The Portland Trail Blazers’ future is uncertain right now. They’ve fallen into a mid-season lull, and a first-round exit feels like the best-case scenario. This is a far cry from their 5-1 start in which they ranked 12th in defense. As it stands, they’re No. 10 in the West and one game under .500. They’ve also fallen to 26th in defense. With the Kyrie Irving trade occurring earlier this week, it may leave Blazers fans what’s the importance of the Matisse Thybulle move. There may be a cap on how far the Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Damian Lillard versions of Portland can go. Here are two things PDX should consider regarding their acquisition of Thybulle.
What Did They Lose
The Trail Blazers lost nothing in this trade. They sent Svi Mykhailiuk and a second rick pick to the Charlotte Hornets.
Mykhailiuk is a fourth-year player averaging 1.6 PTS, 0.5 REB, and 0.2 TOs this season. Turnovers were his third-highest statistic. The average NBA fan has no idea who this guy is.
His career averages read 6.3 PTS, 1.7 REB, and. 1.3 AST.
Alongside him, Portland also sent a second-round pick to Charlotte.
Bottoms up.
Modern Day Thybulle
Thybulle’s NBA career has proven consistently inconsistent. He’s never had a reliable jump shot which has limited his production on the offensive end of the floor.
He’s also never shot higher than 36 percent from deep, which allows defenders to sag off him and tilt toward the paint.
His career high for PPG is 5.9, which is distressing, but maybe Chauncey Billups can teach Thybulle some veteran tricks.
He also has the athleticism to attack the basket, which can be utilized in fast breaks and leak-out situations.
It should be interesting to see how much time Chauncey gives him; Matisse was only getting 12 minutes per game with the Hornets.
But the one thing about him is that he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He’s averaged over one block and one steal in his first three seasons.
If PDX makes a surprise run in the playoffs, his defense could prove a crucial reason.
In college, he received the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
