Paul George is a better fit on the Celtics than he gets credit for

Boston Celtics George put out a playoff-caliber defensive intensity in his preseason debut. Paul George had a memorable preseason debut Saturday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) COMMENTARY It was hard to avoid the chatter when Celtics fans who’d hoped to land Giannis Antetokounmpo for Jaylen Brown witnessed their beloved franchise trade away its longest-tenured star for Paul George instead. Why give up Jaylen Brown for a package centered around an older, worse defender with the same skill set Brown already provided? That seemed to be the overwhelmingly widespread sentiment at the time. Well, it’s only been one preseason game, and George is already turning that narrative on its head. Because sure, he is older. That’s an indisputable fact. But George was — and remains — a star in the NBA. And he took his preseason debut seriously. Advertisement: George’s offensive stat line: 13 points, five rebounds, four assists. Relatively ordinary. But one metric stands out: five steals. Yes, five. Everyone please come watch Paul George on this sequence His defense has been crazy in this game already. His activity, defensive playmaking (3 steals), and on ball has been crazy Celtics taking the ball away and getting more easy buckets is gonna be huge https://t.co/xXrQ1JsvI9 pic.twitter.com/I8zgxhj1JG — Nik Land | NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) October 11, 2026 George flew all over the defensive end with an intensity as if he were playing in an elimination playoff game. Joe Mazzulla’s philosophies have clearly sunk right into George. He looked solely focused on winning a basketball game at all costs. Exhibition, regular season, NBA Finals, the setting didn’t matter. George came to compete. Sure, there could have been some extra juice involved with playing his former team. But that showing didn’t feel like George was motivated for the wrong reasons. He didn’t just want to stick it to the 76ers. He looked like he was proving he belonged in Boston. Advertisement: And belong he does. George seemed to be the perfect complement to the Celtics offense. He helps space the floor for Jayson Tatum. He got into a good rhythm with Payton Pritchard. Everything that Celtics fans could have hoped to see from the veteran, he delivered on. And George seems happy to assume the role of Robin to Tatum’s Batman, something that never seemed to fulfill Brown — which is within his rights, given that he came in a year before Tatum and developed into a superstar in his own right. But George has already been “the guy.” He said prior to Friday’s matchup that he’s ready to help Tatum step even further into the spotlight, and he reiterated it postgame. “My job is to try to make this as easy as possible for him,” George said. “Today was the first opportunity to kind of learn each other and get a feel for one another ... he’s going to be special, he knows how to make plays, how to get his own shot. But my aggression takes the pressure off him.” If George can stay healthy for even 70 percent of the season, this nucleus in Boston appears to be a force in the East once again. Now, that’s a big if, considering George has missed considerable amounts of time in the past. His durability will be held under a microscope, even though Boston should be able to manage his workload with some of the younger pieces of its surprisingly deep roster. Advertisement: George has never won an NBA championship. He never got close with the Indiana Pacers, and he didn’t make it all that far in his stints with the Thunder, Clippers, or 76ers, either. But Boston has a championship pedigree, and George still has the hunger to win the only thing he hasn’t been able to claim in his illustrious career: a Finals ring. So for all the negative buzz that surrounded the Brown-George trade, Boston might have struck gold with their new superstar. He’s bought in completely. “It’s like a badge of honor to wear that green,” George said. Colin McCarthy Sports producer Colin McCarthy is a sports producer who covers Boston’s professional teams and national sports news. Get the latest Boston sports news Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.