Those who are excited about Paul George joining the Boston Celtics are hyped more about his fit as a player than his talent. In his mid-30s, George is no longer the player he was at the top of his game, but he has transitioned more into an elite 3&D wing, which still makes him a highly impactful player.
His defense deserves more shine for what he can still do. Part of why George appealed to the Celtics was because of how much of a menace he was defensively in their first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. George's game tape goes beyond what he did in that series.
Paul George Defense in year 16, age 35 pic.twitter.com/PfUo3E7tA2
— Naylor (@Naylor408) August 6, 2026
However, one stat in particular points to George as one of the NBA's best defenders. BBall Index revealed that George was No. 4 among forwards in defensive playmaking, which included old friend Josh Minott.
For more context, per BBall Index themselves, the four components that quantify this stat are the following: Steals per 75 possessions, Deflections per 75 possessions, Blocks per 75 possessions, and Offensive Fouls Drawn per 75 possessions.
In other words, George is among the very best forwards in terms of ruining possessions for opponents and creating more possessions for his team. That's just perfect for Mazzulla Ball because one of his core components is "possession maxing" which means creating the most possessions possible for Boston and limiting as many possessions for their opponent as possible.
Boston will definitely handle George with care, but don't be surprised if their defense, which was already among the best in the league last season, is the most suffocating it's ever been under Mazzulla because of George's presence.
George's impact should still remain elite
The Celtics will not count on George the same way they counted on Jaylen Brown, which means it's likely that he will put up some of his career-worst numbers, but fans shouldn't worry about that because the same thing happened to Al Horford when he came to Boston. Despite lower numbers, it was clear as day why the Celtics was more than comfortable to pay Horford good money.
For what he can and can't do, George is definitely overpaid, but that position is not as bad as most make it out to be. That more stems from his inability to stay on the floor than anything else. If he can overcome that as a Celtic, and his presence leads to them winning as many games as they did last year (and maybe more), then there shouldn't be many complaints.
With George, it's not about the numbers anymore. It's about how he fits under Mazzulla Ball. His ability to force turnovers and limit possessions could play a very big role in how good the Celtics will be. When he arrived in Boston, George made it clear that he plans to give the team "everything."
If the on-court production matches the projected numbers, that "everything" will be more than enough.
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