Welcome to Boston, Xavier Tillman!

[Parliament10]

Brad is a genius. The guys can defend and pass the ball. They are ignoring his finishing this year, and are looking at his historical performance. I am sure they charted every shot this year.

I look at him as a Horford replacement as first big off the bench.

Until I saw him in a Celtics uniform I didn't realize that Tillman was such a large human being. Bravo Brad.

If Tillman can be a 75% Replacement of Horford after this year, then give him a good Contract Offer.
Horford wont be around forever. For that matter, none of them will.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I wonder if he's going to be content with his minutes? He's averaged 17 for his career and 20 this season in Memphis with several starts. Reduced now to crunch time only minutes might play with his psyche a bit. I know he should get some solid minutes when KP or Al are out, but will it be enough to keep him engaged?

It's his first game with the team. It's too early to worry about what his role is going to be. It might have been a match up thing or wanting to ease him in or maybe he just needs more time to get familiar with the system. Besides Horford and Porzingis have already missed a combined 25 games and with the huge lead the Celtics have in the standings they are probably going to be even more agressive resting those guys down the stretch so he'll get plenty of opportunities.

[Homerclease]

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[Tatumfor2]

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Some of us are trying to work here!

Spoiler:

[ConstableGeneva]

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Someone help me out. Tillman has a unique voice but sounds a lot like this one actor/comedian (?) that I just can't put my finger on.

EDIT: Nvm. I was thinking Chris Tucker but maybe it's not really close.

[shackles10]

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Someone help me out. Tillman has a unique voice but sounds a lot like this one actor/comedian (?) that I just can't put my finger on.

EDIT: Nvm. I was thinking Chris Tucker but maybe it's not really close.

I can see it a little. Kind of even looks like him when Chris bulked up some although never saw the resemblance until this clip and your comment though.

[zoyathedestroya]

Apologies if posted already…

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[playa-hater]

My sauces just told me Brad came down from his office to tell Joe he didn't trade Tillman just to be a hand clapper. Play "the Man"... Or was it "X-Man".

[GoCeltics123]

Sources expect both players to receive some playing time late in the year as rest, particularly for the big men in back-to-back situations, come into play later in the season. The Celtics play two of them next month against the Wizards and Pistons, then in Detroit and Chicago.

From Bobby Manning, about Tillman/Springer

[playa-hater]

Sources expect both players to receive [b]some playing time late in the year as rest, particularly for the big men in back-to-back situations, come into play later in the season. The Celtics play two of them next month against the Wizards and Pistons, then in Detroit and Chicago.[/b]

From Bobby Manning, about Tillman/Springer

This is code for, "don't expect X man to even get a chance to be in our playoff rotation".

[ConstableGeneva]

My prediction came true! Knew someone (most anyone?) will just complain that Joe isn't using someone Brad traded for even when he specifically said the trade was for depth/injury insurance.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

After watching him on the floor with Horford in the first half, it's pretty crazy how similar their builds are. After watching him in the second, it's pretty crazy how much I want Stevens to sign him to a long term deal this summer.

[playa-hater]

Sources expect both players to receive [b]some playing time late in the year as rest, particularly for the big men in back-to-back situations, come into play later in the season. The Celtics play two of them next month against the Wizards and Pistons, then in Detroit and Chicago.[/b]

From Bobby Manning, about Tillman/Springer

This is code for, "don't expect X man to even get a chance to be in our playoff rotation".

This aged well

with that said, X-man showed what I thought and hoped he'd have. Excellent overall defensive versatility. He seems to be one of the few players that can guard on the outside and physically big and strong enough for anything inside. Seems like he can pass and read the whole court well. If he can shoot a 3, great, but that is just a bonus. Just role to the rim Ala Kornet style and he will fit in great.

Saying X-man is Al Horford's eventual "replacement" is not a stretch by any means.

Not a knock on Kornet or Queta but X-man seems like a far better Fit? Piece? rotation option? come playoffs for Boston.

[Parliament10]

After watching him on the floor with Horford in the first half, it's pretty crazy how similar their builds are. After watching him in the second, it's pretty crazy how much I want Stevens to sign him to a long term deal this summer.

I actually mistook Tillman for Horford a couple of times.
Agreed. We need to get him Signed.

[doogie_hauser]

Defensively he is more reliable than Kornet, but I still think Luke provides more reliable offensive.

But I hope both can be part of our playoff rotation..

We also have Queta waiting in the wings.

But already X Man looks like another brilliant move by Brad.

[Curmudgeon]

Stevens really knows smart players when he sees them.

[sam_I_am]

From Bobby Manning, about Tillman/Springer

This is code for, "don't expect X man to even get a chance to be in our playoff rotation".

This aged well

with that said, X-man showed what I thought and hoped he'd have. Excellent overall defensive versatility. He seems to be one of the few players that can guard on the outside and physically big and strong enough for anything inside. Seems like he can pass and read the whole court well. If he can shoot a 3, great, but that is just a bonus. Just role to the rim Ala Kornet style and he will fit in great.

Saying X-man is Al Horford's eventual "replacement" is not a stretch by any means.

Not a knock on Kornet or Queta but X-man seems like a far better Fit? Piece? rotation option? come playoffs for Boston.

I thought he was going to just be some veteran insurance like Moose last year but I think Tillman is exactly the type of bench piece this team needed. He is really a versatile defender and his long arms and strength make him a true pest on that end. He’s also has shown a veteran savvy for getting easy baskets playing off the Jays and other playmakers. I think he is the most underrated deadline pickup made by contending teams. Will he play a ton? Probably not but I bet he has 10 minutes in a future playoff game that helps decide the outcome.

[31to6]

The league should have voided this trade. You CAN’T let a team that already has Holiday, White, and Horford get Tillman for scraps. I mean, c’mon now David Stern would’ve never allowed it.

Brad Stevens is a genius and constable will die protecting his vision. The rest of us will just enjoy it:)

[Gant]

Here's a few pictures comparing Tillman's height to Horford and Brown. Combine measurements have Xavier a bit taller than Brown and shorter than Horford. He does have extremely long arms, big hands, and an even bigger frame than Brown or Horford.

[Gant]

Jaylen Brown raves about Celtics trade addition after home debut

“X looked good out there, man,” Jaylen Brown said. “It’s like, he fit right in. He came right in and made contributions on defense, got a few rebounds, got some stops. Offense, you could tell he got a good feel for the game. A good screen setter. He got big hands so I was able to find him a few times on the baseline and hit him in some of those seam passes and just reading the defense and how they were guarding. X looked real good tonight.”

With the Celtics likely to be resting their key bigs Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis plenty in the final two months of the season to keep them healthy and fresh for the playoffs, Tillman looks like a guy who could carve out a role for himself.

“He’s a guy that can help our switchability and still have size,” Mazzulla said. “So that’s one of the things that I’m grateful for with this team, is they keep an open mind and they have an understanding that we do what’s best for the team and what impacts winning, and so we felt like that was the right thing to go to tonight to continue to switch them, and it’s a credit to him and a credit to the rest of the guys for understanding that’s what’s most important.”

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/03/jaylen-brown-raves-about-celtics-trade-addition-after-home-debut.html