The Early Returns On The Paul George Experience In Boston Have Been Even Better Than Our Wildest Dreams
Brian Babineau. Getty Images.I know ever since Adam Silver came up with the NBA Cup idea that it became the "cool" thing to shit all over it, call it stupid, try and pretend like it doesn't matter etc. I get that.
But you know what's also cool? Giving a shit. Respecting the Cup. Taking the tournament seriously. Never let anyone try to make you feel bad for caring or giving a shit about something. I don't care what it's about really, this is something that applies to anything in life, and for the purposes of this blog I'm talking about the NBA Cup.
I want it. There, I said it. I want the Cup. I care about the Cup. As long as it's something that exists and is something that a team can win, I care. I know it's not a Larry and will never be a Larry. That's fine. But it's still something to win, so I want it. Adam Silver wanted to create this new idea for fans to care about, fine. Hand up. That asshole got me.
But will the players care? Will they respect the Cup? That's really the only thing that matters at the end of the day.
Thankfully, it looks as though the Celtics respect the Cup. Maybe there's some extra motivation because the Finals is being played at Butler? Whatever, I don't care what the reason is as long as we continue to see this team actually give a shit in these games.
Given that the season is still so new, we're still in this weird limbo stage. We don't really know what this team is yet. The sample size is still too small to really form any conclusions over the data, and they're actually winning games while being pretty bad in most of the ways/areas we expected them to dominate. Is that a good sign or a bad sign? On one hand, that intrigues me because it means they're finding other ways to win, and on the other hand it very much concerns me because the areas they're struggling in are the foundation of how they're built and how they play.
Giphy Images.
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And let's be honest, beating up on the Bulls twice in three games does sort of skew things a little bit. Against better competition, we saw some of these issues become a bit of a problem, and to me that's what really matters.
But if we are to just focus on the present and how they approached and performed in their first Cup game? Not bad. Not perfect, but we certainly had our moments. Let's begin.
The Good
- Once the Paul George trade was complete and we got the news that he was officially switching back to #13, I think we all thought the same thing
May I present to you, Paul George in 2026-27
Last night? 18/6/8/3 and a +8 in his 26 minutes.
For the season?
Sound familiar? Was it really as simple as just putting Paul George back into his #13 jersey? Because make no mistake, Paul George is playing at an All Star level. At the very least we are getting the 2023-24 version, who was an All Star. The fit with Tatum has been seamless, just like we thought it would be. That was one of the pros of the entire trade. George's ability to not only slide in as an elite off ball player, but someone that is also a naturally gifted passer.
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Having now watched him for 5 games, it's hard not to be completely head over heels for what George is currently doing defensively. It's changed everything.
How good has he been?
When it comes to his stop percentage, George ranks in the 94th percentile. His 2.4 steals? 99th percentile. How about deflections? His 4.8 ranks in the 100th percentile. How about forcing turnover percentage? I'm glad you asked. His 2.6% ranks in the 99th percentile.
Then on the other end he's giving you 40% three point shooting and plus playmaking. I mean holy shit. To say he's been even better than our wildest dreams doesn't even really do it justice, that's how good he's been. The activity, the skillset, it's all been near perfect. I will say the influx of long 2s makes me a little nervous as I don't believe that to be a sustainable shot for any elite offense, but outside of that I have zero complaints.
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- We all know that when the Celtics get aggressive Payton Pritchard, it completely changes the ceiling of their basketball team. You know it, I know it, Joe knows it, and even Payton knows it. Coming off a bit of a no show against the Nets, Payton wasted no time getting back to normal against the Bulls who he had just cooked a few days prior
The idea of Payton giving a bad team the belt isn't exactly new. It's what he does. This isn't to discredit it, the Celts absolutely needed his 30 bomb in this win. His production is what helped turn this into a blowout. He was getting into the paint, he was letting it rip from deep, he was active on the glass, I would say Payton was much better in all of the areas that the team will need him to be solid in moving forward.
