Matisse Thybulle has spent his basketball life chasing elite scorers, so the challenge he’s dealing with in Lakers training camp is familiar - and still plenty brutal.
This time, the assignments are Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Those are the Lakers’ best players, and Thybulle has been on the receiving end of that reality every day in practice. It’s a tough ask even for a defender with his reputation, because both guards make life miserable in different ways.
Thybulle knows what that kind of daily work can do for a player. Earlier in his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, he was constantly lined up against Damian Lillard in practice. Now he’s back in that kind of grind, only the names have changed and the challenge may be even sharper.
He didn’t sugarcoat what it takes to survive those matchups.
"You have to work so hard! They're so talented, and for me, it's great.
Getting to play against two of the best offensive players in the NBA every day. It just primes all of us for what to expect," Thybulle said about the impact of defending against Doncic and Reaves in practice.
That’s the hidden value for the Lakers. Yes, Thybulle has his hands full trying to contain two elite offensive weapons, but that daily battle should also help him sharpen his own defensive game.
And if he’s getting better from it, the rest of the group may be benefiting too. The work against Doncic and Reaves isn’t easy - but it’s clearly making the defense tougher in the process.
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