Paul George has something to prove in his first season with the Boston Celtics.
Ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, HoopHype ranked the league’s top 27 small forwards.
The Boston Celtics forward found his name near the bottom of the list, landing in the No. 22 spot.
“George will head into the season with some pressure, as it’ll be his first campaign with the Boston Celtics, having to fill the huge shoes left behind by Jaylen Brown,” writes HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina. “George obviously won’t be expected to match the departed swingman’s level of output, but he will need to pick up a lot of slack playing for a Boston team that almost always has championship-or-bust expectations.
“Can he live up to that? We’ll find out, but we do think he’s underrated by some, as he’s still got the ability to hit tough shots, finish around the basket and create havoc defensively.”
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Here are the 21 players HoopsHype ranked ahead of George on the list:
- Jayson Tatum
- Cooper Flagg
- Jaylen Brown
- Jalen Williams
- Kevin Durant
- Kawhi Leonard
- Deni Avdija
- Franz Wagner
- Brandon Ingram
- Brandon Miller
- AJ Dybantsa
- Norman Powell
- Mikal Bridges
- Trey Murphy III
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Devin Vassell
- Jaden McDaniels
- RJ Barrett
- Dillon Brooks
- Jimmy Butler
- Dyson Daniels
George entered last season ranked No. 18 on the same list. Given the injury-plagued 2025-26 season, it’s not a huge surprise to see him fall four spots. He appeared in only 37 games due to injuries and a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
When George did play, he proved to be a valuable two-way player. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range. He also played a big role in Philadelphia’s first-round upset of the Celtics.
Not only did George average 17.4 points per game while shooting 55.0 percent from 3, but he also provided strong defense against both Brown and Tatum.
If George can stay healthy this season and rediscover his All-Star form, he could climb up next year’s list.
