What will Xavier Tillman’s role be?

Xavier Tillman is an effective participant who helped the Celtics run on the championship final 12 months and can assist them this 12 months. Nevertheless, Boston has a crowded heart room so what sort of function will Tillman have this season?

First let’s go over Tillman as a participant.

Tillman is a restricted offensive participant. He isn’t a pick-and-roll participant. In Memphis final 12 months, they scored simply 0.67 factors per possession when Tillman was the display screen setter in pick-and-rolls. That quantity was 2nd worst on the crew, with solely Luke Kennard being worse. In consequence, Boston didn’t use him of their pick-and-roll recreation after the commerce.

Nevertheless, his three-point shot has improved in the course of the preseason.

Tillman shot 55% on threes within the preseason, albeit a small pattern measurement. The three-out-4 from above the break is encouraging however it’s only 4 makes an attempt and never sufficient to make a definitive assertion. All through his profession, Tillman has been dangerous from past the arch at simply 27% for his profession. In fact, his shot in Sport 3 is one we’ll all keep in mind:

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For his profession, the three-point shot has not been there, however I’m hopeful that it’ll begin to come round this season however there isn’t a assure of that.

Tillman was superb contained in the arch post-trade final 12 months, capturing 68% from two-point vary and 71% on pictures lower than ten ft from the basket. He isn’t a ineffective offensive participant — only a restricted one.

The strongest a part of Tillman’s recreation is his protection. In the course of the 2023 playoffs, he was the beginning heart for Memphis attributable to accidents to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. In accordance with PBP Stats, Memphis’ protection was 9.9 factors higher per 100 possessions with Tillman on the court docket versus when he was on the bench. Tillman is a really versatile defensive participant; he can transfer his ft in area very nicely and may also guard facilities nicely.

Within the playoffs final 12 months, there was a noticeable distinction when Tillman was on the market and when Luke Kornet was on the market. Kornet had a great preseason and can possible see a bulk of the common season reps however Tillman is much less exploitable in a playoff collection. The numbers again that up.

In 133 playoff minutes, the Celtics had been -7.0 factors per 100 possessions and gave up 114.8 factors per 100 possessions with Kornet on the court docket. When Tillman was on the market, the Celtics had been +20.0 and gave up 100.0 factors per 100 possessions in 69 minutes. Thus, whereas the pattern measurement was small, Tillman was the higher participant within the playoffs.

So the query needs to be requested; what’s going to Xavier Tillman’s function be this season?

As was talked about in my Celtics roster rankings, 21% of Tillman’s minutes after the commerce got here on the 4. I anticipate that quantity to both stay there or bounce due to what number of helpful facilities the Celtics have.

It is because of this that the crew desires Tillman to turn into extra of a risk from 3-point vary. Having 2 non-shooters on the court docket, Kornet and Tillman, wouldn’t be very Mazzulla Ball-like, so anticipate Tillman to proceed to take extra three pointers.

Will probably be good to have Tillman with Porzingis out till round Christmas and Horford not taking part in back-to-backs however the place does Tillman get his minutes when Horford is within the lineup?

Might he be that ninth man within the Celtics rotation? This is able to permit the crew to make use of much less of their different facilities and play greater extra typically. Horford and Tillman solely performed 77 minutes mixed collectively within the common season and playoffs however with a +21.7 web score within the common season and a +50.0 web score in playoffs, there are optimistic indicators that there might be some juice to these lineups.

Lots of people need Jordan Walsh to get those minutes, however Tillman has extra expertise and is a greater participant at this stage of their careers. Although Walsh did have a very good preseason, I’d lean Tillman to be the Celtics ninth man early within the season.

When Porzingis is again. Tillman can be a helpful member of the keep prepared crew however till then, X has an actual likelihood to carve out a job for himself.