Say what you will about Paul George and his outlook with the Boston Celtics (namely his injury concerns, the fact that he was acquired for Jaylen Brown, and the fact that he's 100 years old in NBA years), there is absolutely a world that exists where he is an incredible fit for the team and can actually help them compete.
Boston doesn't necessarily need George to turn back the clock to his Indiana Pacers days. He doesn't need to be a star or a 1B-type of player on this Celtics team. He needs to do exactly what he did with the Philadelphia 76ers by taking on more of a connector/complementary role (defend at a high level, playmake a bit, hit some threes, and just make life easier for Jayson Tatum), and take over when needed.
If the Fresno State alum can and is willing to do that, then there are reasons to believe that he and the Celtics can have a happy relationship. And as things stand, it seems like George is 100% on board.
Paul George knows what his best role with the Celtics is
During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, George spoke about what he expects his role to be in Boston, and he made it crystal clear that he's not trying to take Tatum's spot as the top guy; he's here to complement him and get the most out of him and himself.
“We have a superstar, and that's JT,” George said. “I'm not here to necessarily steal the shine or try to reinvent who I am. I'm here to help JT, and he's the guy. I played alongside another superstar wing, and we coexisted beautifully. I see that with myself. I see that with JT being able to play off him, being able to help him, being able to kind of still be a mentor."
“I can play off another superstar wing and still bring a presence, and still be on the side of doing everything to win.”
This should be music to Celtics fans' ears.
Everybody saw firsthand that George can still play at a high level (need I remind you that he may have played the single biggest role in Philadelphia's first-round upset against the Celtics last season?), and even though he's not Jaylen Brown, he can still be a great partner-in-crime for Tatum (and, on paper, is a better fit in this system anyway). The fact that he doesn't have an ego and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team be as successful as possible (and not focus on his own personal agenda, which would be valid in an "I have to prove I still have a lot left in the tank" type of way) means he is geared up to help Boston win some games.
Is Banner 19 on the horizon for the Celtics? Only time will tell. The team went through a wild offseason, and many are counting them out already, but they still have a fantastic team and shouldn't be taken lightly next season. And if George can stay healthy (which he seemingly believes he can and will), then the ceiling for Boston is incredibly high.
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