Woes were at an all-time high when the Boston Celtics traded away Jaylen Brown. For the first time since Jayson Tatum got drafted, he will have a new running mate. Obviously, there were some doubts about how the veteran wing fits into Coach Joe Mazzulla's system. Now, many of those worries seem to have dissipated after their 144-106 NBA Preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Why? It's all because Paul George is a perfect fit on the wings for their superstar.
Celtics' Tatum drops honest George evaluation after NBA Preseason win over 76ers
The expectation was that the Celtics would dip in production after Jaylen Brown, a top-five NBA MVP candidate during the 2025-26 NBA season, parted ways with them. However, Paul George's NBA Preseason debut with Jayson Tatum has now erased all of those expected pitfalls. They won by a whopping 38 points against a squad that featured Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
All the outside noise never seemed to distract the Celtics after they acquired George. Jayson Tatum's opinion mattered most because it underpins their team chemistry. In that regard, it seems the superstar is loving his new running mate at the wing, via Jay King of The Athletic.
"All summer, in training camp, we’ve always been on different teams. So that was cool, for all of us to just kind of be on the same team today. It was great because we’ve been teammates for a few months now, but it was like my first time sharing the floor with him and being on the same team. Somebody that I’ve obviously admired for a very, very long time, and when I was in high school and college and competing against him and now to be on the same team and to see some of the special things that he brings to the team," Tatum declared after their win over the 76ers.
Paul George Celtics debut: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 5 STL, 3/10 FG https://t.co/tCbEzIpOLC
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 11, 2026Both Tatum and George had stellar NBA Preseason outings to beat one of the supposed title favorites. Coach Mazzulla gave George 25 minutes, and he seemed to mesh well with the squad. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. He still has work to do after shooting 30% from the field, 28.6% from three-point range, and committing three turnovers. But he has proven he can get out of those slumps.
Tatum, on the other hand, started looking like his All-NBA self against the 76ers. Coach Mazzulla trusted him with 27 minutes, and he made the most of every second. He finished with 23 points on 47.4% shooting from the field and 40% from three-point range. The Celtics star's all-around prowess was also on display, as shown by his five rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
George has been in the NBA for a long time; Tatum was still in high school when the veteran found his footing with the Indiana Pacers in the early 2010s. His veteran acumen will be needed on this Celtics squad gunning for a 19th NBA championship while proving they can do without Brown on the payroll.
