It's true that the Boston Celtics trading for Paul George came with a lot of hefty backlash. Over time, though, it became easier to see that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if George fits into Joe Mazzulla's basketball philosophy. We're two games into the season, and surprise, surprise. George doesn't just look good. He's passed every test to start.
George surprised even his biggest optimists when he went off on Detroit on Opening Day. In a way, it made the Celtics' loss even more frustrating, knowing his performance went to waste. However, even if there's a solid chance he won't score that many again, his debut proved how electric he can still be.
He didn't put up nearly as good a performance against New York. That is, as a scorer, but George's presence was still very much felt. Between hitting buzzer-beating threes (that ultimately made the difference in a four-point win), hitting timely shots to keep the Knicks at arm's length, and, oh boy, forcing all of those turnovers.
This season is still extremely young, but for a player that many thought would be hard to embrace once he became a Celtic back in July, two games in, now everyone's asking what's there not to like?
George doesn't have to put up 38 to be a game-changer
While, of course, Boston would love to see George put up the dazzling scoring numbers he did against Detroit, it's clear how much of a difference he makes even when his shot isn't on the money like it was in Motown.
His defensive highlights show just how sharp his instincts are and how good of a playmaker he is on that end of the floor. The Knicks were flustered by how active George is on that end. Hitting three threes also wasn't too shabby. Jayson Tatum was the one who put the Knicks away, but George factored into how they never managed to secure the comeback victory.
15 points won't blow anyone away, but when Boston gets a much-needed win this early on in the season against the reigning NBA Champions and one of the best teams in the league, George should get the credit he deserves.
Now, he's going to have his bad games, guys. That much is for sure. He's going to have games where he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. However, it's taken him absolutely no time for him to show the Celtics precisely why they got him. Even his shot isn't on the money, he changes a lot for Boston that makes them a hard force to stop.
No one's saying he'll make another All-Star team, but George is shaping up to fill the shoes left by Al Horford in his second go-round with the Celtics. Maybe even better...
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