Celtics Regular Season Thread 2026-27

[byennie]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

[Goldstar88]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

Thank you! byennie, the voice of reason.

[Neurotic Guy]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

[Goldstar88]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

One thing to consider is how much less mileage PG13 has on his body when compared to some other players around his age. KD has played in 300 more NBA games than George. Harden has played in almost 400 more games.

[Who]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

One thing to consider is how much less mileage PG13 has on his body when compared to some other players around his age. KD has played in 300 more NBA games than George. Harden has played in almost 400 more games.

Woh, that is a lot of games.

[Ilikesports17]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

One thing to consider is how much less mileage PG13 has on his body when compared to some other players around his age. KD has played in 300 more NBA games than George. Harden has played in almost 400 more games.

Woh, that is a lot of games.

Would you rather have another 300 healthy games of wear and tear? Or wear and tear from enough injuries to keep you out for an extr 300 games.

[Roy H.]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I wouldn't describe his improvement in shooting and efficiency as "tiny".  His eFG% and TS% are career highs.  Going from a .514 and.534 eFG% in Philly to .601 in Boston is a gigantic leap.  I think that's the biggest change.

[byennie]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I wouldn't describe his improvement in shooting and efficiency as "tiny".  His eFG% and TS% are career highs.  Going from a .514 and.534 eFG% in Philly to .601 in Boston is a gigantic leap.  I think that's the biggest change.

He could have gone 7/22 last night instead of 14/22 and it would have erased all of his season gains in a single night. I agree he looks good, and I hope it's a sign of continued success, but it's definitely not statistically significant at all as of now. His free throw rate, rebounding assists, blocks, steals are practically identical to the last few years. He's taking 2 more shots per night, committing more turnovers, and made like 5-10 more shots that expected in 10 games. And he's doing this while healthy and happy, which doesn't hurt.

Not to be the Debbie Downer, I'm sure hoping this is the Paul George we get when it matters. But this 10 game stretch couldn't be much more normal for him when healthy.

[Goldstar88]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

One thing to consider is how much less mileage PG13 has on his body when compared to some other players around his age. KD has played in 300 more NBA games than George. Harden has played in almost 400 more games.

Woh, that is a lot of games.

Would you rather have another 300 healthy games of wear and tear? Or wear and tear from enough injuries to keep you out for an extr 300 games.

The major injuries George had were the broken leg in 2014, injuries to both shoulders in 2019 and then a knee scope in 2025. Considering these injuries were to all different parts of the body and the most significant injury was 12 years ago I think the less games played is beneficial at this stage of his career. He looks years younger than Harden who is the same age.

[Neurotic Guy]

Why are folks making it sound like PG13 is putting up gaudy numbers? He?s not. 22pts per game is not crazy, especially with how well he shoots the 3 ball.

Indeed, it feels like everyone got caught up in the JB drama and has no idea how good George is. He's playing at almost exactly the same level as the past 3 years, with a couple more FGA than the past 2. A tiny uptick in shooting percentage over 10 games.

That's it -- this is exactly his level, he's just missed almost half of his games the last 7 years.

I think people (at least me) are not just impressed with production but with how he looks on the court.  He really plays like an in his prime player - looks 28, not 36.  His movements are comfortable and fluid - and his defense is exceptional - hasn't seemed to have lost a step there.  I haven't paid much attention to PG in recent years - I thought of him a while back as a perennial top ten player, but in recent years perceived him to be often injured and as a player not helping his teams (because of the injuries... and the suspension). He played well in the playoff series in the spring.  That felt like good timing for him/Philly and bad timing for us.

I think when the trade happened I assumed he'd be a nice 3rd option type player on offense with good D pedigree.  I expected 15 efficient ppg.  That was clearly underestimating him. He is our #2 option, and he's a good one.  Obviously, the fear (expectation) is that he'll be injured at some point, but watching him play he definitely isn't a fragile looking player and isn't one of those guys who always seems to come up limping, or have aches and pains here or there (like MR).  Guy dives and hustles - plays smart, shoots well, and defends at a high level.  If you had to make a top 30 NBA players list at this moment, he'd be ahead of Jaylen Brown.

One thing to consider is how much less mileage PG13 has on his body when compared to some other players around his age. KD has played in 300 more NBA games than George. Harden has played in almost 400 more games.

Woh, that is a lot of games.

Harden has averaged about 70 games per season in his career.  So, that?s nearly 6 more seasons Harden has played than PG. Wow.

[Vermont Green]

For the 9 seasons after coming back from his broken leg, Paul George averaged about 64 games per season and between 22-28 pts/gm.  Then in 2 seasons in PHI, he averaged 39 games per season and between 16-17 pts/gm.  That is 11 seasons since the broken leg.  There have been a lot of missed games in that 11 seasons, but a lot of really good basketball too.

I feel like this level of performance is sustainable.  His production is not so different than his last 11 seasons in aggregate.  To me, he looks very comfortable getting this level of production.  The game is just coming to him.  The kinds of shots he is making, I believe he can continue to make.  To me, it is not just about the stats but also how the player looks getting those stats.

Whether he can stay on the court is a different question.  I don't know if some nagging (or worse) injury is right around the corner but right now, he looks very healthy.  He had (5) 70+ game seasons in that 11 season run, the most recent in 2023-24.  Then there were the (2) PHI seasons.  I think what we are seeing is how PG looks when he is healthy, even at age 36.  He is still that good.  This is not outlier production.  Maybe a 74 game season is an outlier, maybe the 37 game PHI season is an outlier, but the current production does not seem like an outlier to me.