BOSTON — Xavier Tillman Sr. appeared in good spirits one day after turning 26 on Monday. Sitting on a panel in Brighton with Celtics sports science and nutrition staffers discussing what to eat and how much to sleep, he smiled and joked with the families in attendance before they sang him happy birthday and broke into workouts.
“It feels good,” Tillman said after telling the crowd he’s entering his prime. “I feel like I’m 35 and maybe that’s just, because of my lifestyle, but it feels good.”
He meant that in demeanor, rather than health, as he’s experiencing his most pain-free campaign in years. Though he fell out of the Celtics’ rotation two months ago following a spot start against the Nets where he missed all three attempts from deep as Brooklyn dared him to shoot. Since, he appeared sparingly, averaging five minutes late in 15 games while working on taking threes without thinking behind the scenes.
Often appearing first on the floor with Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer, Tillman has done everything from rebounding for Springer to sprinting in Denver along with playing offense and defense with big men coach DJ MacLeay. Tillman also participated opposite of Kristaps Porziņģis in a Maine Celtics scrimmage last month that set up the Celtics star’s return.
“We have been talking a lot about using this as an opportunity to work on other things,” Tillman said on Monday. “So for me, becoming more and more of an unconscious shooter where it’s similar to when you watch Sam (Hauser) and he could have somebody all up in his airspace, and he’s unfazed and he still lets it go. Just trying to adopt some of those mentalities where I can be the same in terms of being unconscious about it. I’ve been progressing very well over these last two months in that area for sure.”
The Celtics traded two second-rounders and Lamar Stevens almost one year ago for Tillman in an important depth move. With Porziņģis and Luke Kornet injured during the Finals, Tillman logged important minutes in Games 3-4 at Dallas that included his back-breaking corner three as the Celtics took a decisive 3-0 lead. Through 43 regular season games with Boston, mostly playing the four, he shot 44-for-102 (43.1%) from the field and 12-for-47 (25.5%) from three. Tillman returned to the Celtics on a two-year, fully guaranteed minimum contract over the summer.
Tillman didn’t regret the decision after losing playing time this season since he enjoyed returning alongside his teammates from the championship run. Before the year, his only goal was staying healthy following offseason surgery to address knee swelling that plagued him after most games in 2023-24. He wants to play, but views his energy and voices as contributions even while he can’t enter games. Porziņģis, Kornet, Queta and Al Horford are all healthy now.
The season didn’t start that way, and Tillman provides switching defense and the hope for shooting growth that stems back to his early days with Memphis. The Grizzlies tried to help him shoot. The Celtics expect him to do it.
“It’s really hard,” Tillman said. “It’s actually hilarious, because there’ll be so many opportunities where we’d be in a live read and I would (pass up shots). I would catch it and the guy would close out and I’d go right by him and then they’d stop it after I made the layup and they say, ‘no, no, no, you’re supposed to shoot that.’ And I’m like, ‘What? I had him. I saw his feet were out of place and da da da.’ And they’re like, ‘that’s not the point. The point is to be an unconscious shooter.’”
“It’s been a process. It’s been a fun process though, to say the least, because it’s truly a challenge that each and every day I gotta like buckle up for because I have to rip out that old habit.”
