Paul George didn’t arrive in Boston with much room for error. A decorated veteran with nine All-Star nods, six All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive Team honors and nearly 20,000 career points, he still had to win over a new fan base after the summer trade that sent Celtics favorite Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.
George understood the temperature right away.
“I understand my circumstances. I understand how huge JB was, not only for the organization, but here in the city.
So, I didn’t take it personal,” George said at his introductory press conference, regarding the negative reaction to the trade. “To be honest, they should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade.
But my job is to kind of come into a great opportunity for me.”
“It’s a new group, a new opportunity,” George continued. “I think they’re getting someone that’s ready to -- not fill the shoes or fill the void of JB -- but I think from a personal standpoint myself, I think I can come in and kind of still keep us in that contention. Give us a chance to win.”
A few weeks into his Celtics run, that message is landing. After a 27-point outing in Sunday’s 20-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks, George is up to 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and a career-best 2.3 steals per game while shooting a career-high 42.5% from 3-point range. Boston is 8-2 and sitting second in the Eastern Conference behind the 9-2 Sixers.
That sets up Tuesday’s showdown between old rivals, and it will be the first game for both Brown and George against their former teams.
“It’ll be great to see those guys and compete against them finally,” George said Sunday. “Obviously, Philly was a special place for me. It was a rough, you know, tenure, my two years there, but it’ll be special to be in the building.”
The fit in Boston has been smooth in part because George has leaned into the role the Celtics need from him. At his introductory press conference, he made the hierarchy clear.
“We have a superstar and that’s [Jayson Tatum],” George said. “I’m not here to steal the shine or reinvent who I am.
I’m here to help JT. He’s the guy.”
That matters in a locker room where Brown and Tatum had long shared the spotlight, even if there was always some tension over who held the top spot. Brown’s 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP run only sharpened that dynamic, especially after he carried Boston to 56 wins last season while Tatum missed most of the year recovering from a torn Achilles. The trade for George made the pecking order obvious: Tatum leads, George supports.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has liked what he’s seen from the newcomer.
“The way we’re asking him to play is maybe a little bit different than what he’s been asked to do in the past. He enjoys that, he’s open-minded to it and he just works at it.
He’s very hard on himself. Holds himself to a very high standard, constantly watching film, taking notes in his journal and just processing the game.
He takes pride in learning and getting better and you’re seeing the fruits of that,” Mazzulla said Sunday.
The clearest sign of George’s adjustment has come from beyond the arc. He’s long been a dangerous shooter, but in Boston he’s thriving as a catch-and-shoot weapon instead of having to manufacture everything himself.
He’s hitting 46% on 5.6 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game, both career highs. Among players taking at least five such attempts, only Steph Curry is ahead of him in percentage.
George’s five made 3s against Milwaukee all came on catch-and-shoot looks.
“Watching him shoot like that is unbelievable,” Celtics big man Mitchell Robinson said Sunday. “Played against him quite a few times and to be on the same side of the ball with him and cheer him on instead of boo[ing him], it’s great.”
Overall, George is launching a team-high 8.1 3s per game and making 42.5% of them. That has helped Boston climb to sixth in the league in 3-point percentage at 37.6%, even with Tatum at 31.3% and Derrick White at 32.7% to start the season.
His impact hasn’t stopped on offense. Tatum pointed to George’s “super-high IQ” and “incredible defensive instincts” on Sunday, and the numbers back it up.
George’s 2.3 steals per game are a career high and rank fourth in the league, while his 5.1 deflections per game put him third. He’s one of only four players averaging at least five deflections, and at 36 he’s the oldest by far in that group.
That activity has helped change the way Boston defends. The Celtics are forcing turnovers at a 17.4% clip, good for sixth in the league. Under Mazzulla over his first four seasons, they never posted an opponent turnover rate above 13.1% and never finished higher than 24th in that category.
For now, George looks like exactly what Boston wanted: a veteran star who can slide in, take pressure off Tatum and still tilt games on both ends.
In Other News...
Celtics Wing Battle Is Creating An Early Roster Debate
Early in the season, Bostons wing rotation has already turned into one of the more interesting little debates on the roster. Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser have all been part of the mix, giving the Celtics a look at different combinations while they sort out which pieces fit best around the core. Scheierman has stood out most among the younger group with his offensive contributions, while Hauser remains on steadier ground because of what he brings as a shooter and defender.
Walsh and Gonzalez have each flashed the kind of defensive tools that keep them in the conversation, but neither has separated fully from the pack because the offensive consistency has come and gone. That leaves Boston with a real early-season decision to monitor, especially if the wing minutes continue to be spread around and the staff keeps looking for the right balance between upside and reliability. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Keep Sending An Early Message The East Cant Ignore
Bostons latest statement win came in Milwaukee, where the Celtics shook off an early deficit and rolled past the Bucks 117-97 to move to 8-2. After a tight opening quarter, Boston took control with a strong push before halftime and kept widening the gap from there, using its depth and pace to make the game feel out of reach well before the final buzzer.
Paul George paced the offense with 27 points, while Jayson Tatum added 21 in a balanced effort that again hinted at how difficult this group can be to contain when it gets rolling. The Celtics now turn to Charlotte on Friday, carrying the kind of early-season momentum that has the rest of the East paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Strong Start Is Fueling A Real Rotation Debate
Bostons 7-2 start has given the Celtics a little breathing room, but it has also sharpened the focus on how the rotation should settle in around Jayson Tatum and the rest of the core. The team has been strong at home and steady enough on the road to avoid early panic, yet the way the frontcourt minutes are being distributed is already becoming one of the more interesting decisions on the board.
The center spot in particular has become a talking point, with Neemias Queta drawing attention for the way he has fit alongside Tatum compared with Mitchell Robinson. Around that, the Celtics are still sorting out how Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez and Sam Hauser fit into the nightly mix, and there is at least one more big-man option in the picture as Boston looks for the cleanest way to manage those minutes without losing the rhythm that has powered this strong opening. [Read more 🡒]