In recent seasons, Paul George has largely become defined by his massive contract and his inability to stay healthy and on the court. It’s hard to say those criticisms haven’t been warranted, but this has overshadowed the fact that when he is on the court, PG is still a very good player, and if anything, he may actually be a bit underrated at this point.
But now, George appears to be healthy and very confident in where he’s at with his body, talking about how he believes he has figured out whatever has been ailing him and that he’ll be available this season.
At media day, he spoke about that and how his role has changed since he was an All-NBA player, but if he can just stay on the court, he’s going to make an impact. He certainly thinks he’s going to.
“It’s not about going out and trying to drop 30 every night. I think it's more so about being available, being efficient, being consistent, and I think, again, for myself, just proving that when healthy, I'm able to do what I've done in my career.”
And this is what George has always done. Celtics fans saw it firsthand last season in the playoffs. PG was healthy and was one of the best players in the series, scoring and shooting very efficiently and playing great defense on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
George can be elite in his role in Boston
Again, he’s not the superstar he once was, but the idea that he’s washed up is crazy. And it seems like, as the season is set to tip off, people are finally starting to take notice and realize that George is going to be an outstanding fit in Boston.
In a recent article for Heavy, Sean Deveney spoke to an anonymous executive who claimed that George’s contract has actually become a value, with only two years left on the deal and him coming off a great showing in the playoffs.
“He is not the player he was 10 years ago, but he still has that rare skillset and if a player has that, he’s got value. If he has that and he is on a short contract, that’s even more value.”
This pretty much captures what George brings to the table at this point. He’s a very high-IQ veteran player with a combination of size and athleticism. He’s an elite shooter, a guy who can run offense and beat defenders one-on-one; he can create his own shot and make plays for others, and he’s still an outstanding defender on the wing.
That’s extremely valuable, and yes, he’s probably overpaid, but the Celtics roster is loaded with cheap contracts for young players who make an impact, which offsets the big number attached to PG. They go 12-deep, and they’re under the luxury tax threshold, so the contract doesn’t really matter, and next year it will be expiring.
Everyone clowned on Brad Stevens and the Celtics when they traded Brown for PG and draft picks, but George and the Celtics are hungry and motivated to prove the doubters wrong and make sure they get the last laugh.
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