Paul George has already shown a little bit of everything the Boston Celtics probably wanted when they brought him in, and the defensive side may be the most intriguing part. There have been a few rough edges, sure, but the fit looks natural in Mazzulla Ball. And if you want to know why the buzz around George keeps building, Doc Rivers has an answer that goes beyond the obvious.
Rivers, who coached George during his first season with the Los Angeles Clippers, spoke with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg and pointed to something he saw up close: George’s ability to change the game without even needing the ball in his hands.
“On ball, Kawhi was better, but I remember Ty Lue and I talking one night and I was like, ‘You know, Paul's an elite defender, and I think he's even better off the ball.’ What's happening is elite off-the-ball defenders can be contagious.”
That part matters. Nobody is surprised to hear George described as an elite defender.
In just two preseason games, he came away with seven steals and turned several of those moments into fastbreak chances. He already looked disruptive, active, and ready to make life miserable for opposing offenses.
The bigger question is what happens if that edge spreads.
Boston has been excellent defensively under Joe Mazzulla, ranking second in the NBA in defensive rating in 2022 at 110.6, second again in 2023 at 110.6, fourth in 2024 at 110.1, and fourth in 2025 at 111.7. But for all that success, the Celtics have not been a team that forces a ton of turnovers. During that same stretch, they finished third-last in opponent turnovers per game at 12, last at 11.3, fourth-last at 12, and second-to-last at 11.9.
That’s where George becomes especially interesting. He doesn’t just defend possessions; he can break them.
His style creates chaos, cuts down what the opponent gets to run, and gives Boston more chances on the other end. In other words, he fits the kind of possession-by-possession edge the Celtics want to squeeze out of every game.
Some fans may roll their eyes at anything Rivers says, given how things ended after his time in Boston. But he saw George in person, he knows what the forward can do, and his point is hard to ignore.
If George really does bring that kind of defensive energy every night, the Celtics may have found more than just another strong addition. They may have found a force that changes the tone of the whole team.
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