Joe Mazzulla didn’t need many words to describe what he thinks Jayson Tatum and Paul George can become together.
Asked Monday how the two star forwards fit alongside one another, the Celtics coach delivered a blunt assessment: "There’s no ceiling on that," Mazzulla said about Tatum and George.
That belief comes down to the way both players can bend a defense. Mazzulla pointed to their shared versatility, noting how each can function on or off the ball and help create easier looks for the other.
"At the end of the day, our system and then their awareness and creativity - they're both guys that have the ability to play with and without the ball with their screening, their cutting, their spacing, their ability to shoot, to be able to handle the pick-and-roll.
"The more creative and aware they are to the defense and the ability to create 2-on-1s for each other, I think the easier they can make the game for each other."
Boston got its first real glimpse of that pairing in Saturday’s preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Tatum and George had both sat out the Celtics’ preseason opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, so that game marked their first chance to share the floor in competition.
The results were plenty encouraging. Tatum scored 23 points and added five rebounds and four assists in the 144-106 win, while George turned in a lively Celtics debut with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and a game-high five steals.
Those steals stood out in particular for a Boston team that struggled to generate points off turnovers last season.
It’s still only preseason, but the early read on Tatum and George is clear: the fit looks promising.
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