The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting at an NBA-best 9-2, and while there’s talk about big names, Matisse Thybulle, a guy they picked up on a minimum deal, is making the strongest case as the league’s best minimum contract player outside of LeBron James. This two-time All-Defensive selection has started every single game for the Lakers, even through multiple back-to-backs, which was a huge question mark for his health when he first signed. His defense? It’s been absolutely as advertised.
The Unteachable Defense That’s Dominating
This dude’s defense is just built different. He’s a relentless pursuer, and his style is straight up unorthodox. Take their most impressive win of the season, a road game against the 6-2 Pistons without superstar Luka Dončić. Thybulle might have only scored four points in his 28 minutes, but he racked up four steals. That was his fourth game *already* this season with at least three takeaways, showing his knack for stripping the rock. The Lakers force the second most turnovers in the league, and Thybulle’s activity is a major reason why.
He’s got a seven-foot wingspan, great hands, and an incredible feel for the game. You’d never teach his approach where he’ll let an offensive player get a step in front of him just to poke the ball away from behind. Or how he’ll deflect a lazy, flat-angle pass out of nowhere. Thybulle leads the Lakers in both steals and deflections and is tied for third in the entire league in deflections. He maneuvers like a hawk, subtly getting into position to pounce on a pass already in flight. He snags full-court passes from opponents like it’s nothing. The best defenders somehow operate in two places at once, taking away an outlet to the corner one second, then coming back to deflect and steal a dump-off pass to the rim. It’s wild to watch.
A Defensive Duo Made in Heaven?
While most people think about offense when you talk about two-man combinations, the defensive fit between Thybulle and Walker Kessler has been a match made in heaven for the Lakers. When both of them are on the court, the Lakers boast an 11.8 net rating and a 108.9 defensive rating. That defensive rating alone would rank them in the top 10 in the league! With Kessler behind him, Thybulle gets total freedom to poke at the ball and unleash his aggressive, gambling style. Sure, sometimes those gambles can cost them, but overall, it perfectly fits the Lakers’ active, rather than reactive, defensive identity. They throw him on the best opponent’s [player].
This kind of play on a minimum contract is exactly what keeps a team like the Lakers at the top, allowing them to chase something big. Can Thybulle keep this up and solidify his claim as the best minimum deal in the league? You better believe the league will be watching every wild deflection.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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