This is a different Celtics defense than the one Boston rolled out a year ago, and Paul George is a big reason why.
It’s only been five games, so the sample is still small. But the shift is already showing up in the numbers.
Joe Mazzulla’s team wanted to be more aggressive last season, yet the Celtics found out they couldn’t chase turnovers and still protect the glass. So they made the safer choice and prioritized rebounding.
That battle inside the battle - possession by possession - mattered too much to ignore.
Now Boston looks equipped to do both.
Jayson Tatum has long been one of the team’s best defensive rebounders. Mitchell Robinson has been one of the best on the boards since he entered the Association. George adds another layer, and his presence is helping the Celtics turn defense into chaos.
Through five games, George has become the engine of that disruption. Boston is forcing 18.4 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
Last season, the Celtics finished 29th in that category. In the 2024-25 campaign, they were 27th.
The deflection numbers tell a similar story: Boston is averaging 20.2 per game, third in the NBA after ranking 25th the year before.
George is at the center of it all. He’s long, athletic, and wired to read the game a step ahead.
In Boston’s 125-111 win over the Chicago Bulls in its first NBA Cup game, he finished with a team-high three steals. He also had five deflections, tying Caleb Wilson and Tre Jones for the most in the matchup.
"His defense is phenomenal," said Payton Pritchard after Boston's victory on the parquet on Friday night. "I didn't know how good it was until I've seen it close."
Pritchard has been part of the defensive push too, answering Joe Mazzulla’s challenge on that end and trying to get back to being a pest. If he keeps that up, Boston’s defense only gets harder to deal with.
The numbers behind George’s impact are loud. According to NBA.com, he’s averaging 5.8 deflections per game, the most in the league.
He’s also putting up 2.4 steals a night, tied for fifth. He’s contesting 3.8 three-point attempts per game, which puts him in the top 10 there as well.
There’s more to it than just active hands. Databallr.com has George at a 4.2 stop percentage, which ranks in the 94th percentile.
That stat measures steals, offensive fouls drawn and blocks recovered by the defense out of 100 possessions. He’s also posting a 17.3 defensive rebounding percentage, good for the 92nd percentile.
At 36 and in year 17, George is still producing at a high level, and that speaks to the work he’s put into his body and his film study. It’s also the kind of veteran example that can seep into a locker room.
Jordan Walsh is one of the players feeling it. When the 22-year-old takes on the opponent’s top scorer, George is free to roam and create havoc off the ball.
That’s the payoff for Boston: more turnovers, more transition chances, and more trips to the line. It’s a cleaner path to easier points, and it’s the kind of wrinkle that should matter even more when the playoffs come around.
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Payton Pritchard Is Giving The Celtics More Than Just Scoring
Early in the season, Joe Mazzulla pushed Payton Pritchard to bring more to the Celtics than shot-making, and the guard has clearly taken the message to heart. In Bostons recent NBA Cup game against the Chicago Bulls, Pritchard paired his usual scoring punch with a noticeably sharper edge on the defensive end, showing the kind of activity that can help him stay on the floor in bigger moments.
Pritchard has said he wants to add more on-ball pressure and rebound better, and Mazzulla was encouraged enough by the showing to point to even more room for growth. For a Celtics team that already leans on Pritchards offense, the appeal is obvious if he can keep turning those defensive habits into something steady rather than occasional. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Hit Another Low After Celtics Loss As Frustration Boils Over
The opening night of the 2026 NBA Cup had no shortage of eye-catching moments around the league, from Stephen Curry leading the Warriors back from a big first-quarter hole against the Lakers to Kevin Durant throwing down a highlight dunk for the Rockets. But from the Celtics' perspective, one of the cleaner results came in Chicago, where Boston handled the Bulls and kept a team already searching for answers mired in the same defensive trouble that has followed them through the start of the season.
For Chicago, the loss only deepened the sense of unease around a team that has struggled to find any traction early. The Bulls have been giving up points in bunches, and the frustration around that slide is starting to show in public. Caleb Wilson did not hide how he feels after the game, underscoring just how raw the mood has become as the Bulls try to stop the bleeding. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Still Have One Early Rotation Question They Cant Ignore
The Celtics center rotation is still taking shape after the addition of Mitchell Robinson, and early on it has looked more like an evaluation than a settled plan. Robinson has started all five games, but Boston is still sorting out how his game fits alongside Neemias Queta, especially with Robinson adjusting to a role that asks more of him as a screener and less as a traditional finisher.
Quetas time as the backup has not been straightforward either, with rebounding and foul trouble making the picture even murkier for Joe Mazzullas staff. It leaves Boston with a frontcourt question worth watching in the early part of the season, because the Celtics need more than just bodies at center - they need a pairing that can hold up possession after possession while the rest of the rotation continues to settle in. [Read more 🡒]