#26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets) — Matisse Thybulle
This represents a bit of a precipitous fall for Matisse Thybulle out of Washington, who produced patently absurd numbers in his senior season – so much so that he was named the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season.
Thybulle is truly a defensive difference-maker – one of the few players that fits that mold in this draft class alongside Zion and Brandon Clarke. Thybulle is so beloved on SDS, in fact, that this writer has previously produced a lengthy list of reasons why the Atlanta Hawks would do well to focus on Thybulle in the draft.
However, consensus is that Thybulle opting to skip the 2019 NBA Draft Combine might’ve hurt his stock, even though his amazing defensive stats should give pause to any NBA team.
In terms of this pick, which the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired from the Houston Rockets in the Brandon Knight deal, Thybulle could immediately slide in as the team’s starting two guard (well, unless J.R. Smith shows up and wants to play in Cleveland again) and would immediately transform the Cavs’ defense from putrid to passable.
Remember, Thybulle produced a staggering 126 steals and 82 blocks in his senior season – totals that have never been produced ever in the history of College Basketball Reference’s database, which goes back to the 1984-85 season.