skulky wrote:I think ideally everyone would prefer to keep Thybulle. I think willingness to trade him is more how you see his offensive game evolving. No one doubts his defense, but if he can’t learn to have more of an impact like shooting better/consistently from 3 and cutting. Having a player on a cheap rookie contract, and a complimentary low usage player on offense is great. But he has a ways to go to get there on the offensive side of the ball, and there’s a chance he caps out as 25 mpg defensive specialist.
Ultimately I don’t think I’d like to move Thybulle in the CJ McCollum trade you mentioned, but if a pick swap was on the table and there was a player at 16 I highly rated I’d think about it.
Thybulle shot 37.6% on 2.3 catch and shoot 3pt shots per game. Josh Richardson shot 34.6% on 3.4 catch and shoot 3pt shots per game.
Thybulle's numbers in that category are on par with Marc Gasol, OG Anunoby, Wes Matthews, Pascal, Harrison Barnes, Kent Bazemore, Tobias, better than Kyle Lowry, better than Dragic, better than Dario, about the same as Dorian Finney Smith and Cedi Osman, better than Danuel House, Terrence Ross and Taureen Prince. And almost the same as Landry Shamet.
So, my point in listing all of these guys is that whoever is playing with Ben and Joel will need to be an above average catch and shoot 3pt guy, and it may be hard to find someone who fits in the starting lineup, and can be above average at those types of shots, AND has the same defensive capabilities and switching Thybulle has.
Likely you end up with a playmaker at PG, and Tobias at SF still. So can Thybulle be the SG or is there someone else out there who is better on both ends of the floor who is available, and realistically acquirable?
Or, Harris is the PF, Ben at PG, and a creator at SG. Thybulle can be the SF.
Either way, he's on a rookie deal, doesn't command the ball, fits like a glove defensively with any scheme we run, has chemistry with our stars, and offensively will be asked to hit catch and shoot 3s at about 37-38%.
Who else in the NBA can you realistically acquire that is a better option?
Obviously you need a perimeter creator out there, but you can find one without giving up Thybulle. Because otherwise who is your 5th starter? Especially one who won't be targeted in the playoffs defensively.
Josh showed he can step up occasionally but not nearly consistently in the playoffs. He shot 32% on 6.3 catch and shoot 3s per game in the playoffs. By comparison, Shake shot 47% on 4.3 catch and shoot 3s per game in the playoffs.
Josh is primed to be traded for a better creator, and likely packaged with Horford (or at the very least Horford won't be starting).
So you've got Ben, Joel, Tobias, Creator from Josh trade....then who? Shake, Matisse and Al are your next best players. Matisse is the best fit as a starter.
