No one has ever questioned Paul George’s defense. He has earned multiple top-five finishes for Defensive Player of the Year and four All-Defense team selections, as well as leading the league in steals. But those accolades all came a long time ago, and while we’ve seen him ramp up in recent years, as he did in the playoffs against the Celtics last season, it has hardly been consistent.
When he was traded to the Celtics, there was definitely some hope that he could boost the defense, and with his IQ, he could be an impactful team defender. But I’m not sure anyone saw this resurgence coming.