BOSTON — Xavier Tillman arrived in Boston in the middle of Jordan Walsh’s rookie season. Walsh was 19 at the time, the youngest member of the squad, and Tillman almost immediately took him under his wing.
So, when Walsh rarely played throughout his first two seasons, Tillman was often in his ear. That same mentorship continued into this season, when Walsh began playing meaningful minutes for the very first time, ultimately starting 20 straight games for Boston.
But, as of Thursday, Tillman is no longer
on the Celtics roster. The veteran big man was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in the final hours of the NBA’s midseason trade deadline, and Walsh is not sure who to lean on when it comes to dealing with the ups and downs of the season.
“It used to be X — X is my guy,” Walsh said. “Now I’m trying to figure out who that is. Me and JB [Jaylen Brown] are really close, so it might just end up being him, but he just wants to put me in a headlock.”
Walsh’s and Tillman’s friendship was on display throughout the year.
Earlier this season, for example, when Walsh was just beginning to break into the rotation, Tillman excitedly crashed his postgame interview. The Celtics had just defeated the Orlando Magic, and Walsh hit a big three-pointer down the stretch to help secure the victory.
“He’s the king of the lockdown,” Tillman said, grinning. “He can guard anybody. The bigs, the littles, the wings, they don’t matter. Call Jordan, he’s your guy.”
Tillman’s leadership extended throughout the locker room.
“He’s almost become, quickly, a vet for us,” Joe Mazzulla said earlier in the season. “I’ve been very appreciative of how he’s handled just the trajectory of his role here.”
Tillman isn’t the only teammate that Walsh, and the rest of the Celtics, lost
The Celtics traded Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls, Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz, and Josh Minott to the Brooklyn Nets.
All of the losses hurt.
“[All] those guys, I got close to while they were here,” Walsh said.
After the deadline, Mazzulla said his focus was on the players’ general well-being: “It’s the time of year where you spend time worrying about the person more than the player.”
For Walsh, there is an inevitable adjustment period after having lost such a close teammate.
“It’s tough. That first game back…. me and X were like this,” Walsh said, crossing his fingers. “And so that first game back, I’m always looking for somebody to talk to, for inspo, points, or whatever it may be, and he just wasn’t there. And I was like, dang it just feels different. Everything feels different.“
Walsh is excited to reunite with one former teammate on Wednesday, when the Celtics host the Bulls for their last game ahead of the All-Star break.
Anfernee Simons, who is averaging 20 points in three games for Chicago, will return to Boston just a week after his trade.
“Fortunately, I’ll see Ant [tomorrow],” Walsh said. “We’ll have to destroy him, though. But, it’ll be good to see him again, have him back in the Garden. But missing those guys, having them gone, it definitely leaves a void in the arena.”
