NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Matisse Thybulle

What the experts say

(as of 5/30/19)

ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 24th

The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor):25th

Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 21st

Sporting News (Chris Stone): 24th

The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 30th

The Stepien (Composite Rank): 21st

The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): 24th

Quotes:

Ranking him 28th on his most recent Big Board, Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo was enthusiastic about Thybulle’s defensive services holding up on the next level and the quality of the pick if he’s taken late in the first round:

"“In terms of defensive impact, Thybulle is among the best players in the country, to the degree that he needs to be taken seriously in spite of the fact Washington plays exclusively zone. If you believe what he does translates—and noting his quickness, length and disruptive hands, it should—then he has a strong case in the first round. While he’s unlikely to be much of an offensive weapon, as a 36 percent career three-point shooter (and 78 percent from the line), it’s fair to bet that his jumper stays passable. If you couple that with potentially elite perimeter defense, you have the makings of a very solid role player. All things considered, he’s a low-risk, high-reward option in this range of the draft.”"

While noting just how unique of a draft prospect as his case is historically, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer preached a level of caution as it relates to Thybulle’s game-breaking defensive play holding up to the same degree in the NBA:

"“Thybulle is a fairly limited offensive player who should be able to shoot just well enough to stay on the floor (career 35.8 percent from 3 on 4.0 attempts per game), but it’s hard to say how much of his defensive dominance in the zone will translate to man defense at the next level. He doesn’t have great size, so will he be a defender who sticks in the backcourt without as much versatility in an NBA scheme? NBA teams are entering uncharted territory with Thybulle, an exciting but also scary place to be when it comes to prospect evaluation.”"