Boston —When Xavier Tillman joined the Celtics before the trade deadline, his arrival was not as dramatic as many other moves made by teams in the league. Nonetheless, the fourth-year big man’s effect was evident for Boston in their 138-110 rout of the Mavericks on Friday night.
Up until Friday night, Tillman had spent his first three weeks with his new team playing garbage time minutes. Since Luke Kornet was playing well as a reserve centre and the Celtics had a fully healthy squad, Joe Mazzulla had not yet felt the need to bring in Tillman.
Mazzulla chose a more mobile frontcourt lineup with Tillman starting over Kornet for the first time this season because Dallas was hosting a potent attacking team. Tillman had great results from the switch, going 3-of-3 from the field for six points and two assists in his 15 minutes of play. One of his new teammates gave him high marks for the outstanding performance.
“Man, X really looked good out there,” remarked Jaylen Brown. He seemed to fit right in. He immediately had an impact on defence, pulled down a few rebounds, and made several saves. Offence, he seemed to have an excellent sense of the game. a proficient screen saver. Because of his large hands, I was able to locate him on the baseline several times, hitting him with seam passes while also keeping an eye on the defence and their guarding schemes. X looked fantastic tonight.
At last month’s trade deadline, the Celtics traded Lamar Stevens and two second round picks for Tillman. Although Tillman’s arrival was primarily thought to be for depth, a showing against elite completion on Friday suggests that he may be capable of more.
Tilllman remarked, “It’s been good” about joining the Celtics. “I’m having the opportunity to observe and pick up tips from guys like Al, Payton, and Oshae, who are assisting me in acclimating to our way of life, culture, and when we bring the energy and when everyone is more relaxed. Additionally, DJ McLeay, a member of the coaching staff, has been incredibly helpful to me in helping me with plays, defensive strategies, and other positive stuff.
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Tillman seems like a player who could establish a role for himself, especially because the Celtics will probably be resting their star big men, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, a lot in the last two months of the season to keep them healthy and ready for the postseason.
Mazzulla remarked, “He’s a guy that can help our switchability and still have size.” We felt that switching them again tonight was the right course of action, and it’s a credit to him and the other guys for realising that’s what matters most. “So that’s one of the things that I’m grateful for with this team, is that they keep an open mind and they have an understanding that we do what’s best for the team and what impacts winning.”
