Does that coffee taste good this morning? It should do! The Boston Celtics are 9-2. They just beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Philly’s home floor, and we finally got the first Tatum vs. Brown game out of the way. I don’t care if it’s raining outside; in my head, right now, the sun is shining bright. If you want some more thoughts from last night’s game, head over to The Celtics Chronicle YouTube channel later today, where I’ll be talking C’s with former 17-year NBA veteran Eddie Johnson.
Celtics 123, Sixers 101
Oh, that score looks good, doesn’t it?
On a night that was supposed to be about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Paul George reminded everyone that he had his own part of the story, too. We’ve spent so long talking about Brown being shipped out that George’s role in the trade often becomes an afterthought.
Sure, we know he’s on the team now — he’s made sure of that. Yet, heading into Tuesday, George’s role in the matchup between the Celtics and Sixers was rarely floated as a talking point.
There’s less drama surrounding George’s position in all of this.
He dealt with injuries during his time in Philly. Many fans viewed his presence within the Brown trade package as nothing more than salary matching. Yet, for Boston’s decision-makers, George’s addition made sense.
“Paul’s a really good player,” Stevens said when speaking with the media after Boston traded away Brown. “He’s been a really good player for a long time. He’s one of the more impactful players with regard to winning, even as he’s aged in the NBA…We just think he’s a good fit for how we play…He’s very smart. He has a good feel for the game. He’s got a good savvy to him about the game, and I think that fits in with the rest of our lineup.”
At the time, plenty of Celtics fans saw this as lip service.
“Hey, we traded away one of your favorite Celtics in recent memory, but we didn’t get a clunker in return…I promise!” That's essentially how some sections of the fanbase interpreted Stevens' words, and honestly, looking at the last two years of George’s career, who could blame them?
That Paul George — the version Philly fans had to endure — isn’t this Paul George — the version Celtics fans are enjoying. And on a night where Brown and Tatum were the headline, George reminded the world that he can still be that guy.
36 points. 14 of them in the fourth quarter to close out the game.