Gilbert Arenas believes the Boston Celtics will be better offensively with Paul George than they were with Jaylen Brown, pointing to George’s natural scoring ability and fit within Boston’s spacing-heavy system.
Speaking on Gil’s Arena, Arenas argued that George gives the Celtics a different type of offensive weapon than the player they traded away this offseason.
“I don’t see a guy like him that is a natural scorer. A natural one. Offensively they will be better. He is a natural scorer,” Arenas said.
Arenas specifically highlighted how George could operate in a five-out offense, where all five players can space the floor and create driving or passing opportunities.
“Offensively Paul George game with a five out?” Arenas said before pointing to George’s ability to create his own offense.
The Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers after failing to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston received George, two future first-round picks and two second-round selections in the July deal.
Brown was coming off the most productive regular season of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games, shooting 47.7% from the field. He also finished sixth in MVP voting and earned All-NBA Second Team honors.
George, meanwhile, averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 37 games for Philadelphia during the 2025-26 season. He shot 43.9% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range, continuing his career as a high-volume perimeter shooter and secondary playmaker.
The statistical comparison is complicated by George’s limited availability. He played only 37 games last season after serving a 25-game suspension before returning to the 76ers.
Arenas suggested that period away from the court may have helped George rediscover aspects of his younger offensive game.
“What did he do when he came back from the 25-game suspension? The sh*t he is taking accidentally makes him about 25 again,” Arenas said.
George’s career résumé includes eight All-Star selections and six All-NBA selections. He has averaged 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists over 16 NBA seasons while shooting 38.4% from three-point range.
Boston’s offensive structure will also change with George alongside Jayson Tatum. Tatum appeared in only 16 games last season while recovering from his Achilles injury, while Payton Pritchard averaged 17.0 points and Derrick White added 16.5 points.
The Celtics finished 56-26 last season but lost to Philadelphia in Game 7 of the first round after taking a 3-1 series lead. Their decision to replace Brown with George represents a significant change to the team’s offensive hierarchy as Tatum prepares to return for a full 2026-27 season.