After the game he talked about how Joe challenged him and he felt his defense and rebounding was dogshit the last few games and to really start the season, and I wouldn't disagree. I didn't even realize his REB% has been nearly cut in half, from 11% to 6%.
I do still have concerns about production against big, tough, physical defenses which is ultimately what the playoffs will be, but there will be plenty of opportunities to see how that looks over the course of 82. It is also important that as one of the best players on the team, when you're facing a team you should dominate, that you dominate. So I will not turn my nose up at this 30 ball. It's the Cup. It helped create the point differential that's very important in this round.
But consistency is what I care about most. Can't have this one no show followed by a 30 bomb followed by a no show. I'm also watching the balance between Payton getting going and filling his role while also making sure Tatum is getting his touches when they share the floor together. That'll be important.
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- If it feels like the Celts are passing the ball better/more to start the season. It's because they are. Not a huge jump, but a jump nonetheless
I will inform you that when Tatum returned on 3/6 last year the Celts averaged 291 passes the rest of the way, so to me this is more about getting their best playmaker back while also adding a plus passer in George. This team has always shown the ability to move the ball at an elite level, the 2024 Celts played some of the most beautiful basketball the sport has ever seen.
For this group, I think it's a combination of the Tatum/George additions as well as a slight shift in approach. We've seen such a massive jump in off screen offense, in fact the Celts lead the NBA in it. Guys are moving without the ball, cutting to the rim, and finding other ways to score. Their Cut frequency is higher than last season and as a result their restricted area FGA are up. Given that change, it's no surprise their assists have gone up slightly from 24 to 27. They're finding ways to get to the rim, including their best player
The Celts finished with 28 AST in this win, while only making 10 3PM. A total of 58 points in the paint and only 32 3PA.
But remember, all the Celtics do is jack 3s!!!!!
- How hot of a take is it to suggest that Sam Hauser has been the 3rd best Celtic to start the season? I don't think it's particularly hot, I just think it's what's happened.
On both ends of the floor, Hauser has been rock solid. When he's had to make his open looks, he's made them. When he's had to hold his own defensively, he's held firm. He's rebounding. The fit next to Tatum and George is looking insane so far in their small sample
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Considering none of the young wings have really separated themselves, the Hauser production is very important. I'm not really sure why there are so many Celts fans who seem to be ready or willing to move off of Hauser. He's really fucking good, and his fit with the best players is tremendous. All while being on a good value deal. Those are the assets you keep!
It's not as if he went crazy in this game, just a solid 2-4 from deep and a +12 in his minutes. That's the role, that's what I'm looking for.
- The end of the game sort of put the FTA numbers a little out of whack, but I will say it was notable that Tatum got to the line 8 times in this win. One of the big areas of concern heading into the season was who the hell was going to get to the FT line for a team that didn't even really get to the FT line in the first place.
So far? Tatum is holding up his end of the bargain. He's currently sitting at a 41.5% FTAr, which is obviously the highest of his career. Some may say that's heavily impacted by the 20 FTA game, but remember he also had a 1 FTA game in the opener, so that levels out.
To begin the season Tatum is taking fewer 3PA, more midrange FGA, more paint and rim FGA and more FTAs. Interesting start.
The Bad
- You may say, Greenie, how could you even have much to complain about in a game the Celtics led by 32? Good question. because despite the blowout score, we're still seeing some early warning signs that I feel are pretty significant when we talk about the bigger picture and eventual ceiling of this team.
I would like to begin with the rebounding. Something that heading into the season was VERY high on the list of supposed strengths. We all were aligned there. That was the consensus.
The reality? The Celtics have been complete dogshit on the glass, both offense and defensive. I would argue their performance on both in this win was one of the most disgusting things I've ever watched them do. Allowing 20 OREB? Losing the REB battle by 10? Only securing 9 OREBs yourself?
Giphy Images.I'm sorry, not good! For this team to rank 21st in OREB% and 25th in REB% is beyond inexcusable. Mitchell Robinson only securing 4 rebounds (2 OREB) in 18 minutes is horrendous. Neemy only 1 OREB in 19 minutes while also fumbling DREBs leading to points? Very bad!
