Welcome to the league, Matisse Thybulle. No, Thybulle did not get dunked on. Instead, Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker practically sat on his back as he converted an absurd three-pointer plus the foul against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
3️⃣ + 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/RJ5KH81e1X
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 13, 2019
Thybulle chased Walker off a screen, but he stumbled and arrived late as Kemba elevated. Walker felt the contact and contorted his body so it looked like he was essentially in a squat position as he hung in the air and hoisted the ball at the rim.
This is a classically savvy move from the veteran Walker against the rookie Thybulle, who is an ace defender and flies around the floor making plays.
Indeed, the two players serve different roles for their respective teams.
The Sixers took a chance on Thybulle as a stretch “3-and-D” guy towards the end of the first round this past summer, and the move has paid major dividends. Thybulle was averaging an absurd 1.5 steals in just over 17 minutes per game entering play on Thursday night. He was also averaging exactly one three-pointer per contest on 2.3 attempts per night (.463).
Walker got a massive deal to be Kyrie Irving's replacement as Boston's enigmatic superstar, and he has played that role to perfection.
The three-time All-Star was averaging 22.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds through his first 22 games while shooting over 40 percent from deep on over nine attempts per game. Walker is currently running the highest Effective Field Goal percentage (.538) of his career, and his ability to slip off screens and operate off the ball has allowed Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to grow as scorers.
Follow Us
Subscribe