Don't Miss

ENG

Cricket
Football
NDTV Podcast
Formula 1
Tennis
Golf
- Badminton
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
- NFL
- NBA
- NHL
- US Streamers
- MMA
- WWE

Dark / Light mode

Oct 9,2026 06:29 PM IST

Luka Doni Reveals Why Matisse Thybulle Is Already Making The Lakers Better

facebook

twitter

Settings

Change Font Size

A A
Change Language

हिंदी | Hindi
Focus on Story

Select Language

Languages
हिंदी | Hindi

Dark / Light mode

Featured Links
Featured Sports
- Cricket
- Football
- Formula 1
- Tennis
- Hockey
- Golf
- Badminton
More Sports
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
More from NDTV
- NDTV
- Business
- Hindi
- Movies
- Cricket
- Health
- Food
- Tech
- Auto
- Apps
- Trains

NFL
NBA
NHL
FIFA
US Streamers
MMA
WWE
Golf

arrow-down reddit snapchat twitter facebook comments email printer search bell top-nav reddit-fill snapchat-fill twitter-fill facebook-fill share whatsapp-fill bookmark arrow-rgt arrow-next arrow-up refresh close link cog star book zap cricket football tennis formula-1 badminton hockey golf boxing ndtv-n check left-arrow right-arrow

Sports Home US Sports NBA Luka Doni Reveals Why Matisse Thybulle Is Already Making The Lakers Better

Story ProgressBack to home

Luka Doni Reveals Why Matisse Thybulle Is Already Making The Lakers Better

Luka Dončić praises Matisse Thybulle’s defensive impact, highlighting how the Lakers guard makes practices tougher and helps elevate the team’s overall defense.

Written by NDTV Sports Desk
Updated: October 06, 2026, 1:23 PM EDT

Read Time: 2 min

facebook

twitter

E-mail

Luka Doncic hit with fresh Lakers blow over $360M Nuggets star© nd

Matisse Thybulle agreed to a $3.3 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. On the defensive end of the court, Thybulle established himself. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice, in 2021 and 2022, both times with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has had to defend the top offensive players during his basketball career. That will continue to be his function now that he is with the Los Angeles Lakers, but it appears that he also plays a significant role behind the scenes. He has been protecting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during training camp. Thybulle has found it difficult to play against those two during team sessions because they are the Lakers' finest players.

Luka Dončić reveals how Matisse Thybulle is raising the Lakers' defensive standard

Now, Luka Dončić has appreciated Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle for their contributions to the team. The Lakers' elite backcourt has hailed Thybulle's two-way skill and multi-positional defense as an essential component for easing their defensive load. This happened despite Thybulle's remarks about how challenging it is to guard Dončić and Austin Reaves in practice.

“What was it like seeing them unleash that on another team with you? It's not your problem; it's amazing. Like I said, you know, it's contagious for everybody. The way they started the game, the way they played the defense- you have their hands- it's just one of the best that I've seen,” he said.

“You know, and just being teammates with them, you know, going against them makes us better and makes them better. So it's just really fun to have them on the team,” he continued.

Furthermore, the way Thybulle and fellow rookie Ziaire Williams utilize their hands and play defense sets an example for the rest of the club, according to Dončić. Dončić has also emphasized that playing against and with elite defenders improves both us and them.

Matisse Thybulle faces a tough test guarding Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in practice

In July 2026, Matisse Thybulle agreed to a $3.3 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Thybulle has played alongside many top players throughout his career. He frequently defended against Damian Lillard during practices while he was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. He now faces Doncic and Reaves, two of the best guards, practically every day.

Given how gifted these two are, it's a challenging task that can be difficult for defenders. As a result, Thybulle is most likely becoming a better defender. It appears that Thybulle and the other Lakers players will improve significantly on defense going forward. It's difficult to play against Doncic and Reaves, but they also improve the Lakers' defense.

Topics mentioned in this article

NBA

Get the Latest Cricket, Asian Games 2026, Football , Hockey, Badminton Scores, F1 Results at NDTV Sports. Like Us On Facebook Or Follow Us On Twitter For More Sports Updates. You Can Also Download The NDTV Cricket App For Android Or iOS.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

Related Articles

Luka Doni Reveals Why Matisse Thybulle Is Already Making The Lakers Better

Luka Dončić praises Matisse Thybulle’s defensive impact, highlighting how the Lakers guard makes practices tougher and helps elevate the team’s overall defense.

Luka Dončić reveals how Matisse Thybulle is raising the Lakers' defensive standard

Matisse Thybulle faces a tough test guarding Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in practice

Now Trending