theathleticuk
While in Las Vegas for the NBAs summer league, I lifted weights next to Caleb from Love Island.
I walked past Ja Rule.
I was informed by a waitress at an airport Chilis that I was sitting next to a UFC champion fighter.
However, before flying back to New England on Monday, I was actually in Las Vegas for work.
Here is some of what I saw and heard about the Boston Celtics in the city of sin.
Advertisement Though the Jaylen Brown trade has been dissected as much as any Boston Celtics move in recent memory, one part of it has seemingly still been under-discussed.
What will Paul George provide his new team on the court? In Las Vegas, the Celtics sounded convinced the nine-time All-Star still has some high-level basketball left to contribute.
During conversations at summer league, several people within the organization brought up just how well George played against Boston in the playoffs.
During seven first-round games, he averaged 17.4 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting, including 55 percent shooting on 3-point attempts.
And he did that while carrying a significant defensive burden against Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Derrick White said he had mixed emotions about the trade despite viewing Brown as an amazing friend and teammate.
But also getting PG, he killed us the whole series, it felt like, White said.
In theory, George should fit the Celtics style.
He will enhance some of their strengths, including defensive versatility and 3-point shooting.
He could also address some of their biggest weaknesses, including a consistent inability to force turnovers.
Over the course of his career, George has averaged 2.5 steals per 100 possessions, nearly one more than Browns mark.
He would have led last seasons Celtics among all players who received real playing time.
Though 36, George remains an extremely impactful defender when on the court.
Of course, there are reasons George hasnt been the primary topic of conversation in Boston since the trade.
His availability has been a major issue over the last seven seasons, and his Celtics tenure is likely to be a short one, as team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens implied while making it clear the team doesnt want to commit 70 percent of the salary cap to two players.
Well into his 30s, George doesnt fit into the Celtics long-term plans as well as, um, optionality does.
Advertisement Still, the Celtics sound hopeful that the newcomer can help quite a bit.
Even Brown has pointed out how well George played in the playoffs, saying on a recent live stream that George has a lot left in the tank.
Based on the buzz in Las Vegas, the feeling in Boston is similar.
One other topic that came up several times in Las Vegas conversations: the relationship between Brown and Joel Embiid.
Several people around the NBA believe the dynamic between the two new teammates will be fascinating.
The 76ers, who havent advanced past the second round since 2001, probably needed some of Browns daily urgency and high accountability level.
He will speak out about what he believes the 76ers are doing wrong.
He will hold teammates and everyone else around him to a high standard.
Brown and Embiid likely have a deep mutual respect after years of competing against each other, but will need to learn how to maximize each other as teammates.
It wouldnt be a surprise to see Brown push Embiid to another level.
It also wouldnt be a surprise for the two players to encounter some friction along the way.
The Celtics had several veterans in Las Vegas over the last week, including three returning starters in White, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
While in town, the players all went through workouts with the teams coaching staff, which must have been busy while also guiding the summer-league team.
Jordan Walsh, also part of the crew in Las Vegas, stated a lofty goal for the coming season.
The biggest thing: Im trying to change my identity offensively, Walsh said.
Im trying to become a better way better offensive player.
Im trying to fit in situations that I didnt fit in last year.
Im trying to be the answer to the situations that they took me out of.
Walsh shot a solid 38.4 percent on 3-point attempts last season, but didnt shoot enough to earn his opponents respect behind the arc.
He had a minimal offensive role overall with the teams lowest usage rate outside of two-way big man Amari Williams.
When the Celtics needed more offense on the court, they often went away from Walsh.
He said he wants to show he is the best choice to be on the court during clutch moments when the team needs a basket.
Advertisement For me, its working on my shot, working on my handle, working on creating my own shot when I have those pockets, Walsh said.
The competition for minutes on the wing should be fierce.
The Celtics will have plenty of options behind Tatum and George, including Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr.
and second-round pick Dillon Mitchell.
Not all of them will be able to play every night.
Summer-league head coach Amile Jefferson brought some star power to the Celtics first game in Las Vegas.
In addition to Tatum, who was micd up by the NBA for the event (and seemed to enjoy that Jefferson received a technical foul), Duke head coach Jon Scheyer showed up to the summer-league opener to support the former Blue Devil.
Scheyer, an assistant coach at Duke during Jeffersons playing days who later coached alongside Jefferson, sat in the front row near the Boston brass.
Given his Duke ties, it was no shock that Jefferson credited Mike Krzyzewski for helping him develop a coaching mentality.
Jefferson began his coaching life at Duke in 2021 after stepping away from a playing career.
That was the first stop when I pivoted and started coaching, Jefferson said.
And Coach K has always (thought), if youre going to do this, do it to be a head coach.
He always says he only hires guys that want to be head coaches.
He had a real deep conversation with me about that.
About (how) you cant be halfway in youve got to be all the way in, and Ive taken that everywhere Ive gone.
So, hes been super important.
And not only to my basketball career, but my life in general.
Jefferson has been with the Celtics since joining Joe Mazzullas coaching staff in 2023.
I tell everyone my first year here was like a PhD in basketball, Jefferson said.
I got to learn so much from our coaches.
And theyre just so intelligent and creative.
It made me start thinking about the game in another way, and its made me a much better coach.
Advertisement Last season, the Celtics latched onto the way everyone seemed to count them out.
During an interview with Mazzulla, I asked him if they could use a rare first-round exit as a similar source of motivation.
Its a tough balance because everything thats set up in our world is like year-to-year, Mazzulla said.
So, there is short-term (motivation), but you cant go into every season with a year-to-year narrative to try and push it.
Youre on a journey.
Youre on a process.
Youre on a process with a group of people.
You go back to the year that we won (the 2024 championship), it wasnt everything that we did in that year.
It was a combination of what we did in that year: losing in the finals, losing in Game 7, the pain that Jaylen and Jayson and Brad went through as a staff.
The pain that Jaylen, Jayson and Ime (Udoka) went through as a staff and what we did that year.
And so, its a balance of, yeah, you have to find some external short-term motivation from time to time, but you cant go into every single season, like, OK, weve got to do this now because of this.
Its a balance.
Its a long-term journey with short-term experiences that youve gotta get better from.