On Saturday, October 10, Paul George made his preseason debut for the Boston Celtics. George, 36, was impressive, helping the Celtics secure a blowout win over a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers while playing high-level defense. In 25 minutes, George grabbed five steals, six deflections, five rebounds, four assists, and 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Most importantly, though, the Celtics played a free-flowing brand of basketball. The ball moved at pace, with Boston looking to kick the rock ahead and force transition play whenever possible. In the half-court, the Celtics ran shooters off screens, athletic finishers made cuts to the rim, and pick-and-roll actions rarely turned into mismatch-hunting isolations. George played a role in all of that,
getting his first taste of playing alongside Jayson Tatum and the rest of his new teammates.
From the moment the Celtics acquired George in the controversial Jaylen Brown trade, the messaging was that he would be a strong complementary fit next to Tatum. The move was made to elevate Tatum while putting a team around him that would accentuate his skill set and gravity.
Speaking on a recent episode of his "7 PM In Brooklyn" podcast, former NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony praised George's fit with Boston, noting that at this stage in his career, George was one of the complementary fits Boston could put next to Tatum.
"It's so easy for Paul George to come into Boston right now and fit in, and play basketball, enjoy basketball," Anthony said. "Boston has already let it be known that this is Jayson Tatum's team. You're not coming in here to be anybody else...They went and got one of the best complementary players, at this point in his career, to put alongside JT. It's no pressure for PG. He's done this before: Kawhi (Leonard), Russ (Westbrook). He's been doing it. So there's no pressure on him but to go in there and play basketball."
The biggest concern around George's addition to the Celtics is his recent struggles to stay healthy. There's no denying his fit within the system and as a secondary star. However, for Boston to benefit from the addition of George, he has to be on the floor. If he can put his health issues behind him, and what we saw against the Sixers is a sign of things to come, the Celtics will be a serious threat this season.
George has landed in an ideal spot for this juncture in his career. Whether it succeeds will remain to be seen.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Paul George can play without pressure for the Boston Celtics
