Boston Celtics' Summer League Leader Delivers Breakout Performance - Yahoo Sports

Virtual tour generated by Visitas Virtuales Granada

Virtual tour generated by Visitas Virtuales Granada

George registered 13 points (3-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 5-6 FT), five rebounds, four assists and five steals over 25 minutes during the Celtics' 144-106 preseason win over the 76ers on Saturday. George didn't have the most efficient night offensively, but he demonstrated his defensive chops during Saturday's win, with four of his game-high five steals taking place in the first half. The veteran forward was the Celtics' return for Jaylen Brown in the offseason, and it'll be interesting to see how George and Jayson Tatum fit together early on in the 2026-27 season. George figures to have his preseason reps limited before the Celtics' regular-season opener against the Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Celtics' Paul George: Sitting out preseason finale

George (rest) isn't in line to play Thursday versus Cleveland, Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reports. The Celtics are holding several key contributors out of the starting lineup Thursday. Jordan Walsh is drawing the start at power forward. Celtics' Paul George: Sitting out preseason finale

NBA offense has steadily improved over the past decade, but it experienced its biggest year-over-year decline between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns in more than two decades (assuming you exclude the 2011-12 lockout season). What happened? Well, offense improved steadily as league-wide shooting and shot selection improved. Layups and 3s replacing mid-range jumpers inevitably made offense more efficient. However, the closer we get to optimized shot selection, there is less room for growth and more defenses have been able to adjust to that style of offense. Yet last year got us back on track with the highest league-wide offensive rating in NBA history. Instead, last year's offensive growth came in a few subtler areas that took a backseat during the 3-point revolution:The NBA had its highest league-wide offensive rebounding rate since the 2012-13 season. After years of small-ball, the NBA is starting to get bigger again. The average NBA team played at its fastest pace since the 2019-20 season. Last season represented only modest growth on that front, but faster offense tends to be better offense, so more teams prioritizing pace has led to better offense.

Payton Pritchard could be in line for a massive payday, but there's an interesting catch.