot of dump-offs, so I’ve got to keep doing that as well.”Back at the start of the season, Georges Niang discussed heading into the campaign with teammates composing a group that he’s confident can handle adversity.“Like any relationship or partnership, there’s a Day One,” Niang said. “And Rome wasn’t built in one day. It’s going to take some time. There’s going to be some ups, there’s going to be some downs. But I think we have the right guys — that have great character — that are going to continue to build whether it’s through the tough days or the easygoing days. I think we have a strong-knit group.”

James Harden (right foot tendon strain) remains out, while Paul Reed was listed Friday as questionable for the next game due to a right knee contusion.

Saturday’s rematch between the Sixers and Hawks in South Philadelphia is a 7:30 p.m. start.

City Edition:The Sixers announced their 2022-23 City Edition uniform on Thursday:

The debut of this year’s City Edition uniform and themed court will be Sunday, when the Sixers welcome the Utah Jazz for the second game of a home back-to-back after hosting the Hawks.

Thursday’s Top Performances:Joel Embiid

Opponent Outlook:The Hawks (8-4) utilized a 12-0 run to end the third quarter in Thursday’s win over the Sixers, propelling the home team to an 80-66 lead.In addition to Trae Young’s 26 points in the 104-95 victory, the Hawks received an 18-point, 20-rebound double-double performance from Clint Capela.Capela scored all 18 of his points in the first three quarters.Bogdan Bogdanović (right knee injury recovery) remains out.

Quote to Note:Matisse Thybulle on second-year Sixer Jaden Springer:“I mean, Jaden…when we came back this summer, he was one of the players that everyone was talking about that got better – noticeably better. His body changed, which is a really big deal for him and the coaches. And then also his skill level got a lot better. He’s such a strong and mobile dude – I think he can be a really great defender in the NBA. I think he’s finding that and learning ways. He’s so young and every day is a new learning opportunity for him, and I think he’s taking advantage of it.”On assignment with the Blue Coats for their home opener on Thursday night, Springer poured in a G League regular season career-high 28 points with five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a blocked shot. He shot 9-for-15 from the field, 2-for-6 from 3-point range, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Follow Along:Watch: NBC Sports PhiladelphiaListen: 97.5 The Fanatic

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76ers and Hawks Shift Matchup to Philadelphia | Gameday Report 13/82

Friday was a career night for Tyrese Maxey in Toronto.

Seeking a bounce-back win against the Raptors (3-3), the 76ers (2-4) were shorthanded for Friday’s matchup, in the absence of Joel Embiid (right knee injury recovery).

Maxey - as he’s become known to do - stepped up massively, notching a game and career-high 44 points, including nine 3-pointers (15-20 fg/9-12 3fg).

“Time after time, Tyrese is the one that steps up, and shows up big,” Matisse Thybulle said postgame.

“Each time he gets an opportunity, he does something big with it. You can even take it back to the COVID games, when we’d look at our bench, like, ‘Who’s going to be the one to step up?’ Tyrese Maxey.”

For Maxey, Friday’s performance was another culmination of years of work behind closed doors.

“I always sit up here and say, the work that you put in when nobody’s watching, in early mornings, late nights - it always shows when you perform in front of thousands, and millions on TV.”

Maxey’s standout outing was his second consecutive 30-plus point performance, after scoring a then-season-high 31 points against the Raptors Wednesday.

Maxey went on to throw praise Thybulle’s way, after the all-defenseman played heavier minutes (a 22-minute stint) in Friday’s win. Thybulle finished with six points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal, and two blocks.

“He’s always the first one out there postgame and he’s shooting,” Maxey said of Thybulle’s work ethic. “He cares about his craft, and he stays ready. He started being Matisse, the Matisse we know and we love.”

The Sixers will now look to capitalize on the momentum built Friday as they face the second night of a back-to-back Saturday in Chicago, visiting the Bulls (3-3).

Following Saturday’s matchup, the Sixers will close their four-game trip visiting the Washington Wizards (3-2).

Saturday’s matchup tips at 8:00 p.m. ET

Opponent Outlook:The Bulls (3-3) will also be facing the latter end of a back-to-back Saturday, after visiting the Spurs Friday in San Antonio - and falling, 129-124.

DeMar DeRozan was Chicago’s leading scorer Saturday, finishing with 33 points on 11-for-20 shooting and 11-for-12 shooting from the foul line. DeRozan became the 50th player in NBA history to score 20,000 points Friday.

