BOSTON — A lot went right for the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. They thumped the rival Philadelphia 76ers 144-106 in preseason play thanks to their active defense and hot 3-point shooting — and the fact that their best players were active for a majority of the blowout victory. However, the shots weren't really falling for first-year Celtic Paul George during his TD Garden debut.
In about 25 minutes of play, the nine-time All-Star finished with 13 points on 30 percent shooting — the lowest field goal percentage of any Celtic who put up a shot on Saturday. After missing his first four field goal attempts, George cashed a triple late in the second quarter and then hung his head in an exasperated manner, as if he was saying to himself: "Finally."
"I'm still trying to find my way offensively and figuring out the system," George admitted in the locker room.
It's no secret that the Celtics don't have the most straightforward playbook. Yes, they take plenty of 3-pointers, but the offense installed by reigning NBA Coach of the Year Joe Mazzulla is much more complex than that.
"On the offensive end...it's just a timing thing," Mazzulla said of George's slow offensive start. "What we do is a very read-oriented thing. Timing is very important."
All 3 of George's turnovers came in the first half, yet he still managed to record 11 points, with 5 of those coming from free throws. Mazzulla connected these growing pains more to the team than George.
"That's on us," Mazzulla stated. "That's on me, Derek (White), and (Jayson Tatum) to put him in positions and bring the offense to him."
But, George didn't point any fingers. The 36-year-old actually thanked Mazzulla and company for their commitment to integrating him into the Celtics' system.
"It's been a challenge, a great challenge, and Joe has been extremely helpful in that," George said. "The guys have been extremely helpful in that process."
Paul George on his transition to the Celtics and how Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the Celtics have helped:
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) October 11, 2026
“I’m still trying to find my way offensively…it's been a challenge, a great challenge, and Joe has been extremely helpful in that. The guys have been extremely helpful in… pic.twitter.com/M1ERO7RIu8
Although the future Hall of Famer didn't have a seamless start on offense, there was no questioning his defensive prowess. George logged a game-high 5 steals via a game-high 6 deflections. This effort helped the Celtics dominate the turnover battle in the first half (13-8) and set the tone for a strong defensive performance overall.
"Great instincts, great technique, great positioning," Mazzulla replied when asked how George forces so many turnovers. "Something he takes pride in, and I do think it's very contagious."
The Celtics didn't trade for George in early July in the hopes of acquiring a pure scorer. They wanted a talented two-way player who could complement Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum on offense while remaining stout on the defensive side of the ball.
"Defensively is where I've always taken pride in making plays and trying to win every possession," George said.
If George can remain healthy and be a significant plus on defense, his shooting will become secondary. And while the Celtics would have loved for him to light it up from beyond the arc right out of the gate, that's not necessary.
His shot should come as he gets a better feel for the on-court flow of the team. Another progress check could arrive on Wednesday night, when the C's host the Charlotte Hornets in Boston for their penultimate preseason matchup.
"The fact that I can play preseason and be healthy to start the year off is amazing for me," George said. "So just riding along on that and building chemistry with these guys."
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Not everything about joining the Boston Celtics has gone seamlessly for Paul George
