Gonzaga Basketball: 2020 NBA Draft profile for forward Killian Tillie
By Andy Patton
Strengths
6’10 human beings who can shoot three-pointers as well as most guards are extremely rare and remain a highly-coveted asset in today’s modern NBA.
Floor spacing big men who can knock down the three, set screens at the top of the key, and have the ability to roll to the basket and finish around the rim will always have a place in the league, and Tillie offers all that and then some.
Tillie never shot below 40% in any of his four seasons from beyond the arc, and there’s no reason to doubt his ability to contribute from long range in the NBA.
Beyond that, he has an extremely high basketball IQ and showed the ability to command the offense from the top of the key in Gonzaga’s hi-low sets. NBA teams could ask him to take the ball at the free throw line and run guards off him, knowing he’s capable of making the right pass, knocking down a jump shot, or even driving to the hoop.
Defensively, while Tillie lacks the athleticism to be a big impact guy, his basketball instincts and quick footwork will make him at least passable on that side of the ball.
Weaknesses
You have to start with the injuries. Missing 38 games in college is no doubt scaring away some teams, and injuries to his knee, ankle, and foot are all red flags that his health will be a factor throughout his professional career.
This is going to be the one (and arguably only) thing that keeps him out of the first round, as teams don’t want to gamble on a guy with his high-risk profile that early in the draft.
Outside of injuries, Tillie’s physical profile somewhat limits his overall potential – particularly on the defensive side of the floor. Tillie lacks the physical strength to push around legit NBA big men, and while his footwork is solid his overall lateral agility isn’t great and will make him a liability as a pick and roll defender.
Getting pushed around down low and exposed against NBA guards will make some teams cautious about taking a guy who is almost certainly going to do most of his NBA contributing on offense – although Tillie does possess the work ethic and intelligence to make him a passable NBA defender, at best.