After a challenging year, Xavier Tillman entered today’s Media Day as something of an afterthought in the Celtics’ front court rotation.
Following an impressive stint after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies and playing a key role in the Celtics’ championship run, Tillman was rewarded with a two-year contract last offseason. The expectation was for him to take on an even larger role the following year. However, a summer knee surgery combined with inconsistent performances led to the most disappointing season of his five-year career.
He clearly didn’t look like the same player particularly on the defensive end, but seeing and hearing him today should make fans very hopeful that those days are in the past.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Marc D’Amico, Kayla Burton, and Drew Carter, Tillman was asked how he envisions his role evolving this season. He began by highlighting a few changes he made over the summer that he believes will benefit him going forward.
“One: I lost twelve pounds just through dieting,” he said, a transformation that was immediately noticeable when he sat down on set. “Consistency is the thing that I’ve come to learn,” Tillman added, explaining that cutting out foods like “the pizzas, and the chicken wings, and the fries and the pops… you just throw them all in the trash” has helped him achieve what he referred to as his “new dad bod.”
Tillman noted that after sticking with his dietary changes, he not only feels better overall, but also finds his mornings much easier to navigate. “My knees feel fantastic,” when he’s cutting, and jumping, perhaps a subtle indication that they didn’t always feel that way last season. This healthy feeling has allowed him to train a lot harder this summer, putting in work six days a week.
When asked if his new physique would fit in with the Celtics potentially playing at a faster pace this season, Tillman responded without hesitation: “1,000%.”
Since returning to the team facility, he’s noticed a dramatic improvement in his conditioning, especially with the way the Celtics big men have been operating at what he described as “warp speed.”
Shifting to the offensive side of the ball, Tillman was asked about the social media clips showing him working on his jump shot. “My confidence level is even higher than it was last year,” he said, emphasizing that he no longer needs the perfect setup to take a shot.
“If it touches my hands and there’s space, I’m going to let it go.” He attributed his rise in confidence to the amount of reps he’s put in in workouts. He explained that the team empowers him and is hype when he attempts threes. Reflecting on a key moment, he pointed to the clutch corner three he hit in the 2024 Finals saying, “That was one of the best experiences that I’ve had.” Seeing the reaction from all his teammates was amazing for him.
Tillman’s knee issues were a major reason he didn’t look like himself last season. Now that he both looks and feels great, I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about his chances of returning to championship form.
