Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle has not been selected to the Rising Stars challenge, NBA All-Star Weekend’s exhibition for the league’s top rookies and sophomores.
The Rising Stars game (as in the actual on-court action) is pretty meaningless. But Matisse Thybulle’s play this season should have earned him the recognition to be selected for the event. While so much of the voting for NBA awards relies on offensive box score production, the Rising Stars Challenge participants are selected by assistant coaches from around the NBA. If any voting body could appreciate Thybulle’s defensive prowess, I would think it’d be the coaches pouring through film and analysis to scheme against the Sixers.