Six games into their run together, Jayson Tatum and Paul George already have a number that jumps off the page.
According to NBA.com, Tatum is averaging 8.1 passes per game to George, which has turned into 1.6 assists. That may not seem huge at first glance, but it stands out when stacked against Tatum’s long partnership with Jaylen Brown. In nine seasons together, Tatum never averaged even one assist per game to Brown.
Here’s how Tatum’s assists per game to Brown broke down by season:
2017-18: 0.2
2018-19: 0.3
2019-20: 0.8
2020-21: 0.8
2021-22: 0.6
2022-23: 0.7
2023-24: 0.6
2024-25: 0.9
2025-26: 0.8
That doesn’t automatically make George a better fit with Tatum than Brown was, but it does underline how quickly Boston’s new pairing has clicked. The Celtics are getting the kind of early return they had in mind when they made the trade.
Part of that is role clarity. There’s no mystery about whose team this is, and George made that plain before he even played a game in Boston.
"I still can control and have an imprint on a game in any role that I have. So again, JT is the guy, right? I’m here and want to be here to help him be the best version and help him be in that MVP conversation," George said.
The other piece is fit. George’s game gives Tatum something different than Brown did.
Instead of the back-and-forth rhythm that sometimes defined Tatum and Brown, George brings a more natural off-ball presence. He’s a high-volume 3-point shooter who can create chances through movement, and that’s showing up early.
George is taking 8.2 3-pointers per game and hitting 38.8 percent of them.
Six games is still a tiny sample, and nobody should pretend it tells the whole story. But for now, the Celtics look like they may have landed on a combination that works.
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