Six games is a small sample size in an 82-game season, but Paul George’s start with the Boston Celtics has made a strong case backing their reasoning that the trade for him was about fit as much as it was about talent. Boston is 5-1 to start the season, including five straight wins after an opening night loss, and George has been a big part of it.

Understandably, there were skeptics when the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown, a 30-year-old five-time All-Star and the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, for George, who is a nine-time All-Star himself but six years older at 36. Many were concerned about the move, even though Boston also received two first-round picks and two second-round picks, but the Celtics argued that George would fit better with the direction the team was taking, particularly in its offensive system.

The initial numbers support this. 

George is averaging 20.7 points, six rebounds, five assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three, making 3.2 threes per game. He kicked off the season with a bang in their opening night loss to the Detroit Pistons where he scored 38 points with five steals on 12-of-21 shooting, including 7-of-12 from three.

Boston has won five straight since, most recently 108-97 on the road over the Orlando Magic. Jayson Tatum found George for a three-pointer that pushed the Celtics’ lead to 106-95 with 1:32 left, and George finished with 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks–a complete two-way line.

While George may be older than the longtime Boston fixture Brown, his playmaking and three-point shooting remain superior, and he has been a much better match as a supporting star next to six-time All-Star Tatum. He has recorded at least seven assists in three consecutive games, the first time he has done that since April 2017, when he did it in the playoffs with the Indiana Pacers. At 36, he also has no issue ceding the spotlight to the 28-year-old Tatum, which was not necessarily the case with Brown.

Injuries remain the biggest risk for George though. Since the 2019-20 season, in which he played 48 games, he has topped 70 games played only once, appearing in 74 for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24.

If he can stay healthy though, this Celtics team is one to be reckoned with. So far, their “less is more” approach is working spectacularly. It remains to be seen what happens over this long season, especially come the playoffs, but the early signs are encouraging. Fit is often overlooked in the NBA, but Boston is making it a key point for the franchise, and the results are hard to argue with.