Paul

George

The Celtics play Tuesday and Wednesday, so George not being on the injury report for the matchup against his former team makes it more likely he won’t play against the Raptors the following night.

Here’s an oversimplification: George has fit seamlessly into Boston’s existing nucleus early on this season. He knocked down several difficult shots, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, on his way to a 20-point first half against a rebuilding Milwaukee squad. He posted 16 points in the second quarter alone. The 36-year-old veteran would’ve put together another monster scoring effort, but he was barely needed in the second half as Boston’s extremely deep bench took care of business. The Celtics have a three-game week on tap featuring matchups against the 76ers, Raptors and Mavericks. All eyes will be on the Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum showdown, but George will be taking on his former team for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Back in the Celtics’ lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Rockets, George played 35 minutes on Wednesday. The veteran forward wasn’t particularly efficient, shooting poorly from the foul line and committing six turnovers. However, the points, assists, steals and three-pointers are areas from which managers rostering George benefited.

Tatum will get the night off after playing on both Sunday and Monday. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, so a rest night could do him some good. Paul George will be back after missing Monday’s game, so the rest of the starting unit should remain the same, with George filling in for Tatum.

George is back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Rockets, which was Boston’s second game in as many days. If Jayson Tatum (rest) plays, Hugo González or Baylor Scheierman will head to the bench.

The Celtics are playing the second leg of a back-to-back set, and PG will sit this one out. Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser are candidates to replace him in the starting five, though neither player is an appealing streamer with all 30 teams in action.

Quiet for most of the first three quarters, George came through when the Celtics needed him most on Sunday. He scored 10 of his 17 points in the final quarter, including three on a triple with 1:32 remaining that extended Boston’s lead to 11. It’s early, but George appears to be fitting in well with his new teammates. Boston plays four games next week, beginning with the Rockets on Monday.

While relatively quiet scoring-wise, George added value in other ways in the Celtics’ 14-point victory. The eight assists were a season high, and he’s up to 12 steals through five games. Given the amount of time George missed during his two seasons in Philadelphia, there’s still some lingering concern about his availability. But he’s looked pretty comfortable in Boston through the Celtics’ first five games.

Having shot 11-of-29 from the field in Boston’s last two games, George was more accurate on Tuesday. Add in the rebounds, assists, and steals, and this was a good night for those rostering him. Also of note was George’s ability to play 36 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back. Hopefully, the inability to stay healthy the last two seasons doesn’t carry over into 2026-27. So far, so good.

Both players took the court on Monday, and both are on track to appear in both legs of a back-to-back set. Fantasy managers should still keep an eye on their statuses closer to tip-off to ensure neither are late scratches.