NBA Draft: The New Orleans Pelicans should trade up for this defender

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Xavier Tillman is the draft’s best defender

Xavier Tillman’s Strengths

It amazes me that teams continue to sleep on guys who can play defense.

Even after Draymond Green showed that an elite defender could be the final piece to a title team, the NBA often overlooks guys who don’t have a flashy offensive game.

Tillman is going to be one of those guys. He has the size at 6-foot-9, 245 lbs. to defend multiple spots, has quick hands and most importantly, is a smart player who knows how to make a difference.

Tillman is one of those guys who is constantly disrupting plays with blocked shots, deflections and effort. Here he is getting into passing lanes for deflections and generally causing havoc that often leads to buckets on the other end.

Tillman averaged 2.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per game for the Spartans, while also adding 10.3 rebounds and three assists.

Tillman is not much of a scorer and shoots a poor percentage from 3-point range, but he affects the game in a variety of ways, much like Draymond Green.

He is a savvy passer who can run the offense from the elbow and he brings a non-stop motor, which is something the Pelicans lacked last season.

Tillman is going to be an impact defender in the NBA, possibly the best one in this draft, so why is he going to fall to the second round?