The list of Philadelphia 76ers entering the league’s health and safety protocol in between two meetings with the Chicago Bulls this week is growing pretty large. The Sixers were already missing the likes of standout forward Tobias Harris and shooting guard Isaiah Joe, who entered the league’s health and safety protocol in the last week. Now the Sixers are also set to see the defensive standout shooting guard/wing Matisse Thybulle enter health and safety protocol due to COVID-19.
In the first meeting between the Bulls and Sixers this week, Philly was already very shorthanded. Now, Philly seems to be missing roughly half of their team. Philly ran into a similar situation at one point last season in the midst of the first campaign in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few other key players that the Sixers could still be missing in this second meeting with the Bulls this week are star point guard Ben Simmons, veteran shooting guard/wing Danny Green, and shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz. It feels like superstar center Joel Embiid is about the only Sixers’ player that is notably healthy entering this Nov. 6 meeting with the Bulls in Chicago.
Matisse Thybulle the latest Sixers player to hit the injury report ahead of matchup vs. Chicago Bulls
Matisse Thybulle is now the third Sixer out for Saturday's scheduled game in Chicago due to health and safety protocols:https://t.co/tG1G8VtJ3E
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 6, 2021
It’s hard to find any one particular player that could now be missing for the Sixers that is more extreme than another. Simmons has yet to play in any regular season games so far for the Sixers. Harris is a big player to have out for at least one week.
And now the Sixers missing Thybulle is going to be very detrimental. As one of the best defensive stoppers in the NBA today, Thybulle is very valuable to what head coach Doc Rivers and the Sixers do on both ends of the floor. He’s started to make more offensive contributions out of the gates this season.
Thybulle played a critical role for the Sixers in their Nov. 4 11-point win over rookie point guard Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. But now, he looks to at least miss the next week or so for the Sixers.
The Bulls’ star shooting guard Zach LaVine also notoriously has difficulties in facing Thybulle when these two are matched up. That even carried over to the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo a few months ago, when LaVine was a member of the United States and Thybulle played for Australia.
In the first meeting between the Bulls and Sixers this week, Philly got the edge in a close game that ended with the final score of 103-98. This second meeting between the Bulls and Sixers this week is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 6.