When the Boston Celtics brought Al Horford back for Round 2, many had believed that because Horford was a disaster in Philadelphia, his best days were long behind him. Even as the Celtics inititally struggled out of the gate, something was immediately clear: Horford was far from washed.
It would have been perfectly fine if Horford was roughly 75% of the player he was in his first go-round in Boston, but nope. Horford was more like 90% of that same player, and perhaps even more. The difference was that Boston did not depend on him as much as they did from 2016 to 2019. It didn't matter because Horford looking mostly as good as ever was a great development for Boston.
Part of that was also because the Celtics put Horford in the position to thrive. Now, they're asking the same thing out of Paul George.
Finding out the Celtics acquired George for Jaylen Brown was met with backlash because of George's age and his numbers aren't as impressive as they once were. However, George was also perhaps the biggest reason why Philadelphia stopped Boston in their tracks, as his two-way play killed the Celtics on both ends.
Asking him to be a star might be pushing it, but asking him to be the kind of game-changer Horford was is not too big of an ask. For what George isn't anymore, he still is an excellent three-point shooter, a smart defender, and smart at using his size.
It's also possible that, like Horford did in his time there, George wasn't a great fit for the Sixers and simply needed a fresh start. No one's saying turning back the clock is a sure thing for George, but now he has the chance to prove the rumors of him being "washed" were greatly exaggerated.
If George has Horford-like season, Boston will be dangerous
Horford didn't have an All-Star campaign in his return to Boston, but proved he was still was a game-changer in all the ways he affected the game on both sides of the floor. If George does something similar as a Celtic, it makes Boston a harder team to stop.
Horford's appeal as a player wasn't that he was a superstar, but he helped Boston play flawless basketball, which made them hard to beat year in and year out in almost every season he played for the team. Boston may have to limit George's playing time like they did with Horford, but they did that to keep him fresh in the postseason.
But the Celtics are a team that likes to use its depth when they have to, so it all fits perfectly. If it all leads to George having a Horford-like resurgence, thus making Boston as good as ever, that could be the best the Celtics could realistically hope for.
Add us as a preferred source on Google