4 Grizzlies who improved their trade value in 2023
By Alex Murray
Xavier Tillman, F
A second round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Xavier Tillman didn’t get much run in his first two seasons, contributing just 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game over those campaigns. Professional sports are all about next man up though, and Tillman was that next man during a 2022-23 season in which Memphis’ frontcourt was decimated by injuries.
Jaren Jackson Jr. missed 19 games, Steven Adams was unavailable for 40 games plus the playoffs, and Brandon Clarke was out of commission for 26 games plus the playoffs. During the regular season Tillman put in 9.7 points and 6.7 boards per game in his 29 starts and he averaged 2.0 offensive boards a game, a top 40 number in the league. It was in Memphis’ short playoff run that Tillman really put himself on the map, however.
22 PTS 💥 13 REB 💥 10/13 FG#GLeagueAlum Xavier Tillman went off for a CAREER-HIGH scoring performance and a season-high in rebounds to help the @memgrizz earn a gritty Game 2 win over the Lakers in the #NBAPlayoffs! pic.twitter.com/GRSQJsHjWW
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 20, 2023
Head coach Taylor Jenkins leaned on the Michigan State product, and Tillman responded with 8.7 points and 8.0 rebounds on 53 percent shooting in 30.7 minutes per contest, including a career game with 22 points and 13 boards in a Game 2 win. Tillman is a bit of a tweener, but his energy and offensive rebounding prowess would be an asset to any team. It remains to be seen if Memphis will pick up his option for next year.