The Boston Celtics didn’t need another big-time scorer. They didn’t need another veteran presence. They went out and got exactly what they needed — Xavier Tillman.
The Celtics could’ve done nothing at the NBA trade deadline and still walked away as the favorite to win the 2024 NBA championship. It’s always risky to add another piece and possibly disrupt the chemistry of a team that’s owned the best record in the NBA all season. With Tillman, there are no worries about him being a chemistry buster. He’s the perfect fit for what the Celtics needed.
Xavier Tillman Is All About Winning a Championship
☘️ Xavier Tillman sits down with @tvabby to talk about his first thought when he found out about the trade and his excitement to pick Al Horford’s brain.
More of Abby’s interview here: t.co/ztxD45XQ3V
Tillman isn’t likely to be the difference between the Celtics winning a championship or going home early again, but he can certainly fill a role. The 6-foot-8 power forward/center who came over from the Memphis Grizzlies knows he’s going to play behind veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, but he’s not in this for stats.
He’s in it to win it.
“I have an opportunity now to win a championship,” Tillman told Abby Chin of NBC Sports. “Looking at the record, only lost 12 or 13 games (39-12 entering the game against the Washington Wizards on February 9). That’s impressive. Coming from the Grizzlies, we had lost 30 by then. This is a winning organization, consistently going to the playoffs and making a deep run.
“My job is to learn the culture as fast as I can and try to help us get over the hump.”
Tillman said he excited to pick Horford’s brain as he embarks on his career with his new team. Horford is in his 16th NBA season and in his second stint with the Celtics.
“I’m definitely going to reach out to him, for sure,” Tillman said of Horford. “Not only is he an All-Star, but he’s a veteran who’s had a long career and has been excelling at each stage of it. The main thing I want to learn from him is just how to learn to be a pro every day, and what does that take, so I can keep building on my routines and create longevity for myself. And then, what are the winning aspects that he does to keep his body intact through all these grueling seasons?”
Tillman Knows His Role With the Celtics
The Celtics have plenty of scorers, so Tillman won’t be counted on to put the ball in the hole. His role will be to give Porzingis and Horford breathers and focus more on defense and rebounding. He has absolutely no problem with that.
“That’s what I pride myself in, being able to guard multiple positions, being able to communicate on the defensive end, and know where I’m supposed to be and be able to help my teammates out as well,’ Tillman told Chin. “I’m excited to be able to bring that to this team, for sure.”
Tillman doesn’t expect learning to adapt to a new defensive system will be all that challenging.
“If there’s going to be any difficulty for me, it’ll probably be the language they use because everybody uses different terminology,” Tillman said. “As far as the concept goes, I feel like I’ll be able to pick it up relatively quickly.”
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Xavier Tillman Is Exactly What the Boston Celtics Needed