Matisse Thybulle

Thybulle is an American-Australian wing widely regarded as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the NBA. Drafted in the first round in 2019, he earned back-to-back All-Defensive Second Team selections with Philadelphia before a trade sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers. His collegiate career at Washington was defined by historic defensive production, including the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Born Matisse Vincent Thybulle on March 4, 1997, in Scottsdale, Arizona, he is the son of Greg, a Haitian-born engineer, and Dr. Elizabeth Thybulle, a naturopath who died of leukemia in 2015. He was named after French artist Henri Matisse. In 1998, his family moved to Sydney, Australia, where they lived for seven years. He attended North Sydney Demonstration School and focused more on swimming than basketball. The family returned to the United States in 2005 and settled in Sammamish, Washington.

Thybulle attended Skyline High School for two years before transferring to Eastside Catholic, where he was ranked a four-star recruit by Scout.com. He committed to the University of Washington and started all 34 games as a freshman, averaging 6.2 points and 1.6 assists. After a coaching change to Mike Hopkins, Thybulle thrived in Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense. As a junior, he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, setting a Huskies single-season record with 101 steals and leading the team with 49 blocks. As a senior, he repeated as Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Lefty Driesell Award.

The Boston Celtics selected Thybulle 20th overall in the 2019 NBA draft and traded him to Philadelphia. He made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He also won a bronze medal with Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Thybulle is an elite perimeter defender with a 7-foot wingspan, exceptional lateral quickness, and a rare ability to generate steals and blocks. He anticipates passing lanes, deflects balls, and guards multiple positions. Offensively, he is a spot-up shooter and transition finisher who relies on off-ball movement. His defensive intelligence and activity make him a valuable piece for any team needing wing stops.