Xavier Tillman proves he can hang in NBA, plays hero in win vs. Warriors

“With the 35th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Xavier Tillman.”

Those words are probably cemented in Tillman’s head as he tries to make a name for himself in the NBA. Like fellow Spartan Draymond Green, Tillman went from a first-round projection to an early second-rounder on draft night. It was a slide that Draymond never forgot and the same can be said for Tillman.

On Friday night, the two met up in a play-in game for the eighth seed in the Western Conference and a chance to play the Utah Jazz in round one of the NBA playoffs.

Draymond had his typical great defense, minimal scoring, excellent passing and rebounding performance, finishing with a triple-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.

But it was Tillman who stole the show.

Playing solid defense, rebounding the ball, and even hitting a couple of huge 3-pointers, including the game-winner, Tillman showed that he can be that Draymond-level player who gets under the opposing offense’s skin and does the dirty work.

But his offense saved the day for the Grizzlies when they found themselves down by two with about 1:30 remaining in overtime.

Tillman showed no hesitation after catching the ball with the shot clock winding down and the game on the line. He rose up in the corner and drained the go-ahead three and the Grizzlies never looked back. He helped engineer a road win against the Warriors and Draymond.

And most of the night, the two matched up against each other and gave each other fits. It was like the two were looking into a mirror.

This was one heck of a coming-out party for Tillman as he finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three steals and his Grizzlies are moving on.

Xavier Tillman proves he belongs

At the beginning of his junior season, there was some doubt about Tillman. He was struggling to score in the post and he just lacked that confidence that he built during his sophomore campaign and Final Four run.

Tillman eventually found his groove and played his way to the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award and earned national recognition. He was still overlooked by many as he was left off the national defensive player of the year finalist list. It was a massive snub but it didn’t bother him much as he finished off the season as a three-time Big Ten champ.

The junior then elected to skip his final season at Michigan State and make the NBA leap which would have been unfathomable a couple of years prior. He was just a lightly-used true freshman who was slightly out of shape and playing in a loaded post led by Jaren Jackson Jr.

On Friday night, he was playing more minutes than Jackson Jr. as his former college teammate was in foul trouble early and the coaching staff just realized that Tillman was in a groove.

Tillman had one of his best games when the lights shined the brightest and it’s no surprise now as to why the Grizzlies wanted to trade up for him in the 2020 NBA Draft and lock him up for four years on a contract. He’s proving every game now that he belongs.

Now let’s see what he can do against the West’s top team.