Sixers swingman Matisse Thybulle wasn’t actively involved in extension negotiations with the team leading up to the season, letting his representatives handle those discussions, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Thybulle, who didn’t sign a new deal by Monday’s deadline and is now on track to reach restricted free agency in 2023, is OK with playing out his contract year.
“It’s not my negotiations,” he told Pompey. “So I trust my agents. If it wasn’t the right time, then I trust that it will be when we get to the next offseason.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- In a fascinating profile for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes a deep dive into Daryl Morey, sharing several behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the Sixers‘ president of basketball operations and examining his ongoing quest for a championship. Within the story, star center Joel Embiid takes a veiled shot at former 76ers executive Bryan Colangelo, telling O’Connor, “Since I’ve been here, all of the GMs were really smart, except one.”
- The Raptors didn’t work out extensions this offseason with either Pascal Siakam or Fred VanVleet, prompting Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca to wonder if the team will end up regretting that, given the NBA’s rapidly rising salary cap. While Siakam can’t sign a new deal until next July now that Monday’s deadline has passed, VanVleet remains eligible for an in-season extension (if he declines his 2023/24 player option), but that seems like a long shot.
- Joe Mazzulla, thrust into the Celtics‘ head coaching job less than a month ago after Ime Udoka was suspended for the season, looked ready for the big stage in Boston’s opening night victory over Philadelphia, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “From the start of the game, his confidence, you could see, is oozing out,” guard Marcus Smart said. “Usually, most coaches are trying to figure things out, and he comes right in like he’s doing it for years.” Jaylen Brown agreed with Smart’s assessment: “Joe is tough as nails. Even when in the midst of everything, all the turmoil, when you looked into his eyes, you could tell he was ready.”
Doc Rivers is the most overrated head coach in the NBA. You don’t play Matisse Thybulle. You check him in and check him right back out smh. He can be one of the best defensive players in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers are only built for the regular season.
Agreed
76ers are regular season team
They don’t play defense
Morey added three defensive pieces, it won’t happen overnight bot .
Agreed, and the D was adequate??? Outside of transition D. Out scored 20-2 on fast breaks in a game decided by less than 18 is the big factor. 3 years now we have struggled on transition D, half court d is above average most nights…we gotta figure that out during this season or we are in trouble come playoff time.
Hes lost his spot and shoots like baby ben.
1ot was ridiculous. Thybulle checking in for 30 seconds while Tatum has 33 points in 32 minutes. There is probably no better Tatum, Brown defender in theory in the whole NBA.
Not sure how he is overrated? Everyone says he is overrated or not that good lol, sounds like he is rated quite fairly. He is an average coach at best…that seems fairly rated to me lol
Doc Has won over 1000 nba games and stars want to play for him. Over rated is a completely ridiculous statement.
I love how it’s being made a big deal that Mazzulla has taken over the head coaching role he’s been with team for 3+ yrs it’s not like he’s running a new system all he did was move over one seat
If you’ve watched the Celtics, they are running a faster pace offense with more ball movement compared with what Stevens and Udoka ran.
Really in one game I’m supposed to see all that
Perhaps Embiid’s “veiled shot” was directed towards Brand? Could be Colangelo for sure, but both were sub par. I’m curious who he meant lol
The Ringer story makes it pretty clear he’s referring to Colangelo, which makes sense, given the circumstances of his departure.