It’s difficult to parachute into a championship-contending team in mid-February and instantly become an impact player.
That’s the challenge Xavier Tillman faced when he was traded to Boston ahead of last season’s trade deadline. The 25-year-old power forward handled it well, giving the Celtics’ frontcourt some extra defensive punch off the bench, but he was more depth piece than difference-maker.
After his trade from Memphis, Tillman averaged 13.7 minutes, 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game across 20 regular-season appearances, and he saw action in just eight of Boston’s 19 playoff games. Most of his postseason playing time for the NBA champs came in blowouts.
That should change this season.
Tillman has time, health and opportunity on his side as he enters his first full campaign as a Celtic, and his teammates and coaches expect him to play a pivotal role.
“I thought it was a great transition [after the trade],” head coach Joe Mazzulla said before the Celtics embarked on their preseason trip to Abu Dhabi, where they’ll play exhibitions against the Denver Nuggets this Friday and Sunday. “I thought he’s really smart, and he picked up on stuff right away. And so it’s really great that we have him at the beginning of the year because I think it helps our versatility.
“But the transition was great, and it’s seamless. It feels like now he’s been here for a long time, and he’s great at asking questions, but he’ll be integral to what we do.”
Integral because the Celtics are preparing to play at least the first month of the season without Kristaps Porzingis, and Tillman is part of their plan to replace him. He can’t match the 7-foot-2 starting center’s rim protection (Tillman is 6-8 and has averaged 0.5 blocks per game in his career to Porzingis’ 1.8) or 3-point shooting ability (26.7% in his career on less than an attempt per game) but his defensive versatility will be an asset for Boston.
Al Horford is set to start in place of the rehabbing Porzingis, but at 38 years old, he needs his minutes managed and won’t play the second game of most back-to-backs. It’ll be up to Tillman and reserve 7-footers Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta to pick up that slack.
“On the court, [Tillman is] a guy that’s able to defend pretty well,” Horford said. “Can defend out in the perimeter. That has good instincts. Off the court, he’s blended right in with our group. He’s super easygoing. It’s just nice to have him around. It’s been like a perfect fit, honestly. Him being here, him being with us. He’s about the right things. He’s trying to play to win. When you have guys like that, it’s very easy to come out here and play.”
Tillman didn’t get much run after Porzingis went down in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but did deliver a couple of impressiver performances during Boston’s title run. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, he was a team-best plus-12 in 13 minutes as the Celtics rallied from 18 points down to knock off Indiana. Then, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, he grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots and hit a clutch three to help Boston complete a similar comeback in Dallas.
Tillman hit free agency after the Celtics’ title run but opted to re-sign, as did Kornet, Queta and backup wing Sam Hauser. The Michigan State product said he now feels “really comfortable” within the team eight months removed from his midseason arrival — and much better physically after undergoing an offseason procedure to repair a lingering knee issue.
“It was the main reason I was out different periods last year,” Tillman said. “My knee would just swell up really bad after a game. But it’s been recovering really well. Like, as far as my range of motion, as far as my strength and stuff like that, and just being able to have a hard day and not have it swell back up. So it’s been progressing really well.”
In his four NBA seasons, Tillman never has appeared in more than 61 games. He’s hoping to end that drought this season and be the asset Boston needs him to be.
“What you hope for is to be able to get an opportunity,” Tillman said. “For me, you talk about being healthy. You can have the opportunity, but if you’re not healthy — you know what I’m saying? For me, I make sure I’m stretching, getting in the ice bath, eating right, so that when it’s my turn to go in, I’m ready, I feel great and I’m ready to go.”
C’s talk KAT
One of the Celtics’ chief Eastern Conference rivals made a major change to its frontcourt last week.
The New York Knicks swung a blockbuster trade for four-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, sending Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick to Minnesota in return.
Mazzulla and Horford both offered brief reactions to the deal, which had yet to be officially announced as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I think all teams are trying to make roster moves to get better, and Karl-Anthony Towns is a great player on a great team,” Mazzulla said Sunday. “We’ve got to focus on us, and we’ve got to get better every day.”
“Yeah, I mean, Karl is a great player,” Horford added. “It’s going to be good for them. He does a lot of things on the floor.”
The addition of Towns could radically alter the Knicks’ play style this season. The 28-year-old 7-footer is one of the league’s best shooting bigs, making 41.6% of his threes last season on 5.3 attempts per game. The Knicks’ primary centers in 2023-24, Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson, attempted a total of three 3-pointers all season. (Hartenstein signed with Oklahoma City, and Robinson will miss the start of the season following ankle surgery.)
The Knicks, whom the Celtics will host in their season opener on Oct. 22, also gave up five first-round picks in a trade for standout defender Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason. New York finished with the second-best record in the East a year ago and enters the new season with a more formidable roster that also features returning starters Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby.
