CHICAGO — When the Celtics made a trade deadline deal to acquire Xavier Tillman, it was a natural move to not just shore up depth but give them some defensive versatility. While Tillman won’t become a starter or even necessarily a rotation mainstay, it was a cheap move to bolster the edge of the roster.
On the flip side, the C’s already had a solid third big man in Luke Kornet. The 28-year-old has been a reliable option during the regular season, providing size and production. So Tillman’s addition means there’s some competition for that third big man spot behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. But as it’s been the case during Kornet’s time in Boston, he doesn’t necessarily view it like that.
“To be honest, I am not really concerned about that at all,” Kornet said. “We’re excited to have Xavier here and I think he adds a piece that’s great for us, especially having the versatility in the playoffs and stuff I think is really important. We’re happy to have him and excited to have him as a teammate. I like the element he brings to our team.”
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Kornet’s reaction is no surprise — especially considering the current state of the Celtics. The theme of this year’s team has been sacrifice, whether that’s shots or other typical counting stats. All five starters for the C’s can likely average better numbers elsewhere, but they’ve instead bought into each other as there’s been little drama from the squad.
So Kornet having that reaction fits the current ethos of the team. That’s also the big man himself, which Jayson Tatum pointed out after the Celtics beat the Bulls on Thursday.
“I love Luke,” Tatum said. “He’s the ultimate teammate. Ultimate professional. Never knows exactly when his time is going to come and he’s going to get minutes, but he’s always prepared. He always knows the game plan. He’s going to do all the things.”
Kornet has been a pleasant surprise for the Celtics ever since he was traded to Boston three years ago. He was seen as a throw-in to the deal but stuck it out on the roster. Even during the start of the 2021-22 season, when he was grinding away at the G-League, he stayed prepared. All of that effort was rewarded as Kornet has etched his role on a contender as their third big man.
So regardless of how the C’s incorporate Tillman into the fold and how that could affect Kornet, the big man will take it in stride. That’s been the case throughout his C’s tenure over the past few years.
“He’s going to fit right in with us and the type of group that we have,” Kornet said of Tillman. “It was nice to have his first chance of playing today because obviously he didn’t have the opportunity. Looking forward to seeing him play more and more. That’s kind of being able to have that added element to the team.”
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