I’ll admit it. When I saw Paul George on that ESPN graphic next to Jaylen Brown when Shams Charania broke the blockbuster deal this summer, I wanted to spike my phone.
Sure, he’d just had a nice playoff run for the Philadelphia 76ers. But George’s $110 million owed over two years (player option Year
2) was widely viewed as one of, if not the worst, contracts in the NBA. At 36 years old, there’s no way he was going to get better.
Right?
Wrong.
Through two games, not only has George shattered the expectations of every non-team-employee in the Celtics community, but he’s earned himself at least one stanin me.
George’s record-breaking 38-point debut in Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons got plenty of shine. As it should’ve. He was absolutely dialed in from deep, created shots for himself off the dribble, and got to the line consistently.
More than anything, it felt like a statement. All of the “washed” labeling had been premature according to George’s game after he let his play do the talking.
Friday’s 15-point performance in Boston’s 107-103 over the New York Knicks did just as much for me, to be honest. Was it as cool as watching the nine-time All-Star drilling heat check after heat check?
No.
But, it gave a more realistic scope of what we can all expect from the veteran forward on a regular basis, and how he can impact winning in ways that don’t necessarily come up in the stat sheet. George’s defensive game delivers in a similar fashiion to how Jrue Holiday’s did a few years ago.
There’s this added connectivity when he’s on the floor. It feels like the rotations are quicker. The passing lanes are smaller. Teams simply have a harder time running their offense. Opponents have looked like they’re wearing straightjackets in the halfcourt throughout this first month of both preseason and regular-season hoops.
Oh, and the stats are there too. George is tied for the second most steals the first two games of a season with seven. He swiped just as many in two preseason appearances. PG13’s eight deflections thus far are tied with Dyson Daniels for the most in the NBA. It’s clear that he has both defensive quarterback and cornerback written all over him.
Brad Stevens clearly had a vision for George’s fit when he decided to sign off on trading Brown last summer. He knew that his team’s team defense would be dialed up to 100 and PG would give the Cs some important offensive support.
Even Friday — an average feeling offensive night — George still knocked down three of his seven attempts from distance. His consistency as a catch-and-shoot guy dominated the copium-infused analytics arguments of the late summer months for good reason.
Per Databallr, his spacing true-shooting percentage (which accounts for offball opportunities) was nearly 3% above league average and ranked in the 75th percentile. In years where he’s played on more talented teams than the seventh-seeded 76ers of last season, George consistently ranked in the league’s top-tier.
There’s plenty of reason to believe that he should return to that elite level playing alongside Jayson Tatum on this deep Celtics squad.
George hasn’t hid from the fact that he’s past his prime. He’s embraced it. It’s not hard to see how leaning into his role with the Cs can maximize his success in it. Plus, you’ll still get the occassional game like Tuesday, where he looks like prime Paul George.
And for that… we stan.
