Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is taking Matisse Thybulle's game to the next level

Benyam Kidane

Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is taking Matisse Thybulle's game to the next level image

"Stat Just Happened" is our series where we pair an important stat with how it actually unfolded on the floor. Our aim? To answer key questions, uncover hidden truths and peel back the curtain on why some numbers matter more than others.

Today, Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle takes the spotlight.

40.9

Through 10 games as a Trail Blazer, Thybulle has connected on 40.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

During Thybulle's tenure in Philadelphia, his defensive excellence couldn't be questioned, being named to the All-Defensive Second Team in each of the past two seasons. But his limitations offensively continuously put a question mark next to his name in Doc Rivers' rotation. 

Now with a fresh start in Portland, Thybulle has seemingly overnight transformed into a reliable knockdown shooter from deep. Sure, it's a small sample size, but the signs are encouraging, mostly his confidence. 

Prior to joining the Blazers, Thybulle was getting up just 1.3 attempts from deep this season in Philly. That number now stands at 4.4. The most impressive part? Not only are his attempts climbing, but so is his efficiency.

Per NBA.com, Thybulle's 40.9 percent clip over the past 10 games sandwiches him in between Pacers guard Buddy Hield and Mavericks maestro Kyrie Irving in that span. Not bad company!

Matisse Thybulle's 3-point shooting stats
Season GP 3P% 3PA
2022-23 (POR) 10 40.9 4.4
2022-23 (PHI) 49 33.3 1.3
2021-22 66 31.3 2.2
2020-21 65 30.1 2.2
2019-20 65 35.7 2.4

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Across 245 regular season games for Philadelphia, Thybulle managed to make more than three triples in a single game on just one occasion, per StatMuse. In 10 games with Portland, he's already done it twice — first in his debut against the Lakers where he went 4-of-6, then a few games later against the Warriors where he connected on 5-of-6 from deep.

MORE: Lillard welcomes addition of Thybulle's defensive presence

All 18 of the 3-pointers he's hit so far in Portland have been assisted, with Damian Lillard accounting for seven of them. That doesn't include the times when Lillard's gravity breaks down the defense, leaving Thybulle open.

Thybulle has been particularly efficient from the corners, knocking down 47.8 percent of his attempts (11-of-23).

As the broadcast said: "He's the Australian Bruce Bowen. He plays great defense and hits corner 3s."

Thybulle's offensive resurgence couldn't have come at a better time, with his game at a crossroads in Philly prior to the trade. Adding to that, the 26-year-old could well be playing himself into a handsome payday as he enters restricted free agency in the offseason.

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Right now, he's got 16 more games left in the regular season to help the Blazers make the playoffs in a competitive Western Conference, with his confidence sky-high.

“The freedom I have here to shoot open shots, make plays, be a part of the offense, I think frees me up mentally and it allows me to kind of tap into the confidence that is there based off of the work that I’ve been able to put in over the last few years,” Thybulle said.

"...I’ve been in the gym and my coaches, they’ve seen it. My teammates, they’ve seen it. But until you do it in a game, no one will really believe it. So, to have had a chance this early to kind of get that out my system, I guess, in a sense, feels good. Takes some of the pressure away.”

Is it sustainable? Only time will tell, but right now, the number next to Thybulle's name is a promising start.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.