The Boston Celtics hit the 50-game benchmark with the best record in the league, but it's no secret that they needed to fix their bench depth in the frontcourt.
Even though their 39-12 record is impressive at this point in the season, defense off the bench has been an area of concern. Insert Xavier Tillman Sr.
The C's picked up the 25-year old F/C, Tillman Sr., from the Memphis Grizzles for Lamar Stevens and two second round picks.
The Celtics also gained the Bird Rights to Tillman Sr., who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning that they'd be able to extend him if they wanted to.
Tillman Sr. ranks in the 99th percentile on defense. He also ranks in the 98th percentile for stocks.
Statistically, Tillman Sr. looks like a perfect fit, but there’s always a concern about upsetting established chemistry. In this case, don’t expect that chemistry to take a hit at all.
His upbeat, friendly personality should fit right in with the Celtics' locker room; a fun-loving bunch, who care deeply about each other and are willing to sacrifice on the court to push themselves to new heights, and hopefully bring home Banner 18.
The amount of outpouring love coming from the Grizzlies organization and fans for him is definitely a sign that he was beloved in Memphis; not only by fans, but by everyone in that locker room.
When the Grizzlies came to Boston on 2/4/24, Tillman Sr. walked back to the locker room after warm-ups, and signed an autograph for every single kid in the crowd. It didn't matter if they were a Grizzlies or Celtics fan. While signing the autographs, he also took time to interact with all the fans who spoke with him.
One conversation Tillman Sr. had with a fan was asking about how much snow Boston got during a recent storm, followed up with a "That's crazy, we don't really get snow in Memphis."
As long as Tillman Sr. continues to bring the same high energy, upbeat attitude, and strong defensive presence to this team, he's going to quickly become a fan favorite in Boston.