When Boston brought Al Horford back for a second run, plenty of people assumed the Celtics were getting a faded version of the old big man. His stint in Philadelphia had gone so badly that the easy conclusion was that his best basketball was already in the rearview mirror.
Horford wasted no time blowing that idea up. Even while Boston was still finding its footing, it was obvious he wasn’t close to washed.
He didn’t need to be the exact player he was from 2016 to 2019 for the move to work. If he had been about 75% of that version, the Celtics still would have been fine.
Instead, he looked closer to 90% - maybe even better - and Boston benefited from it even if the team no longer had to lean on him the way it once did.
That same kind of opportunity is now in front of Paul George.
The Celtics’ decision to land George for Jaylen Brown drew plenty of pushback, mostly because of George’s age and the fact that his numbers don’t look like they used to. But Boston also knows exactly how dangerous he can still be. George was a huge part of why Philadelphia managed to stop the Celtics, using his two-way impact to hurt them at both ends of the floor.
No one is asking George to carry Boston like a full-time star. That would be a stretch.
But if he can be the sort of difference-maker Horford became, that’s a realistic target. Even now, George still brings an excellent three-point shot, real defensive value, and the kind of size that can be used intelligently.
There’s also the chance that, just like Horford, George simply needed a new setting. Maybe he wasn’t a perfect fit in Philadelphia.
Maybe a fresh start changes the picture. Nobody is pretending a comeback is guaranteed, but George now gets the chance to show that the talk about him being "washed" was overblown.
Horford’s return in Boston never had to be an All-Star story to matter. He was still a player who tilted the floor, helping the Celtics function cleanly on both sides and making them tougher to solve. If George gives Boston something similar, the team becomes a lot more dangerous.
The Celtics may manage his minutes the way they did with Horford, keeping him fresh for the postseason. That would fit with a roster built to lean on depth when needed. And if George delivers a Horford-style rebound, Boston may end up getting exactly the kind of outcome it can realistically ask for.
In Other News...
Celtics Preseason Will Be The First Test Of Bostons New Core
The Celtics are headed into preseason with a roster that already looks and feels different, and that alone makes October worth watching in Boston. After the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, the team is set to open camp with Paul George, Mike Conley Jr. and Mitchell Robinson among the new faces trying to fit quickly into a group that will be judged almost immediately on how well the pieces come together.
Preseason games will air on NBC Sports Boston and stream on DIRECTV, giving fans an early look at how the new core functions before the real games start to count. The schedule also offers a first glimpse at the Celtics' opening run of regular season games, and with the training camp roster now set for 2026-27, this stretch should tell a lot about which roles are already taking shape and which ones are still very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
Mitchell Robinson Is Already Stirring Emotions Beyond Boston
Mitchell Robinsons move to Boston has already sent a ripple through the rest of the East, especially in New York, where the Celtics latest big-man addition now has to be processed as both a loss and a new challenge. Boston brought Robinson in on a three-year, $47.4 million deal after his role in helping the Knicks win the NBA Championship, making him one of the more notable changes to a roster that keeps trying to stay in the title mix.
The Knicks answered by bringing in veteran Andre Drummond on a one-year deal, a move aimed at filling the gap while keeping the frontcourt steady. Former Knicks teammates have sounded split on Robinsons exit, with some still feeling the sting of losing him and others taking a hopeful view of Drummonds arrival, which only adds another layer to a transaction that already carries more emotion than a typical free-agent signing. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Became A Real Celtics Decision Point
Paul George has become one of those names that can linger around a roster long after the obvious offseason chatter has moved on. An Eastern Conference executive recently suggested the Celtics could still find real trade value in him if he is healthy, which is notable given the contract and the long view Boston has to take with every major move. His deal still carries two years of salary commitment, so any discussion around him is as much about flexibility and timing as it is about talent.
The health piece is where the conversation gets complicated. George has played limited games in recent seasons, and Boston has not signaled any desire to move him, but that kind of uncertainty always changes how teams evaluate a players market. If he can stay on the floor, the Celtics may at least have a meaningful decision to make, especially if the return resembles the kind of protected first-round pick an executive believes is still possible. [Read more 🡒]