Gonzaga Basketball: NBA Mock Draft Consensus on Killian Tillie 1.0
This is Pacific Northwest Sports first Mock Draft Consensus of where former Gonzaga star Killian Tillie will go in this year’s NBA Draft.
The NBA Draft is bittersweet for Gonzaga basketball. On the one hand, it’s a final goodbye to players that have contributed so much to the program. On the other, it’s a time to celebrate those player’s achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to play at the highest level of professional basketball. Pacific Northwest Sports scoured the internet for reliable mock drafts. We audited 22 of them, including ESPN, Fox, CBS, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today, to get a consensus of where Killian Tillie will get drafted.
Killian Tille – 6-10, Forward
- Highest draft spot – Philadelphia, 34th
- Lowest draft spot – Free Agent
- Most common draft spot – Golden State, 51st
None of the mock drafts audited had Tillie going in the first round. That isn’t a big surprise. Of the ten mocks that went through Round 2, Tillie appeared on eight of them.
The biggest thing holding Tillie back from being a bonafide first-round pick isn’t talent-related. On talent alone, he’s a top 20 pick. Injuries have taken their toll on this French import. In four years with the Zags, he missed 38 games with injuries such as a stress fracture in his ankle, knee surgery, and torn ligaments in his foot. That’s enough to scare away several teams from selecting him.
His senior season, Tillie only played in 22 of Gonzaga’s 33 games. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. On several nights, Tillie was coach Mark Few’s best player. For example, against San Francisco in the West Coast Conference Tournament, Tillie had a double-double, leading the Bulldogs with 19 points and 10 boards in an 81-77 victory.
Scouting report
NBC Sports calls him a risky sleeper with a high upside. Setting injuries aside, Tillie has all the tools to be successful at the next level. He possesses a great combination of size and outside shooting ability. The 6-10 forward connected on 44.4 percent of his shots from three-point range, during his college career. One site compared him to another European who came to the NBA, Chicago Bulls great Toni Kukoc.
“A mature, polished offensive player who can space the floor at a high level, pass the ball with vision, and make opportunistic plays inside, Tillie thrived in a key role on a deep, uniquely balanced Gonzaga team that played extremely fast last season. A skilled inside-outside threat with great touch and instincts, he ranked among the most efficient players in the country as a senior.” – NBA.com
There are questions about his ability to play defense in the NBA. Tillie isn’t very fast, but he makes up for his average foot speed with a high basketball IQ; very rarely is he out of position.
Prospects 1.0
As mentioned above, two of the eight mock drafts Tillie appeared on had him headed to the Golden State Warriors. He would be very fortunate to land there. Injuries to star players dragged Golden State to the bottom of the league this season. In 2021, they will be back in contention for an NBA Championship.
Tankathon has Tillie headed to Portland with the 46th pick. Proficient at the pick and roll, he would work nicely as a substitute for Jusuf Nurkic when the Blazers center is out of the game.
Other places Tillie might end up: 41st – San Antonio, 50th – Atlanta, 53rd – Oklahoma City, 57th – Los Angeles Clippers.
Tille is someone who could significantly improve his draft stock with a strong showing at the NBA Combine.
Bonus: Filip Petrusev
Filip Petrusev could have come back to Gonzaga for another season. Instead, he signed on to play professional basketball in his native Serbia. A pair of mock drafts believe the 6-9 power forward will still get selected by an NBA team. One had Washington drafting him at 37. Another sees him going to Toronto at 59 (a third places him just outside the bubble).
For now, the draft is scheduled for October 16, with the NBA season starting on December 1. Those dates are likely to change as the league and players association work out a Collective Bargaining Agreement for the upcoming NBA year.
We will have another edition of our Killian Tille Mock Draft Consensus in October.