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Many people feel the Los Angeles Lakers made a nice addition to their roster when they got Matisse Thybulle to agree to a one-year, veteran minimum contract on Monday. Thybulle is a 6-foot-5 wing who can guard multiple positions and is regarded as a truly elite defender. He has also become a very good 3-point shooter who made 41.1% of his 3.1 3-point attempts in 17.6 minutes a game over the last two seasons.
But the concern with him is whether he will stay healthy. Thybulle played in just 45 games over the last two years, although prior to that, he never appeared in fewer than 65 contests in a season, which includes the shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. In late October of this past season, he sustained a torn UCL in his left thumb and underwent surgery as a result, and he didn't return until Feb. 20.
The good news is that, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, Thybulle is "currently fully healthy."
When he's healthy, the 29-year-old likely won't be in L.A.'s starting lineup, but he will give it the type of 3-and-D wing it has lacked for years. He has career averages of 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, and that steals average stacks up extremely well in a historical sense. In fact, only eight other players in NBA history have ever averaged more than 2.8 steals per 36 minutes for their career.
Thybulle is also very athletic. His vertical leap has been recorded at about 41 inches, and he has an impressive seven-foot wingspan, and both of those measurables should allow him to finish strong in transition.
Along with Ziaire Williams, who was signed on Sunday, Thybulle should significantly boost the Lakers' wing depth, which was a major weakness for them coming into this summer.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Source: New Lakers wing Matisse Thybulle is 'fully healthy'
Continue reading...
But the concern with him is whether he will stay healthy. Thybulle played in just 45 games over the last two years, although prior to that, he never appeared in fewer than 65 contests in a season, which includes the shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. In late October of this past season, he sustained a torn UCL in his left thumb and underwent surgery as a result, and he didn't return until Feb. 20.
The good news is that, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, Thybulle is "currently fully healthy."
When he's healthy, the 29-year-old likely won't be in L.A.'s starting lineup, but he will give it the type of 3-and-D wing it has lacked for years. He has career averages of 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, and that steals average stacks up extremely well in a historical sense. In fact, only eight other players in NBA history have ever averaged more than 2.8 steals per 36 minutes for their career.
Thybulle is also very athletic. His vertical leap has been recorded at about 41 inches, and he has an impressive seven-foot wingspan, and both of those measurables should allow him to finish strong in transition.
Along with Ziaire Williams, who was signed on Sunday, Thybulle should significantly boost the Lakers' wing depth, which was a major weakness for them coming into this summer.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Source: New Lakers wing Matisse Thybulle is 'fully healthy'
Continue reading...
