Memphis Grizzlies: How the Draft Night additions fit in

Xavier Tillman, Michigan State, Pick 35

First and foremost, Xavier Tillman is really good friends with Jaren Jackson Jr. While there are no rumbling whatsoever about JJJ not being happy in Memphis, drafting someone like Tillman does nothing but help.

Over the last 10 to 12 years Memphis has been lucky to have franchise pieces be happy here until they left. Morant and Jackson seem to be following in the footsteps of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, but it’s never a bad idea to sweeten the deal. With that being said, I doubt that was a massive influencer in who the Grizzlies drafted and there are lots of on-court reasons as to why Memphis wanted to trade up and grab Tillman.

Let’s start with the pick-and-roll. Only six players in the NBA last season ran a higher frequency of pick-and-roll than Ja Morant. Makes sense, having someone as dangerous as Morant in the pick-and-roll is a smart move especially with a big like Jackson to pick-and-pop.

Well, Tillman will immediately be a part of the pick-and-roll offense. At Michigan State, Tillman played with one of the best playmakers in the country in fellow second-round draft pick, Cassius Winston.

Tillman isn’t much of a shooter, but he can be dangerous as a roller with the right playmaker as the ball handler. Calling Morant a step down from Winston would be silly, and Tillman showed his worth in that area as a Spartan. He shot 72.1 percent at the rim in 2019-20 with 76.7 percent of those shots being assisted. Despite not being an explosive athlete, Tillman rolls to the rim hard and can finish with both hands. If he gets a chance to work in the post, he has a respectable set of moves with good footwork finished off when the same soft touch he exhibits in the pick-and-roll.

Jones runs a respectable amount of pick-and-roll in the second unit, as well. Tillman will be another nice weapon to put alongside the bench to create more opportunities out of the pick-and-roll. Tillman isn’t going to make a crazy pass, but he’s a quick passer who makes the right decision, especially when a point guard puts him in the right position to be a secondary playmaker.

Tillman is the type of big that is becoming more and more common in the NBA thanks to small ball lineups. He’s only 6’8″, which is undersized at first glance, but some of the best defensive bigs in the NBA (i.e. Bam Adebayo) aren’t anywhere near seven feet tall. His 7’2″ wingspan will allow him to be the big man in any small ball lineups the Grizzlies might put together and coach Taylor Jenkins should feel good about him switching on the perimeter in most situations. That versatility means he could play the four in bigger lineups alongside Jackson or the five in smaller lineups in the second unit.

Tillman isn’t going to blow you away with athleticism, fancy passes or explosive dunks. But he’s going to carve out a role on both sides of the ball thanks to his ability in the pick-and-roll and his versatility, intelligence and intensity on the defensive end.