Would Matisse Thybulle have thrived under new Sixers coach Nick Nurse?

Life has been good lately for the 76ers, who may be in the market for a backup center and reserve guard for an NBA title push.

They came away with an 18-7 record and a six-game winning streak after trouncing the Charlotte Hornets in record fashion on the road on Saturday night. The 135-82 win was the largest margin of victory on the road in franchise history.

Last month’s acquisitions of Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, and Robert Covington made the Sixers arguably the NBA’s deepest team. And reigning MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey just might be the league’s best tandem.

» READ MORE: Daryl Morey says he wants to get his stars more help

But how deep would they be if they had kept Matisse Thybulle and didn’t give up on him so soon? And how would he have played in Nick Nurse’s system? Maybe two questions that we’ll never know the answers to.

The Portland Trail Blazers swingman is shooting a career-best 40.9% on three-pointers.

But a season ago, the Sixers told us that Thybulle’s lack of making threes on a consistent basis made him unplayable at times.

It was one of the reasons why they shipped him to Portland on Feb. 9 in a four-team trade that included the Hornets and New York Knicks. In return, they received Jalen McDaniels from Charlotte as well as second-round picks from the Knicks (2024) and Blazers (2029).

“A big theme of our season this year was to prepare for the playoffs, and win a championship as you guys know,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said the day after the trade. “We wanted to make sure we gave [then-coach Doc Rivers] as many two-way players as possible.

“And we think Jalen is one of the up-and-coming solid defenders, somebody that’s a little easier to keep on the floor in a lot of matchups.”

The Sixers were elated to have that luxury with McDaniels, who Morey said he was interested in signing in free agency. However, he fell out of the rotation in the second round of the playoffs.

And after the Sixers only offered him a minimum-salary deal to stay, McDaniels signed a two-year, $9.3 million deal with the Toronto Raptors.

Meanwhile, Thybulle, whom the Sixers devalued, is thriving with the Blazers after they matched his three-year, $33 million offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks.

» READ MORE: Deal or no deal? Daryl Morey faces tough decisions as Sixers approach trade season.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder is not afraid to shoot three-pointers, averaging 3.9 attempts in 24 games. Maxey (71) and De’Anthony Melton (53) are the only Sixers with more made threes than the 37 Thybulle had as of Friday. And that is 12 more than Tobias Harris, who has the third-most makes for the Sixers.

Thybulle had a season-high four three-pointers against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 12. He made three three-pointers on six other occasions. Thybulle had a season-high four three-pointers against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 12. He made three three-pointers on six other occasions.

Thybulle averages a career-best 6.4 points and 23.7 minutes, and leads the team with 37 steals and 18 blocks.

It is hard to say if his two-way success in Portland is a surprise. He was a two-time second-team NBA All-Defensive selection through his first three seasons. Heading into last season, there was a belief that Thybulle could be the Sixers’ most improved player thanks to working on his shot.

He spent the summer before the 2022-23 season training with All-Star Damian Lillard in Phoenix, among other cities, to improve his outside shooting. He also worked on his ballhandling and finishing around the basket with Chicago Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

Yet, after all of that offseason work, in his first five games with the Sixers, he logged 23 seconds, 18 seconds, 3 minutes, 14 seconds, 2 minutes, and a Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision.

He received more playing time as the season wore on, but didn’t progress enough offensively to the Sixers’ satisfaction. And based on his role, there was no guarantee he would have gotten significant postseason minutes here. Plus, it was known that they were not going to pay and commit to Thybulle in the same way the Blazers have.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Morey said after trading Thybulle. “If you’re making it harder for the team on offense, I think it makes it harder to keep you on the floor defensively.”

But Thybulle fell out of favor with Rivers leading to his being underutilized.

Under Rivers, Thybulle played with fear, knowing missteps would cost him playing time. He doesn’t feel as much pressure in Portland, which is struggling at 6-18 entering Saturday. He feels free to be himself under coach Chauncey Billups.

One can only wonder how he would have played under Nurse, who has a knack for getting the most out of his players.