Back from injury: Matisse and his instant impact

• Australian Boomers star Matisse Thybulle is back after missing most of the 2024-25 NBA season
• Thybulle has averaged 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 47/37/50 splits in nine games
• He said had to fight through the frustration of not being able to contribute while injured

Australian Boomers wing Matisse Thybulle’s impact has been immediate — especially on the defensive end — returning to the Portland Trail Blazers line-up after missing the first 67 games of the 2024-25 season because of injury.

The 28-year-old has just returned after rehabbing a third-grade ankle sprain during a 2-on-2 practice in the pre-season.

The ankle sprain compounded an already difficult off-season for Thybulle, who was recuperating from a knee procedure in October to fix inflammation.

“It’s been tough,” Thybulle said.

“To have it happen in conjunction with a different injury … it made it quite the process.

“At first it’s really frustrating, angsty and [I was] upset and wanting to find ways to get out there,” he said.

“It’s so frustrating not being able to do what you’re capable of.”

Thybulle was open about his new experience, sharing how he had to adjust his approach to recovery, favouring a more steady, incremental process to allow for a stronger bounce back.

“Once I realised the severity of the injury, I had to accept that it was going to take time,” he said.

“The relationship became that of doing my rehab, showing up every day, and being excited about the little steps that I was making.”

Having not played an NBA game for almost a year, Thybulle expected it would take some time for his body to adjust to NBA pace again, especially the physicality on the defensive side of the ball.

“Defense is very much a group effort and so I think there’ll be a bit of a learning curve,” he added.

“But I know my instincts will take over and there’s a way that I’m used to playing… once I can get into that state more easily, I think that’s when the fun really starts.

”These defensive instincts Thybulle alludes to have returned quickly and have been on full display since getting reinserted into the Blazers rotation.

In the nine games since Thybulle’s return, he has registered at least one steal per contest, with multiple steals in five games including a pair of five steal performances – vital numbers that has led to the Blazers going 5-4 record in this span.

The Blazers have also forced an extra turnover per game since his comeback.

Thybulle praised the “secret weapon” of the Blazers defense and was excited at the prospect of playing alongside Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija who have proven a handful for offenses to score against this NBA season.

“Our development coach always says, ‘positional size’ and Deni [Avdija] and Toumani [Camara] have that across the board,” he said.

“Teams have been wanting to play small especially with DC [Donovan Clingan] at the rim... teams go small, we still have an elite defensive lineup that can go out there.”

Thybulle’s excitement was justified, with the trio of he, Camara and Avdija proving to be a strong asset for Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, boasting a defensive rating of 91.3 in 21 minutes, while the three-man group has delivered a damaging +32 net rating alongside a 97.5 defensive rating.

Looking ahead to the final few weeks of the 2024-25 NBA season, Thybulle was not bothered by the individual role he would play, focused only on winning games and helping the Blazers improve.

“I don’t care where I fit in… I think we’ve found ourselves to a certain degree,” he said.

“But I think the nature of who I am as a player fits into most situations pretty well.”

Since his return, Thybulle has averaged 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 47/37/50 splits in nine appearances.

Thybulle and the Blazers will end their five-game road trip in Chicago before returning home to play San Antonio.