76ers' Matisse Thybulle Ineligible for Games 3, 4 vs. Raptors Due to Vaccine Status

The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and that means they will be short-handed on the road.

Doc Rivers told reporters that he won't be eligible for the games in Toronto because he's still unvaccinated. He won't be able to play in Games 3, 4 and 6 if the series lasts that long.

The situation was addressed by Thybulle.

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck

Thybulle: “This was a decision i made a long time ago…I was raised in a holistic household, anti vax is not a term that was ever used…we grew up with Chinese medicine and naturopathic doctors.” Says he has had to reconsider and look at situation differently

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck

Thybulle continues: he got the first dose of the vaccine last year under the impression it would prevent him from getting/spreading the disease 100%. Says when that wasn’t the case, he felt comfortable treating himself and approaching it holistically https://t.co/ZRjkdLNF0J

The fact that the 76ers are the fourth seed and will have home-court advantage is a silver lining. If the series goes to a decisive Game 7, Thybulle should be on the court.

The Washington product is shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from the three-point range this season, and he is averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebound, 1.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

The defensive side of the equation is the biggest value to the 76ers.

His defensive box plus/minus ranking is plus- 3.4 after it was plus- 4.5 last season. Opponents are shooting worse than their normal averages from the field and three-point range when he defends them this season, according to NBA.com.

The 76ers will be under more pressure on the defensive side when they are on the road, which could help the Raptors target James Harden in pick-and-roll situations.

Whoever has the hot hand for Toronto in the series in Philadelphia will be put on guard by someone with enough defensiveVersatility to guard OG Anunoby or Fred VanVleet.

When it is in Toronto, it will have to be someone else.