The 76ers may have beaten the Celtics in the playoffs last season, erasing a 3-1 deficit for an improbable and impressive series win. And yes, Paul George played a pivotal role in that comeback, channeling the fountain of youth for at least a few days. But apparently, that wasn’t enough, and PG simply wasn’t enjoying his time in Philly, playing with Joel Embiid.
He hasn’t even appeared in a regular season game with Boston yet, and George is already noticing the difference in playing for the Sixers versus the Celtics, explaining to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he has found his love for the game of basketball again.
“I’m ecstatic with being here, being around these guys, like they brought something else out of me that, to be quite frank, has been buried… and that’s just a different passion. There’s a love again for this game”
As a Celtics fan, this is obviously very exciting to hear. We all know what a great player PG is and was, and that he’s headed to the Hall of Fame whenever it’s all said and done. But the idea that he can have a resurgence in Boston and give the Celtics a few more great years at a near All-Star level as he tries to chase his first championship would be incredible.
George's confidence and excitement are great news for Celtics
I’ve already been thrilled with what I’ve seen from George, but this kind of rhetoric gets me even more fired up. For whatever reason, he really didn’t look like himself in Philadelphia, and perhaps he’s suggesting why that may have been the case with some of these quotes.
George and Kawhi Leonard were supposed to compete for the title in LA, but things never quite worked out for the Clippers, and when they clearly decided they didn’t want to extend him for a max, he seemed happy enough to leave for the Sixers and team up with Embiid.
PG seems to like playing with Jayson Tatum a lot better than Joel Embiid
But after two years of wondering whether or not Embiid will be in the lineup, and doing a lot of standing in the corner while Embiid and Tyrese Maxey took turns running the show, George seems thrilled to be on the move again and to be joining and supporting a new superstar in Jayson Tatum.
There’s a pretty stark contrast in the way the two teams play, and George isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to which he prefers. We’ve heard all summer long about the vibes in Boston and how everyone on the roster has come together and gotten on the same page, and this is just further proof of concept.
The team looked like a two-way buzzsaw in the preseason, but ultimately, that means nothing. We’re about to roll the balls out and start the season for real, and that’s when we’ll finally get to find out how much all of these vibes really matter, how much the Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade has impacted the two teams, and if the Boston Celtics are still championship contenders. Personally, I can’t wait.
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