There were reasons to believe Paul George could be a great addition to the Boston Celtics (showed he still has a lot left in the tank in the first round of the playoffs last season, is a great fit in this system, and has a history of playing second fiddle), but a few weeks into his tenure with the team, it has been even better than everybody had hoped for.
The idea was that George could come to Boston, be a great sidekick and complement to Jayson Tatum, and just fill in the margins. That has happened, but even beyond that, the California native is having a fantastic individual season so far, and if he can stay healthy (which is a big if), then he should be a big part of the Celtics' success this season. We're already starting to see how and why.
Paul George has been tremendous in Boston
Through his first nine games with the Celtics, George is averaging 20.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 2.3 SPG, on 46.5/42.5/80.8% shooting splits. He is also doing a fantastic job defensively (one-on-one defense, diving for loose balls, etc.). He's moving the ball around. He's scoring well and doing a good job of getting his shots up, whether it's off the dribble, a catch-and-shoot situation, or even getting to the basket. And he's boxing out and is active on the glass.
George is playing very well for the Celtics, and he's helping them win games. Not only has he been a great fit next to Tatum, but he's also showing he has a lot left in the tank as someone who can step up and lead a team. Whether Tatum is out for the game or on the bench, George is doing a fantastic job as the go-to guy.
In Boston's only game without Tatum this season (he sat out for rest purposes against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 4), the Fresno State alum scored 25 points on 8-for-18 shooting (including 5-for-9 from deep). He also recorded five assists, three rebounds, and four steals in 35 minutes and led the Celtics to a victory.
George also had a great performance against the Detroit Pistons in the season opener (he scored 38 points while shooting 12-for-21 from the field and 7-for-12 from deep, which is the most by any Celtic during his debut), and he was fantastic against Milwaukee again on Sunday night (team-high 27 points, 11-for-18 from the field, 5-for-11 from deep, three rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 28 minutes).
It's clear that the Celtics are Tatum's team, but George has been everything the team has asked him to be and more, and he deserves a ton of credit for Boston's great start to the season.
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