Coby White totalled a bench-high 19 points, plus four rebounds and four assists, and former Sixer Andre Drummond added a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Follow Along:Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus / NBA TV

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76ers Look to Build on Big W | Gameday Report 7/82

Lauren Rosen and Matt Murphy

Nobody deserved a relaxing offseason more than 76ers Assistant Coach Dave Joerger.

After battling head and neck cancer during the 2021-22 NBA season - and returning to the bench for the season’s final stretch - the veteran coach could have taken a hard-earned trip off the grid.

Instead, he’s spending his time giving back, in multiple communities across the country.

Joerger says he likes to use the offseason for four goals: relaxation, player development, ideation among coaches, and making a positive impact in his communities.

Ahead of one of Joerger’s favorite summer events, a basketball camp on the Standing Rock Reservation in Northern South Dakota and Southern North Dakota, the now third-year Sixers Assistant Coach sat down with Sixers.com to discuss his offseason initiatives and more.

At the start of the conversation, Joerger shared a personal update…

“Things are really good for the Sixers, and for me as well. As far as personally, things that have gone on with recovering from cancer treatment. It is a process. You never feel like you’re fully healed or done with it. It’s always going to be part of your story and part of what you’re going to go through physically and mentally going forward. And your family has to live with it as well, but we feel very positive about it because of getting to it early. Identifying what the problem was early and then going to the treatment immediately. So we feel very positive going forward, to be and live a full life.”

After leaving the team last Nov. 13 to undergo cancer treatment, Joerger returned to the bench on a full-time basis on Feb. 2. Head Coach Doc Rivers said it was really cool to watch their players react to the good news. Now, Joerger looks forward to another season surrounded by his Sixers family…

“That was neat. Any impact I had on the team, it was a thousand times [less than] the impact they had on me. Being around the guys, being around the coaches – both the players and the coaching staff are way more than a working professional relationship. We’re all friends. You’re pulling for each other. Your families know each other and your families are trying to help each other all the time. We’re around each other more than we are sometimes with our own families, so it’s its own family. That was very invigorating for me… and then, certainly the competition and being able to be part of another successful season. And now, as you flow into the upcoming season and the excitement that we have going into that, there’s just such a good vibe. We have a great group of players, as people. And the same with the coaches, as people. You want to be around them. So now, with the success we’ve had and the success we feel like we can have going forward, it’s a very positive vibe because everybody’s all pulling in the same direction.”

The assistant coach then touched on the Sixers’ offseason…

“It’s pretty crazy. Things go fast,” Joerger said. “Before you even get to the [roster] changes, I think you get to the fact that James Harden, Joel Embiid, and other guys did not have a lot of time together. Our core has had two years together – Tyrese [Maxey], Tobias [Harris] – and Joel and Tobias have been together for a number of years, we get that. But to add a guy who has the ball as much as James does, especially with Joel, that’s only going to get better as more time is spent together. I think that’s really going to be a positive for us to be able to have a training camp and to go into a full regular season together. That’s a process and a journey that they’ll continue, because they’re great players, to get better at. And then you add the development of our younger players. They’re going to continue to get older. Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, etcetera, etcetera – I don’t want to miss anybody. We sometimes kind of glean over Tyrese because he’s so prominent, but he’s had a great summer. We know this.

“There’s that development and that improvement from within, and now you add the other players: De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House. What it does is it gives us a lot of flexibility. Those guys can all play multiple positions. They can play with the basketball, they can play without the basketball, and they can all defend their own position very well, as well as other positions. And they’re good dudes, too. Let’s not let that go. They’re good people we’re adding to the mix. It gives us a lot of depth. And some would say the other side of it is you have more margin for error. Injuries are part of the process of an NBA season. To have that continuity where you kind of don’t miss a beat when somebody has to be out for X number of games or a period of time – and also the fact that especially P.J. has been around the block. He’s got veteran–ness to him, he’s got experience to him, and he’s vocal. I think that’s really going to help our locker room. It’s going to help our team continue to grow through the journey of the season.”

Joerger elaborated on Tucker’s leadership, and toughness as an identity for the team…

“I think what they’re expressing is ‘part of me wants to be like this, but I need somebody to go first.’ I think that’s what P.J. Tucker is going to really [do]. You’re going to see guys now come a little bit out of their shell with their personality – not outside of themselves, but that part of it can come out a little bit more as somebody is kind of out there in front. Now we have a catalyst for that and a leader in that area, and I think you’ll see guys’ toughness come out a little bit more than it has in the past.”

