Nobody is trying to say that Paul George is a better overall player than Jaylen Brown at this point. But what one could argue, and what the Celtics likely believe (at least to an extent), is that PG is the better complementary player. A team with JB as its number one option is going a lot further than a PG-13 one in 2026; that’s not up for debate.Â
But a team with a clear superstar looking for more of a sidekick number two than a similar 1b option could conceivably prefer George. Brown was the lynchpin for Boston last season as their alpha, carrying an outrageous burden and putting up numbers on a nightly basis en route to 56 wins and a two seed.
The Celtics needed that production, of course, but their success was built around maximizing their possessions and limiting their opponents’. When Boston outrebounded its opponents, attempted more threes, and won the turnover battle, they were essentially unbeatable. And for all the good that JB did, he wasn’t the best contributor in those departments.
PG should help Boston win the turnover battle
He’s a great on-ball defender, especially when he’s locked in, but he doesn’t create turnovers on defense. He had just 1.0 steal per game last season and 1.5 per 100 possessions. George, on the other hand, even at his age, is great at turning his man over, accounting for 1.7 steals per game last season and 2.6 per 100 possessions.
On the other end of the court, Paul is also much more secure with the ball than Jaylen, turning it over just 1.7 times per game and 2.7 per 100, whereas Jaylen was up at 3.6 and 5.4, respectively. That’s a swing of 3-5 possessions per game that can make a gigantic difference, especially with live-ball turnovers that lead to transition baskets.
Paul George is a better 3-point shooter than Jaylen Brown
The math advantage swings further towards George when you look at three-point shooting. Brown is the better scorer, but he shot just 34.7% from distance last season on 5.7 attempts per game. George has become a marksman over the course of his career and shot 39.2% last year on 6.9 attempts per game.
Boston is going to miss a lot of things about Jaylen Brown on and off the court, and certain things he brought are irreplaceable. This team is going to need a lot of guys to step it up and try to help fill Brown's massive shoes.
But in terms of the Mazzulla-Ball scheme that drives winning, in a weird way, Paul George should actually be a better fit as a secondary option next to Jayson Tatum, which is clearly what the Celtics want.
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