Matisse Thybulle has no desire to ignore the obvious.

The visual of the athletic wing flying around on the defensive end became synonymous with the Australian Boomers’ bronze medal winning Tokyo Olympics campaign, but that was largely nonexistent at last year’s World Cup.

In Tokyo, he led the entire tournament in steals with 3.0 per game; a number that dwindled to 0.6 a contest at the World Cup. Steals aren’t always the best indicator of defensive effectiveness, but it’s a material view of the Boomers’ overall dip on that end of the floor between its two recent major tournament appearances.

So, when Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian flew to the U.S. in the middle of the NBA regular season to touch base with each Australian player ahead of this 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, atop the list of topics with Thybulle was how they can once again extract the best out of the 27-year-old.

“When [Goorj] came out to Portland, that was our conversation,” Thybulle told ESPN. “It was: how do we get you back to being yourself?”

“It’s a funny one. For an offensive player, it’s just: run my plays, get me to my spots and I’ll figure it out. As a defensive player, when you’re responding so much to what the other team’s doing, it’s a little bit more nuanced. I don’t have a straight answer, but I know there’s energy being put into figuring it out.”

Defensive versatility and rebounding are expected to be at the top of mind when it comes to who fills out the end of the Boomers’ final 12-man team, fitting with the coaching style Goorjian has become known for, with an eye toward rebounding from a relatively poor performance on that end of the floor at the World Cup in Okinawa.

At the last Olympics, the Boomers were No. 3 among all teams in half-court defence. Brian Goorjian’s group was also No. 1 in transition defence (0.88 ppp) in Tokyo; a number that dropped to 1.163 ppp allowed at the World Cup, which was 23rd among all teams.

“I can’t see why we can’t be No. 1 in both,” Thybulle said. “We can have the best defence in the Olympics.”

“I think, when that defensive stuff is taken care of, our offensive stuff will follow right behind it.”

Thybulle is a unique member of this Boomers team in a multitude of ways.

He was born in Scottsdale, Arizona but his family spent seven years on the North Shore of Sydney, which made him a dual citizen of both Australia and the United States. Basketball Australia swooped when they discovered he could be part of the national team program, so he now suits up as the country’s one permitted naturalised player.

What really makes Thybulle distinct on this Boomers team, though, is the way he’s able to impact games.

The 6’5 wing is long and athletic, with elite timing on the defensive end. He has the capacity to hit spot-up threes at times, but is known for being a disruptor, who excels both at the point-of-attack and off ball, regularly turning defence into offence and acting as a tone-setter for whatever team he’s on.

He takes on the responsibility of being the “barometer” for the Boomers, tasked with lifting the floor of the group. That’s really only possible when the team is firing on all cylinders, he says; something the Boomers experienced in Tokyo, but lost during their World Cup campaign.

“You know what’s funny: my whole career, I’ve been a role player,” Thybulle said.

“Since I was a kid. I’ve never been the best player on any team I’ve ever been on. But, what I have been, is a barometer of how well we’re playing together as a team. So, if I’m able to find success, it’s usually a byproduct of the team being a well-oiled machine, and everyone knowing their roles and playing their parts. I tend to just organically benefit through that.

“I think, with the outcome of the World Cup, you could feel we weren’t operating at our best. The nuance within that is endless. But, I think I suffer in environments like that. At the Tokyo Olympics, there was a tangible difference; everyone, everything was firing on all cylinders, the basketball was good, the defence was great. I was able to find my ways to create impact.

“Hopefully just getting back to that, where we can all feel grounded and a system in each other, and then I think the rest kind of just takes care of itself.”

It’s not unreasonable to see Thybulle’s relatively quiet World Cup as an anomaly as opposed to the norm. He’s a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team (2021, 2022) as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, and just completed a second productive season with the Portland Trail Blazers, so he’s credentialed enough to trust his ability to continue making an impact.

We’ve witnessed the ‘FIBA Patty’ phenomenon over the past decade, where Patty Mills seemingly rises to a new level while wearing the Boomers’ green and gold, and Thybulle has the potential to be Australia’s defensive version of that, in an environment he thoroughly enjoys being a part of.

“[There’s a reason] why everyone keeps coming back, even to play World Cups,” Thybulle said.

“It’s not easy for everyone. Especially guys in the NBA, to fly back from the States and give up an off-season. Josh Green finished playing a week ago. It’s a testament to the players and people we have on this team, and the opportunity that we have as well. It’s just such a good environment.”