Now here's the spinzone. The Celts began last season 30th in rebounding, and ended the year near the top of the league. What was a weakness became a strength. So, there's certainly a pathway to improvement.
But the reality is, they have not been getting anywhere CLOSE to what they need from both bigs in the rebounding department, and really Mitch overall. I'd say that's the biggest concern. He's not defending, he's not rebounding, and his screening might be the worst we've ever seen. At some point, you have to make contact! You have to ya know, help create the advantage!
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Why is that important? Because the whole premise of Mazzulla Ball is creating the 2-on-1 advantage! If you aren't generating extra possessions via OREBs, and you're not helping create 2-on-1s with your screening, and you're not defending, then what the fuck are you doing?
At some point you have to wonder when does it make sense to swap Neemy/Mitch and put them back into their previous roles. I get allowing the sample to grow, but the trend is the trend.
- Overall to start the season I'd say Jordan Walsh has been "fine". I'd say Hugo and Baylor have also been "fine". To some that may seem OK, but it's actually not that great. Brad talked at the end of last year about how nobody separated themselves, and I think this game was a good example of that.
Walsh couldn't stop fouling 3pt shooters which was a disaster, and he missed both his open looks. Baylor was great in terms fo crashing the glass, but he didn't really provide much else. Hugo mostly put up some cardio in his 15 minutes.
Against a bad team, my expectations for those three are much higher than what we saw in this game. Again, outside of the Baylor OREBs, there really didn't seem to be much impact by any of them. This was billed as a leap year for them all, and so far we haven't really seen any evidence of a true leap. It's more just a continuation of what we saw last year in spurts.
- You may be wondering where Jayson Tatum falls in all this. While his 26/7/7 was nice, I actually didn't totally love how he played. This felt more like your classic Tatum troll performance. He was awesome early, and then was just sort of out there in the 2nd half. He finished 2-9 over his final 16 minutes and was a -15 in those minutes. That's, not great.
I honestly think he's just the worst stat padder in history. Unlike many others in the league, Tatum can't do it. It's almost like he's too ethical of a hooper or something. This should have been an easy 30-40 ball given his start, but once the Celts got up 30 he just started settling, and once that happens we know things tend to go south.
It's probably a pretty good sign that a "bad" Tatum night is 26/7/7 and a +5 in 34 minutes, but by his standards he certainly has played better. A 7:4 assist to turnover ratio is kind of gross, he fouled a bunch and he missed 2 FTs while going 2-7 from deep. You do all that, you end up in this section.
The Ugly
- Whatever the hell that 2nd half was. Holy Christ was that tough to watch. What makes it even worse is point differential matters in the Cup. You need to maintain blowouts when you have one. Instead, the Celts did this
Pretty horrendous everywhere you look and the Celts paid the price. They should be leading their Group right now but find themselves in 2nd all because of their +14 differential. Had they not played like complete dickheads over the final 24 minutes, that probably ends +20 or higher and they lead their group. I get it, that may not matter to YOU, but around these parts we care about the Cup and as such, these things matter.
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I do think it's pretty remarkable that a team can be that bad across the board. 36/20% splits? 7 missed FTs? Only 20 REB? 10 assists to 8 TOs? 16 fouls and only 47 total points while giving up 62? That's some of the worst basketball you're ever going to see. Period.
- Shoutout Caleb Wilson man. What a player. The Celts didn't really have an answer for him and after two games against him I walk away so impressed. That's A GUY. Sometimes you know it when you see it, and it's pretty clear with Caleb Wilson. The three level scoring, the athleticism, the motor and two way ability, the care factor, he has it all.
So look, 4 in a row is 4 in a row. Life is about to get a whole lot more difficult in the month of November with the Celts basically never playing at home, and the competition will be tougher. But a 4-1 start is a 4-1 start and I'd say that's pretty good considering this team hasn't even scratched the surface of what they can become.