Michigan State basketball: How do Spartans’ 2020 draftees fit in NBA?

Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies

The ascension of Xavier Tillman is truly remarkable. His breakout occurred in February of 2019 when Nick Ward was sidelined with a broken hand. Tillman was so effective that MSU couldn’t keep him out of the lineup even after Ward’s hand healed. Tillman went on a tear late that winter and followed that effort up with an excellent season as a junior.

His calculated gamble to leave Michigan State a year early paid off as he was rewarded with being the 35th overall selection (which Sacramento sent over to Memphis).

The Grizzlies have one of the most exciting young teams in the league. They have the reigning Rookie of the Year leading the way in Ja Morant (17.8 points and 7.3 assists). Tillman is officially reunited with his former college teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., which is an amazing story itself. JJJ (17.4 points) and center Jonas Valanciunas (14.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game) make up one of the league’s most formidable frontcourts.

Tillman will battle with Brandon Clarke (12.1 points and just under 6 rebounds), Gorgui Dieng (7.4 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds — although he’s more of a center than a power forward), and Justin Anderson (who doesn’t produce as much as Clarke or Dieng) next month to determine how the pecking order will shake out behind Jackson Jr. and Valanciunas.

The fact that JJJ is coming off a leg injury means that X could be set to absorb a decent chunk of his minutes while the Grizzlies carefully bring him along as he recovers.

Contractually, the big men’s contracts end during the following summers: Dieng in 2021, Valanciunas, Anderson and Jackson Jr. in 2022 and Clarke in 2023. Judging by the length of his deal and his effectiveness in a reserve role, Clarke may be Tillman’s greatest contender for playing time.

If Memphis decides to go with a bigger lineup, they could always plug in Tillman and Jackson Jr. or Clarke as forwards alongside Valanciunas or Dieng. If they decide to play small ball, they can play Tillman (or Clarke or Anderson) at the four and Jackson at the five. There are endless possibilities as Memphis is a team with a lot of size on their roster.

Tillman’s defensive tenacity, physicality, fearlessness, fantastic footwork and leadership should lead to a long pro career. He’s a powerful force on the interior who takes pride in getting stops. The fact that his offensive game is progressing at an encouraging pace and the range on his jump shot is expanding helps his case for acquiring plenty of future minutes with Memphis. His passion for the game makes it a joy to watch him play and it inspires his teammates, too.

It will be fun to see how they both adjust to the next challenge in front of them as they embark on their journey into the NBA.