When it comes to making an impact in various different communities, Joerger’s basketball camp on the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas is important to him for a number of reasons…

“It’s important to me because I think, as a league, we do a lot of good things and I think we try to help some of the more underserved places in our country. [Among] those that sometimes I think gets overlooked a little bit are the reservations, and some of the poorest counties that we have economically in our country are on the reservation. The issues that some of these kids deal with – the suicide rates, the alcoholism rates, and those kinds of things that they grow up with – I’m able to maybe have a chance to have an impact or to show them something… It’s not about getting out, but it’s rising to in their future maybe I want to be part of this, that, or the other experience that maybe I never even got to see in my mind. For us to do those kinds of things, as some of the players do with their camps, that’s what we’re trying to do and I’m trying to serve at this camp.”

Last spring, the 76ers organization made a donation to Jefferson Health following Joerger’s treatment…

“With the Sixers, who have just been so supportive and just terrific, we’re going to be able to have – through Jefferson Health –&nbsp; five or six different opportunities throughout the community with a mobile service where they can screen people and work on early detection for people that might not otherwise make that trip or push themselves to go have something checked out. Man, that makes a difference. I’m just really, really proud of our organization because they’re just ahead of the curve. They’re fantastic in their support of how we can help with the resources we have, which are a lot. It’s very humbling, very cool.”

The 48 year-old Minnesota native whose NBA experience includes time spent in Memphis, Sacramento, and now Philadelphia, reflected on the past year…

“It was interesting and it was difficult,” Joerger said. “I had a lot of support from, not just basketball people, but a lot of basketball people throughout the country. And certainly friends and family, and then also our Sixers family as well. It’s not something you think is ever going to happen to you. I think that’s why people don’t go get tested and get the detection devices and tests applied to them because that’s stuff that happens to other people. I certainly was one of those people. I remember when I got the text. We were in Toronto. ‘We’ve found something.’ You immediately call your doctor… It was the longest three or four hours ever. We got to the arena, I grabbed the trainer and we went in and Doc [Rivers] and I put our heads together. I said here’s what I know so far, we’ll see what happens coming down the pike, but I can’t believe this is happening to me. You go through it, you get through it, and come out the other side.”

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76ers' Assistant Coach Dave Joerger Talks Offseason, Giving Back, and Returning to the Bench

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Prior to departing for Las Vegas, the 76ers announced the members of their 2019 summer league roster. 

The list of players, with their most recent affiliations, includes:

Sixers’ two-way player Shake Milton shone in his 2018-19 rookie season, contributing solid minutes for the Sixers and Blue Coats while quickly becoming a fan favorite. During his time in Delaware, Milton averaged 24.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 36.7% from deep. His 24.9 points per game marked the fourth-highest scoring total in the G League. As a Sixer, Milton scored a season-high 13 points against Orlando on March 25.

Zhaire Smith, the 16th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, returns to the Summer League process for the second consecutive year. He scored 16 points in his 2018 Summer League debut. Despite being sidelined for much of the 2018-19 season, Smith made an impact as a Sixer late in the year, recording 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists against Miami on April 9, and then a career-high 17 points, four rebounds, and five assists against Chicago on April 10. The Texas native also made a pair of playoff appearances to close his rookie season.

Matisse Thybulle, whose rights were acquired by the Sixers with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, brings his talent and defensive prowess to Summer League minicamp just 10 days after draft night. Thybulle earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors following his 2018-19 senior season at Washington, and led the NCAA with 126 steals in that senior campaign. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game last year, and is expected to make an immediate impact on his new squad.

Marial Shayok was selected by the 76ers with the 54th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He spent his first three seasons of college at UVA, followed by a breakout redshirt senior season at Iowa State in 2018-19. Shayok averaged 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors. On draft night, he became the first player i from Ottawa, Ontario, to be drafted into the NBA.

Haywood Highsmith contributed to the Sixers and Blue Coats in his 2018-19 rookie season. With the Blue Coats, he averaged 12.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 42.7% from the field. Prior to his rookie season, Highsmith played four seasons at Wheeling Jesuit (Division II) in Wheeling, West Virginia. In his 2017-18 senior season, he averaged 22.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.

Norvel Pelle joins minicamp following a strong season with the Blue Coats, making the 2018-19 G League All-Defensive team. Pelle, who was born in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, averaged 11.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game in 2018-19. On March 11, Pelle notched a massive 21-point, 22-rebound double-double in Delaware's win over the Westchester Knicks.

A.J. Davis joined the Blue Coats midseason on March 7. He played for the Brisbane Bullets of the Australian National Basketball League prior to the Blue Coats. After transferring from Tennessee, Davis played his college ball at the University of Central Florida. During his senior champaign, he averaged 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, earning honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference honors.  

