Jordan Walsh didn’t wait long to lean on Paul George.
After Boston brought in the nine-time All-Star, Walsh reached out and started asking questions, especially about the pull-up jumper he’s trying to sharpen as he keeps developing offensively. But the fourth-year wing said George’s impact has gone beyond the other end of the floor.
“Yeah, we talk about offense a lot, getting to your shot, being confident with it. But there's certain closeout techniques and steal techniques that he does [that] I'm trying to figure out as well,” said Walsh on Thursday at the Auerbach Center. “Using that in games as well has been helpful.”
For Sam Hauser, the conversations have taken a slightly different turn. With a 16-year veteran in his 17th NBA season now in the locker room, Hauser knows there’s a rare chance to tap into a player who has stayed productive deep into his career. That’s especially true considering how George has continued to perform after the traumatic leg injury he suffered with the Indiana Pacers.
Early on, Hauser said their talks centered on longevity. More recently, George has been helping him in a more specific way: becoming an even better two-way player.
Hauser has already built a reputation as a steady defender. He moves well, stays balanced, uses his chest to absorb contact, and does a strong job of contesting shots without fouling. George has pushed that further by showing him how to be more disruptive.
“Watching him from afar and how he gets steals, how his body positioning, angles, and all that has been pretty impressive to watch,” said Hauser on Thursday.” Now and then it's like, 'Hey, what do you see on this?
What can I do to help you on this?' Kind of deferring to him.”
And George isn’t just handing out advice. He’s still producing at a high level on the defensive end.
The Celtics’ newest wing is averaging 6.0 deflections per game, second-most in the league behind Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels at 6.2. He’s also averaging 2.3 steals, tied for sixth in the NBA, and is contesting 3.8 shots from behind the arc per game, tied for fifth, according to NBA.com.
His stop percentage, which accounts for steals, offensive fouls drawn, and blocks recovered by the defense out of 100 possessions, sits at 3.9, according to databallr.com. That puts him in the 88th percentile. He’s also making a major impact on the defensive glass, with a 17.4 percent defensive rebound percentage, which ranks in the 93rd percentile.
For Boston, that kind of disruption can matter. George is not only teaching teammates how to defend at a higher level, he’s helping create the kind of stops and transition chances that can swing games when the playoffs arrive.
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