Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) looks to drive around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) looks to drive around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
What will Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley bring to the Celtics this season? Brad Stevens offered some early hints in a new behind-the-scenes feature.
In the latest episode of the team-produced “Beneath the Banners” series, which premiered Sunday on the Celtics’ YouTube channel, Boston’s president of basketball operations provided scouting reports on the team’s three veteran newcomers.
Headlining that trio is George, an oft-injured nine-time All-Star whom the Celtics acquired from Philadelphia in the controversial Jaylen Brown trade.
“Paul’s a really good player,” Stevens said. “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, and I think the other part about Paul is 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.”
While posing with his No. 13 Celtics jersey at the Auerbach Center, George said joining the franchise felt “surreal.”
“I’m looking forward to the journey, man,” the 36-year-old wing told the Celtics’ in-house production team. “I’m looking forward to wearing that green and representing for Boston.”
Stevens shared his initial thoughts on George during the news conference he held with Celtics owner Bill Chisholm on July 6, though most of the questions he faced that day focused on Brown’s departure rather than George’s arrival. But the Celtics shot-caller was barred at the time from discussing Robinson and Conley because their signings were not yet finalized. This all-access look featured Stevens’ first public comments on the pair.
He believes Robinson, a 7-foot center who won a championship with the New York Knicks this past season, will shore up a Celtics frontcourt that got career years out of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza before regressing in the playoffs.
“I feel like that spot is just really solid for us,” Stevens said. “I think Mitch is obviously proven. He’s been there, done that. He’s an NBA champion and played a very meaningful role in that series. That’s just kind of what he’s always done. He just makes teams better.”
Conley is one of the league’s most experienced players. The veteran point guard is entering his 20th NBA season and will turn 39 in October, making him nine months older than Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Stevens is hoping Conley, who ranks fourth among active players in games played behind LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan and Jeff Green, can provide valuable leadership and contribute when called upon without needing consistent playing time. He’s expected to come off the bench in a position group headlined by Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
“People talk about veteran leadership, and they talk about how important vets are,” Stevens said. “And my argument to that would be good vets are really important. Guys that really have a great understanding of where they are in their career, how they impact winning and the appropriate amount of expectations from the individual standpoint, and I think that that’s what you get with Mike. And he still, every time he plays, has a big impact on winning.
“And so 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. And Mike does — he certainly has that.”
When addressing the Brown trade, Stevens again blamed the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which harshly punishes teams that exceed the second apron of the luxury tax. Back in July, he said the team dealt Brown to increase its “optionality” and avoid devoting 70% of its salary cap to two high-usage players (Brown and Jayson Tatum).
“I think that ultimately, it has created quite a challenge, and as that’s happened, the game has also changed,” Stevens said. “And with the game changing, you need more people to play at a high level. You need a bench that’s deep. And so those two things don’t necessarily go together when you’re talking about, OK, you have to be under a threshold, and you need as many good players as humanly possible, right? So you have to really be good around the role players, the guys that you think can continue to develop and grow, guys that are willing to play a role that might be older and more accomplished, and then you just build the best team that you can.”
He added: “It’s something that you have to just say, ‘Do you think where we currently are, and doing what we’ve done, will get us to where we want to ultimately go?’ If not, does it make sense to explore other pathways, even if that could be very tough in the near term?”