Xavier Tillman to Celtics for 2 2nd round picks
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
LOOOOVE this move. Give up 2nds which you have plenty of, good AH/KP insurance, can be used to bang instead of KP to preserve him, esp v. Bucks and stuff. Lower minutes played for AH in the regular season. Low $ commitment.
Yea the Jackson TPE (1,836,090) isn't big enough. Either a Banton or Svi is going out, or it is a portion of the Grant TPE
Right, I think the idea is that he gives you a more mobile big in matchups that are tough for Luke, and you can play Luke when you want size and can play drop or zone because of opposing personnel.
(Obviously this all assumes that one of KP/Al can't go, or that CJM wants to go 2-big for some reason, which has been known to happen.)
Especially useful in a world in which a number of competitors blew a ton of 2nds last deadline on those "all the 2nds for Jae Crowder" type deals that were inexplicably all the rage for a couple days.
You don’t think he’ll challenge Kornet for minutes? If anything he gives Joe additional options that don’t involve Queta. His FT shooting won’t likely affect us at all as he will only be playing specific short minites and certainly not end of game scenarios barring lots of bad things occurring to the Celtics frontcourt.
Expiring Deal complete with Bird Rights so it he fits in seemlessly he won’t get stolen from us. Great job Brad!
Nekias is one of the smartest NBA commenters I've come across, so if he likes the fit here, that's an opinion with weight in my eyes.
I just wish we could've shipped out one of the useless guys like Lamar Stevens to preserve the full TPE. I'm sure Brad has his reasons and considered all (obvious) options though.
Wait so who the fuck is playing for the Grizzlies now? They have roughly 7 healthy players between the NBA and G-League teams.
Yes, but Horford is 37 years old. Therein lies the point.
Edit: as echoed below, good point about Queta and playoff eligibility.
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Good point about Queta. I'd forgotten that they'd have to un-2way him to make him eligible.
Highly recommend watching this video. Tillman has clear and obvious limitations--field goal and free throw shooting--but is apparently a terrific passer, ball handler, screener, and defender. The video says that he's very strong and very mobile, and can play defense sort of like a gigantic wing. He's like the perfect teammate.
Joe has been going 2 BIGs more often than I thought he would. It's been working. Gives him more flexibility.
Plus Luke seems to miss time
...aaaaaaaand it's indeed Lamar Stevens going out to salary match:
View: https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1755322213350137889
edit: Woj now has particulars on which seconds are going out, too:
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1755314149821681943
"The Celtics are sending a 2027 second via Atlanta and a 2030 second via Dallas to the Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN".
The Dallas pick was part of the Grant Williams sign-and-trade, the Atlanta one was from sending them Mohammed Gueye a year ago.
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I guess he'll get to play right away. Good for him. (though he may not be so sure).
that isn’t the point therein for me. I have no worries about Horford playing in the playoffs when there are no back to backs. As long as KP and Al are in uniform, they’ll be playing all 48 of the center minutes.
Tillman/Kornet will only see the floor if Al or KP are out.
They clearly like something they see in 2-big lineups against a lot of teams, even if it doesn't let you maximize the minutes of your best players (or maybe because it keeps you competitive while not maximizing the minutes of your best players....)
I think it’s probably for someone with the TPE.
Thinking Queta is now a next year player.
if I recall correctly they used a lot of two bigs when they destroyed the heat in Miami.
looked it up and indeed there was a heavy dose of Horford/Kornet. which is kinda hilarious.
Tillman can definitely play some marginal playoff minutes - maybe even over Kornet in some instances - if needed and won't get targeted as much as a Queta. But that's not his ideal usage.
Overall a nifty pick up for Cs with some roster optionality for next year too.
Overall a nifty pick up for Cs with some roster optionality for next year too.
I thought Tillman was quite good playing heavy minutes in the Lakers-Grizzlies series. Game 6 was rough, but that infected the entire team.
I feel like the Cs were in on him at his draft. Or maybe it was just people saying they should be.
So net saves money, adds situational depth with a specialty in the area that is needed, and retains maximum flexibility moving forward. Fantastic.
Last night I watched old Andre brick two FTs as Stacy King was essentially imploring Donovan to give him a starting role and it occurred to me that (a) Drummond does NOT feel like a player Stevens would ever trade for and (b) Stacy King, for some strange reason, has a bias for bigs.
So yeah, for the love of all that is holy, please let's stop the Drummond stuff.
(now watch the Cs trade for him).
For sure. Someone called it out earlier in this thread in that it will be match up dependent. In neutral minutes, I believe Tillman will play over Kornet (no hate for the Korn Dog but I think TIllman is a better player).
Tillman will definitely have some utility against Milwaukee and Miami. He can credibly defend Bam and Giannis
Who do you think is the next move?
The names I've seen in the Xitterverse are Delon Wright/Jon Konchar/Lonnie Walker/Otto Porter Jr (not sure I buy the OPJ one)
I think you just nailed the names.
I’ve always loved Delon, and Lonnie looks really good, I just wonder how he’d react to way less shots.
Saddiq Bey is my dream, even though he's having a down year shooting the ball. Lonnie Walker makes a lot of sense too.
I’d also like Dunn, which is funny because I was vehemently anti Dunn in that draft.
He’s obviously a monster defender, but he’s become a good playmaker, and his outside shot has gotten good enough.
He’s obviously a monster defender, but he’s become a good playmaker, and his outside shot has gotten good enough.
My buddy Jake is worth a follow btw
View: https://twitter.com/jakeissenberg/status/1755335883434451223
View: https://twitter.com/jakeissenberg/status/1755335883434451223
Bey has been my guy too if Atlanta sells.
Whoever the guy is, you hope he’s at the level that would be an MLE type guy this summer. Since the Celtics almost certainly won’t have an MLE available, try to trade for that guy into the Grant TPE now and either have him under contract, or have Bird or RFA rights on him.
I do think he'll take Kornet minutes, but I guess I don't think Kornet is going to play in the playoffs? And as others have said Queta can't currently play in the playoffs.
I think playoffs is really just:
Tatum
Brown
Jrue
White
KP
Al
PP
Hauser
I guess if they need some fouls against Giannis Kornet/Tillman play. Maybe against Mobley/Allen?
The feather in Lonnie’s cap is that he has come through before in the postseason in a high pressure situation in a Warriors series. For that reason I’d prefer we go this route.
I mean, sure there were some good defensive plays in there, but there were a whole bunch of good looks that just didn't go in. Sorry to be a crank. I think this is a great move, I just hate these highlight reels that cherry pick the shit out of plays
Tillman kinda seems like Al Horford if Al couldn't shoot. Or more accurately, a beefier, shorter Al Horford that can't shoot...
In other words he's a defensively strong, switchable big who has a high BB IQ -but no shot- on the offensive side of the floor.
In other words he's a defensively strong, switchable big who has a high BB IQ -but no shot- on the offensive side of the floor.
The impact numbers have him as very elite defensively, so it's not just cherry-picked eyetest.
The Celtics have so much shooting and playmaking that they probably feel confident in their ability to integrate an agile big with bad offense. This feels like they'll re-sign him this summer and finally put the "center depth" question to bed.
The Celtics have so much shooting and playmaking that they probably feel confident in their ability to integrate an agile big with bad offense. This feels like they'll re-sign him this summer and finally put the "center depth" question to bed.
Oh I know. At times I love me a good highlight reel. Other times it kinda falls flat. Felt the one above showed some excellent defense, but also just a bunch of flat out misses by the offense. That's all