Mail-It-In Mailbag: Will Thybulle Be On The Roster?
From Harden’s first step to Thybulle’s future.
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
With the dust (mostly) settled, we now have the chance to reflect a bit on what the Sixers have done over the last month and look forward to the 2022-2023 NBA season. With that being said, this is a good time to do a mailbag. Here we go!
From Chris Schaffner: With a deeper roster this year, how does the initial depth chart look to you at this current moment? Three guards? PJ at 3? House starting?
While I understand some arguments that PJ Tucker could be used as a reserve, my strong inclination is that he will start alongside last year’s four returning starters: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid.
But as far as the rest of the rotation goes, Doc Rivers does have the opportunity to get creative here. Specifically, I would absolutely adore three-guard lineups featuring all of Harden, Maxey and De’Anthony Melton. The Sixers now have one of the very best guard rotations in the entire NBA, and Rivers should try to take advantage of that, even if it means not assigning a role to someone like Shake Milton, who may be a victim of the Melton acquisition to a greater extent than anybody else.
One of the more obvious position battles will be Paul Reed and Charles Bassey, who will both be vying for backup center playing time. Given his strong playoff performance, I would imagine Reed is the heavy favorite to log those minutes.
It will also be fascinating to see how Milton, Isaiah Joe and Jaden Springer perform, even just in training camp and the preseason, as all three seem to be on the outside looking in right now.
But, the most interesting storyline I’ll be watching as the depth chart gets put together is the battle for minutes between Danuel House and Matisse Thybulle. And that leads me to the next question…
From TTP: Percent chance Thybulle is on the roster at the start of the season?
I would say the chances are very good, as pulling off a trade is almost exclusively a very difficult task. I will say this, though: if any player currently on the Sixers gets traded before the season starts, my money would be on it being Thybulle or Furkan Korkmaz.
With House signing for two years at the full bi-annual exception, he is likely a lock to play quite a bit. And with Melton and Tucker joining, that’s even more playing time that could be redirected from Thybulle’s role to that of another player.
With Thybulle set for restricted free agency next summer -- barring a contract extension before the start of next season -- the Sixers are closing in on having to make a firm decision about whether or not the two-time All-Defense Team member is part of their long-term plans.
If I were in charge, I’d be seeking a trade involving Thybulle -- while his prodigious defense is remarkable, his offense is as brutal to watch as his defense is exciting. He is legitimately one of the single worst offensive players in the league among rotation guys, and I don’t see a path to that changing, even with Harden being in the fold and making things easier.
Given his defensive credentials, Thybulle certainly has value across the league -- I have no doubt there are multiple teams who would be enthralled to bring him in. But given where the Sixers are right now and what their roster looks like, I don’t think he is as valuable to them as he is to other teams in the NBA.
From David Rhode: Does Isaiah Joe have a future with the Sixers?
Joe put up an impressive Summer League performance, showing off his sweet shooting stroke and even making some plays with the ball in his hands. And as much as I do still believe in Joe being a useful rotation wing, unless Thybulle gets moved it’s going to be an uphill battle.
Between Harris, Tucker, House and Thybulle, there just aren’t going to be many minutes to spare. And even if they are, it’s far from a lock that he’ll get minutes over Milton or even Korkmaz.
While it hasn’t translated to the NBA yet, I remain confident in Joe’s ability from beyond the arc, an area where he made a significant mark during his college career. On top of that, I have been impressed by his defensive instincts.
Joe is a restricted free agent following the upcoming season, so if he doesn’t stick during 2022-2023, it could be the end of his tenure as a Sixer. But for what it’s worth, I do still believe there’s a rotation player somewhere in there.
From Monty: What are your expectations of Harden? Can he really get back his first step and explosiveness?
I certainly don’t think Harden will regain his full form that made him a perennial MVP candidate in Houston. However, I do buy that he can be better in his first full season as a Sixer than he was in his first 30-something games after being traded.
Harden, one of the most ball-dominant players in NBA history, had to learn on the fly how to fit with Embiid while still optimizing Maxey and Harris, among others. He also was mostly attached to DeAndre Jordan, who is considerably worse than Reed and Bassey.
Having a full offseason and training camp to figure out how to properly accommodate all of his teammates while remaining aggressive as a scorer will do Harden some good -- and so will the leap that I expect Maxey to take. I believe Maxey has another major jump coming, perhaps even landing him in All-Star consideration. And having another dynamic ball-handler will help ease the burden placed on Harden’s shoulders.
From Max Calick: Assuming our roster remains the same heading into the season, who are a couple of mid-season trade targets you could see becoming available/enticing by the deadline?
Well, I guess it wouldn’t be a Sixers Adam column without some fake trades. Let’s do some rapid fire:
If the Portland Trail Blazers’ situation goes south, Josh Hart could be an ideal fit in Philadelphia as a reliable two-way wing.
Assuming the Utah Jazz continue to tear things down, any of Patrick Beverley (perimeter defense), Malik Beasley (three-point shooting) and Jordan Clarkson (scoring) could add noteworthy juice to the rotation.
If the Brooklyn Nets do end up trading Kevin Durant and beginning a rebuild, Patty Mills would be a welcomed addition thanks to his sharpshooting, as would former Sixer Seth Curry -- though I’d imagine his trade market would be at a higher price point than the Sixers are capable of matching.
If Reed and Bassey disappoint, the Sixers would likely be back in the market for a backup center. A few names I like there are Kelly Olynyk of the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte’s Mason Plumlee, who likely won’t be a popular suggestion but would fit easily with Harden as a rim-runner in the screen-and-roll game.