Most underrated Celtis player could change the course of the franchise

It’s easy to get lost in the chaos of the Boston Celtics roster. In this instance, chaos is a good thing, as they have so much talent on the roster that it’s easy to lose appreciation for how good the individual pieces are. For example, Jayson Tatum led the team in points, rebounds, and assists during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but Jaylen Brown won Eastern Conference finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP.

That’s without even mentioning the likes of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford. But despite all of those amazing players, the most underrated guy on the roster didn’t get regular playing time last year. And he has a chance to change the course of the franchise’s future.

His name is Xavier Tillman.

Xavier Tillman is the most underrated Celtics player and could change the course of the franchise's history

The Celtics traded for Tillman at the deadline last year in a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. He didn’t earn much playing time in the regular season, but he came up huge for Boston in the Finals.

Tillman stepped into the Celtics’ rotation in the Finals when Porzingis went down with an injury. He nailed a clutch three-pointer for them in Game 3 and helped shut down Luka Doncic for a string of possessions.

That’s where Tillman’s true value lies: The defensive end of the floor. He’s an elite switchable defender who can guard big-bodied centers and shifty guards. Finding a player like that in today’s NBA is very difficult.

Offensively, Tillman is still a bit rough around the edges, but he’s shown some promise from behind the three-point arc. If he can become a reliable three-point shooter, it will be a complete game-changer for the Celtics.

Should Tillman develop into a solid three-point shooter on top of his skills as a defender, it could alter the course of Celtics history.

Right now, Al Horford is 38 years old. He only has so many years left in the NBA, and the Celtics will eventually have to find someone to replace him. Porzingis is so injury-prone that he can’t be counted on as an every-night replacement option.

That’s where Tillman could come in.

Not only is he the most underrated player on the roster right now because of his elite defense, but he’ll have a chance to play some big-time minutes this year. Porzingis is going to miss a ton of time while recovering from offseason surgery, and Tillman will see an uptick in minutes.

Tillman isn’t as good as Horford right now. They aren’t on the same level. But if he can develop a more consistent offensive game, he could get there eventually.

Having a guy who could turn into a new version of Horford (even if it’s just a B-tier version) is huge for Boston. And if his offense develops well enough and he can be a legitimate replacement option, it would change the course of the organization by extending their contending window by many, many years.