"We want Boston." These were the words chanted by a pumped-up Philadelphia 76ers crowd as they slayed the Orlando Magic during the Play-In Tournament. Everyone remembers the intense 2023 Boston Celtics series, in which the Sixers narrowly lost 4-3. Despite boasting the devastating duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden, Philadelphia lacked one key component: a capable two-way wing to help contain Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. Now, with Paul George, they finally have that option.
Under their current guise, Boston has a litany of weapons that pose a serious threat to the 76ers' postseason dreams. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and even Neemias Queta will cause Philadelphia a headache due to Embiid's absence. This series is going to be a dogfight for the Sixers. What they now need is leadership, unity, and a defensive resilience that can frustrate their opponents.
Paul George can bring a defensive X-factor
It has been a rough two seasons in Philadelphia for Paul George. After struggling to adapt and suffering multiple injuries during his inaugural campaign with the franchise, his second year has hardly been easygoing. A 25-game suspension for breaching the NBA's anti-drug policy threatened to evaporate any momentum that the former Los Angeles Clippers star had created in his performances.
Fortunately, it has only stoked a fire inside George to repay the faith that the organisation and his teammates showed in him during this difficult period. Statistically, the 2025-26 season has made for better reading as George has averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over 37 games this year. This is the offensive firepower the 76ers believed they were acquiring when they signed George during free agency in 2024. However, it is his defensive impact that is now more important than ever.
While averaging 1.7 steals per game, Paul George has been the catalyst for a transition offense that has become an integral part of Nick Nurse’s game plan. What numbers do not show is the defensive IQ that the veteran forward has exhibited over the course of the year. George has repeatedly shut down skilled ball handlers -- forcing turnovers or making them pass to a less favorable scoring option.
This is the exact energy that the 76ers will need in their mammoth postseason match-up with the Boston Celtics. Both Tatum and Brown possess the versatility to switch positions and onto different defenders, depending on what matchup suits their skill set. Paul George will have the assignment of squaring up against both of these stars throughout the contest, and unlike in 2023, the Sixers will be confident that the 35-year-old can limit their production.
Nobody is denying the enormity of the task ahead for the Philadelphia 76ers, and with question marks surrounding the length of Joel Embiid's appendectomy recovery, the team will be into the fixture as underdogs. Nevertheless, the roster now boasts something it did not have in 2023: a renowned wing defender with the experience and intelligence to limit the effectiveness of the Boston Celtics’ superstar duo.
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