2022-23 Blazers Season Review: Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish

ThePortland Trail Blazerswill enter June 30 with decisions to make on two restricted free agents traded for at the FebruaryNBA Trade Deadline. Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish became Blazers as part of the same four-time trade that saw Josh Hart head to theNew York Knicks.

马蒂斯Thybulle

Thybulle, who spent the previous three and a half years with thePhiladelphia 76ersas perimeter defender, was an instant fan favorite in Portland after finding his long range shot.

Per Game Stats:

— 22 games in Portland (71 games this season)

— 27.7 minutes per game in Portland (16.9 minutes per game this season)

— 7.4 points per game in Portland (4.1 points per game this season)

— 3.5 rebounds per game in Portland (2.0 rebounds per game this season)

— 1.4 assists per game in Portland (0.7 assists per game this season)

— 1.7 steals per game in Portland (1.2 steals per game this season)

— 0.8 blocks per game (0.5 blocks per game this season)

Percentage Stats:

— 43.8 percent from the field in Portland (43.5 percent from the field this season)

— 38.8 percent from three in Portland (36.5 percent from three this season)

— 62.5 percent free throw percentage in Portland (67.9 percent free throw percentage this season)

Advanced Stats:

— 55.5 percent effective FG percentage in Portland (51.3 percent effective FG percentage in Philadelphia)

— 97th percentile in wing blocks in Portland (96th percentile in wing blocks in Philadelphia)

— 97th percentile in wing steals in Portland (99th percentile in wing steals in Philadelphia)

No one can deny Thybulle’s defensive attributes. His length, athleticism and, most importantly, defensive instincts are next level.

But the 26-year-old’s biggest roadblock to this point has been offense. It’s why his minutes with the 76ers dropped from 25.5 in 2021-22 to 12.1 through the first 49 games of this season.

In Philadelphia, Thybulle largely figured in the low-to-mid 30 percentage from three, unable to average more than seven points game on roughly the same usage he’s had in Portland.

However, after the trade, he found his three point shot, hitting 38 percent from that range through 22 games.

This season, Thybulle’s went from 32.2 percent and the 24th percentile through 49 games with the 76ers to 38.8 percent in Portland, good enough for the 72nd percentile among wings.

This uptick may not be a fluke with the 26-year-old drilling 35.7 percent overall from three during his rookie 2019-20 season, hitting 37.8 percent from between 20 and 24 feet on 1.1 shots a game.

The Australian has form to build on. His shot mechanics aren’t horrible. The prime factor might genuinely be between his ears and above his shoulders. Let’s just hope that whatever he’s tapped into on the West Coast, remains.

Of course, 22 games isn’t enough to change Thybulle’s label as a liability on the offensive end. But assuming the Blazers bring him back in July and he continues to play elite point of attack defense, while hitting three pointers at a close to 40 percent clip, he’ll be a steal.

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Cam Reddish

Reddish also arrived in Portland at the deadline after being glued to the Knicks bench for two months. A change of scenery helped the former lottery pick clear the cobwebs and enjoy extended court time.

Per Game Stats:

— 20 games in Portland (40 games this season)

— 27.6 minutes per game in Portland (24.8 minutes per game this season)

— 11.0 points per game in Portland (9.7 points per game this season)

— 2.9 rebounds per game in Portland (2.2 rebounds per game this season)

— 1.9 assists per game in Portland (1.4 assists per game this season)

— 1.2 steals per game in Portland (1.0 steals per game this season)

— 0.3 blocks per game (0.4 blocks per game this season)

Percentage Stats:

— 44.3 percent from the field in Portland (44.6 percent from the field this season)

— 31.8 percent from three in Portland (31.3 percent from three this season)

— 83.3 percent free throw percentage in Portland (85.3 percent free throw percentage this season)

Advanced Stats:

- 52.9 percent effective FG percentage in Portland (51.1 percent effective FG percentage in New York)

— 53 percent from the midrange in Portland (32 percent from the midrange in New York)

— 83rd percentile in wing steals in Portland (64th percentile in wing steals in New York)

As has been said previously, Reddish, in theory, is the modern prototypical small forward thanks to his size, defense and potential to be a decent ballhandler and scorer.

Through 20 games with the Blazers, we’ve seen glimpses of this ability on both sides of the ball. But his inconsistency and lapses in impact impeded Reddish’s chance of reaching that potential.

In Portland, Reddish showed the athleticism that puts him in favorable positions on either side of the ball, particularly in dribble-drive opportunities. He can pull up, shoot off the dribble and on the catch and shoot, and also looks comfortable finishing in transition.

On the defensive end, the agility is there and with a 7’1 wingspan he has the tools to match it with bigger more dominant wings. I’m by no means calling him a stopper, but Reddish is definitely not a liability on that end of the floor.

If the Blazers do bring him back we just needs to keep an eye on his lower than average rebounding and block rate and his poor finishing skills at the rim.

There’s no doubting that Reddish has natural ability but if he goes missing for quarters and games at a time, he might find himself back on the bench.