Terry Harris’ connection to the Sixers runs deeper than Summer League minicamp, with big brother Tobias Harris serving as a role model on and off the court. Now, it's Terry who's ready to carve out his own pro path. Terry Harris wrapped up his collegiate career at North Carolina A&amp;T, where he averaged 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He also spent time at Houston Baptist and Eastern Michigan. 

The first thing that's hard to ignore about Christ Koumadje? His size, of course. He's listed at 7-foot-4, 268 pounds on Florida State's official website. Over the course of his four years in Tallahassee, Koumadje reportedly put on 50 pounds, and capped his career by averaging personal highs of 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds as a senior. He also registered a career-best 52 blocked shots. Koumadje is originally from Senegal, and played with Ben Simmons at Montverde Academy.

Zach Hankins joins the group following his fifth-year graduate transfer season at Xavier. He blocked 54 shots last year, a total second only to David West on the Xavier all-time list. The Charlevoix, Michigan native led the Musketeers with 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the Big East Tournament. During his four years at Ferris State, the 6-foot-11 Hankins was named GLIAC Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

Jalen Jones played college ball at SMU and Texas A&amp;M prior to beginning his professional career. He's spent time with the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, in addition to logging games in the G League as well. In January 2019, Jones left Cleveland to play the remainder of the season with Baskonia in Spain.

Sheldon Mac spent two seasons at the University of Texas and two seasons at the University of Miami in college, before getting picked up by the Washington Wizards in 2016. After joining the Wizards, Mac had a stint with the Delaware Blue Coats and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He delivered solid contributions for the Wizards in 2016-17, including 30 appearances, three starts, and a pair of double-digit performances.

Deshon Taylor began his college career with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos, before transferring to Fresno State for his final three seasons of eligibility. In his 2018-19 senior season, Taylor averaged 17.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, earning Mountain West All-Conference First Team honors in both 2018 and 2019.

After playing college ball at South Carolina, P.J. Dozier began his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, and joined the Boston Celtics for the 2018-19 season. During his first two professional seasons, he spent time with the Oklahoma City Blue and Maine Red Claws in the G League. As a Celtic, Dozier registered a season-high 12 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Washington Wizards on April 9.

It was also announced that Connor Johnson will coach the Summer 76ers during this year's competition in Las Vegas. Last season was his first as head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers' G League affiliate.

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Get to Know 2019 Summer League Roster

The moment may have felt surreal to Matisse Thybulle.

For Elton Brand and the 76ers, the union sounded like it was a long time in the making. 

During his introductory press conference in Camden, Thybulle told reporters the reality of the Sixers acquiring him with the 20th pick in last Thursday's NBA Draft didn't hit home until the next morning, when he saw his new locker stall at the Training Complex.

One of the biggest reasons why he now does? The defense he played in his four seasons at the University of Washington. 

Thybulle excelled on that end of the floor, amassing 331 steals for his career to surpass the Pac-12's previous all-time mark held by Gary Payton. The 22-year old also claimed conference Defensive Player of the Year honors each of his last two seasons, en route to winning the National Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. 

The Sixers have been keeping tabs on Thybulle dating back to his freshman season in Seattle. Brand was sold after getting to know the prospect a bit, then later seeing him workout. 

"I fell in love," said the Sixers' General Manager. 

There were no questions about Thybulle's strong character, and his defensive profile most definitely checked out. He got experience playing in a switch-everything, man-to-man scheme under his first coach, Lorenzo Romar.

Thybulle then proceeded to thrive in the 2-3 zone scheme that Mike Hopkins, Romar's successor, implemented upon taking the reigns of the Huskies in 2017. 

Brand considered Thybulle the best defensive wing in this year's draft.

Per Sports-Reference.com, Thybulle posted an individual defensive rating of 98.7 as a junior. He went on to lower that number to 88.0 as a senior. Both marks led the Pac-12. 

"For me, the way I always play defense is effort," said Thybulle. "I was blessed with some God-given ability and just my athleticism and size, and just putting that to good use. From a young age, my dad instilled in me that defense was a big part of the game and was going to be a big part of my success. I just kind of stuck with it. I think it worked pretty well."

Given the Sixers' championship aspirations, it was no secret the team went into draft night seeking a polished prospect who could contribute right off the bat. They feel Thybulle has the chance to help them solidify their defense against some of the toughest wings in the Eastern Conference. 

Defensive pedigree and all, Thybulle is eager to join the fray.

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Introducing the Pick | Examining Thybulle's Defense

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Photos | Thybulle Visits Training Complex

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Photos | 2019 NBA Draft Night

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