Matisse Thybulle said after the Lakers’ 125-117 win over the Clippers on Friday, Oct. 23, that his role in Los Angeles is clear and built around what he does best. “Yeah, I think it’s extremely clear. Almost to the point where it doesn’t even need to be said,” Thybulle said. The win moved the Lakers to 2-0.
Thybulle, 29, is in his eighth NBA season and made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and 2022. He played for Philadelphia and then Portland from 2019 to 2026 before joining the Lakers in the 2026 offseason.
He said he values being wanted for his existing skill set rather than having a team try to turn him into something else. “I feel like I know myself as a player,” he said, adding that it was nice to see that reflected by the coaching staff and his teammates.
Thybulle moved into the starting lineup after early-season injuries. JJ Redick has used him to pick up guards full court, read passing lanes and space the corners on offense.
Against the Clippers, Thybulle scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 3-of-6 from three, with two steals, a block and two assists. He played 23 minutes without a turnover. He went 2-of-2 inside the arc and did not attempt a free throw, so nine of his 13 points came from three.
His three-pointers landed in the third quarter the Lakers won 39-26, the quarter that decided the game. Redick credited Thybulle and Ziaire Williams for their defense on Clippers guard Darius Garland, who finished with nine turnovers.
Thybulle’s Starting Spot Depends on His Corner Shooting
The Lakers don’t need Thybulle’s defense to prove anything. It is why they signed him. The open question is the one thing his role asks of him on offense.
Redick has kept that ask simple: stand in the corner and make the open shot. That keeps Thybulle playable next to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and Friday showed it working. Every one of his points came from the field.
A narrow role also means less room for error. When the shots fall, a defensive specialist looks like a two-way starter. When they don’t, an opponent can leave him open and crowd the ball handlers.
He got the starting job because of injuries. That makes his three-point shooting, more than his defense, the thing most likely to decide how long he keeps that spot.
His Old Team Visits Before the Clippers Rematch
The Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers, Thybulle’s previous team, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and play the Clippers again at Intuit Dome on Oct. 28. The reporting doesn’t say when the injured Lakers will return or whether Thybulle will stay in the starting lineup once they do.
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