Paul George is in Boston with this mission in mind: play Robin to the one guy who’s clearly the Celtics’ batman.
“I’m not here to necessarily steal the shine or reinvent who I am,” Boston’s big offseason trade acquisition said during his introductory press conference Tuesday. “I’m here to help JT, and he’s the guy, right? I’ve played alongside another superstar wing, and we coexisted beautifully, and so I see that with myself. I see that with JT, being able to play off him, being able to help him.”
In that one answer, (to a question tossed out by MassLive’s Matt Vautour about whether George, a nine-time All-Star, still considers himself a superstar), George presented a self-awareness and focus on harmony that could serve the team’s chemistry very well.
George realizes how many fans reacted to the team’s trade for him, a deal in which they gave up 29-year-old, All-Pro wing Jaylen Brown. Brown had just led the team to overachievement in the regular season while Tatum recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon. But following Tatum’s return, the Celtics suffered a first-round exit from the playoffs, to none other than George’s Philadelphia 76ers.
“Listen, I understand the circumstances. I understand how huge JB was, not only for the organization, but here in the city. So, I didn't take it personal,” he said. “To be honest, they should have a relationship emotionally to that trade.”
“To be honest, it's fair, but [it’s] just one foot in front of the other. Hopefully, with how we start this year, they understand this is a new team and something that they can be proud of,” he continued.
As both Tatum and Brown ascended in both talent and stardom over the last decade, the questions from the outside about who was the team’s ultimate alpha only grew as well. For the clear downside the Brown-George trade presents, (George, 36, has been injury-plagued over the last two seasons), his perspective could be a big change for Tatum.
Ditto for Mike Conley Jr., who the Celtics introduced with George at the Auerbach practice facility two months after the Brown trade went down. The original plan was for free agent Mitchell Robinson to join the availability. Personal reasons called him away from the building day-of.
Conley described how he and guard Payton Pritchard have spent time working out one-on-one before running five-on-five with teammates.
“I’m excited to get my hands on different opportunities and get my brain to as much of those guys that are willing to listen and willing to learn from anything and any input I have,” Conley said.
George has been through everything but a championship, including superstardom and devastating injury. He comes to Boston presenting a spirit resembling that of Jrue Holiday when he joined the team in 2023 – albeit under quite different circumstances. Holiday joined the Celtics after a celebratory offseason in a trade in which Boston looked like a front office happy to pick off another team’s discarded star. The shoe is on the other foot for the Celtics now, at least in the realm of public opinion, but George presents as clear-eyed and realistic.
The biggest question for the Celtics, especially pertaining to George, is how much their presumed starters and offseason additions will actually be on the floor together this season. George played just 37 games last year, (partially due to the 25-game suspension he served as punishment for violating the league’s anti-drug policy), and 41 games the year before. Between 2019 and 2023 with the Clippers, he averaged just 47 games a season. Robinson had a three-season stretch from 2022 to 2025 when he averaged 35 games a year. Tatum initially looked spectacular after returning from his injury, but missed Game 7 of the Sixers series with injury. He may be managed more carefully across a full season.
The Celtics won’t be able to dodge direct comparisons to the Sixers this fall. Philadelphia threw salt on the wound when they signed LeBron James after the Brown trade.
While Celtics fans hold their breath for a sign that a master final plan will reveal itself in time, George, at least, understands why he’s here, and what the priority will be.
