Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, left, chases a loose ball past Boston Celtics' Neemias Queta during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, left, chases a loose ball past Boston Celtics’ Neemias Queta during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Celtics trio of veteran newcomers finally will address reporters for the first time Tuesday in a news conference at the Auerbach Center.
Ahead of that afternoon presser — which is set to feature Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley, head coach Joe Mazzulla and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens — let’s examine the biggest question facing each new addition:
Paul George
Can he stay healthy?
After the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown for George and four draft picks back in July, Stevens pointed out how effective George was in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round playoff matchup against Boston. In that seven-game series, won by Philly, the 36-year-old wing was “a guy that could carry you for portions of a quarter or a half, but also play a complementary role on both ends of the floor at the highest of levels,” the Celtics shot-caller said.
That’s likely the role Stevens, Mazzulla and Co. envision for George as the aging nine-time All-Star begins his Celtics tenure. Rather than replacing Brown as the 1B to Jayson Tatum’s 1A, George fits better as a lower-usage secondary piece at this stage of his career. That’s how the Sixers deployed him alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and he still can provide value in that position.
George is a better outside shooter than Brown (39.2% from 3-point range last season). He’s a smart, versatile, experienced player. He’s no longer an upper-echelon defender — all four of his All-Defensive selections came in the 2010s — but he perennially ranks near the top of the league in steal rate and defensive rebounding rate.
Setting aside gripes about his bloated contract and consternation about the trade that brought him here, George remains a productive player — when he’s healthy and available. The biggest concern with him is that he often isn’t.
Over his two seasons with Philadelphia, George missed 61 games with injuries and was suspended for another 25. Since 2018-19, when he was first-team All-NBA and the second runner-up for NBA MVP, he has appeared in just 62.7% of his teams’ regular-season games. And players typically don’t become more injury-resistant in Year 17 of their career.
The Celtics, who benefited from excellent health across their roster last season outside of Tatum and Nikola Vucevic, surely will take steps to manage George’s workload. Whether he can avoid another weeks-long absence remains to be seen.
Mitchell Robinson
Who will start: Robinson or Neemias Queta?
Before persistent foul trouble derailed him in the playoffs, Queta looked like a legitimate NBA starting center last season. He posted career highs across the board (10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks per game), started 75 games for a 56-win team and finished fourth in Most Improved Player voting.
But it was clear by the end of the Sixers series that Boston still needed frontcourt help. So it went out and signed Robinson, the best big man available in unrestricted free agency.
Former New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 6 2026 in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Former New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 6 2026 in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
An elite offensive rebounder who just played a key role for the NBA champion New York Knicks, the 7-footer should help fortify the Celtics’ big man rotation with his work on the glass, defensive playmaking and screening. Mazzulla, who would intentionally foul the poor-shooting Robinson in an attempt to get him off the floor, clearly respects the other aspects of his game.
What’s not yet clear is whether Mazzulla plans to bump Queta out of the starting lineup in favor of Robinson, or use the latter as a high-impact reserve, as the Knicks did in recent years. This also will be the first time in the Mazzulla era that Boston’s top two centers both have been non-shooters, which adds another layer of intrigue to Robinson’s arrival.
The Celtics do have one stretch big in third-stringer Luka Garza, who shot a team-best 43.3% from three last season, plus two developmental options in second-year pro Amari Williams and 19-year-old first-round rookie Chris Cenac Jr. Robinson, like George, is not a beacon of durability (161 games missed over the last four seasons), so there should be ample opportunities for those backups to contribute.
Mike Conley
How much does he have left?
Stevens made clear last month, in a team-produced behind-the-scenes segment, that Conley won’t have a massive on-court role this season. The Celtics brought in the soon-to-be 39-year-old to be a veteran leader who won’t gripe if he’s not seeing consistent playing time — a “good vet,” as Stevens called it.
“I think the balance of being able to play at a high level (and) not needing to play every minute of every game is an incredibly valuable thing, and it’s usually reserved for guys that have a good perspective on life,” he said. “And Mike does — he certainly has that.”
Conley was able to do both for most of his 19 years in the NBA — lead in the locker room and on the court — but his performance tailed off last season. Coming off the bench for the first time in his career, the 2007 draftee averaged career lows in most categories (4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game) while shooting 33.5% overall and 33.7% from three for the Timberwolves.
Limiting turnovers remained a strength of Conley’s, and he was a much more effective 3-point shooter not so long ago. He shot better than 38% from deep in each of the previous five seasons, including four above 40%. If he can take care of the ball and hit open threes, on top of his positive influence as a two-time Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award recipient, he can add value as the third guard behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) dribbles during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) dribbles during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)