Paul George has wasted no time making his mark with the Boston Celtics, outscoring Jaylen Brown through his first six games since the two stars swapped teams in a polarizing offseason trade.

The veteran forward filled the stat sheet in Sunday’s 108-97 win over the Orlando Magic, posting 17 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks as Boston extended its winning streak to five games.

George has outscored Brown despite playing fewer minutes, sparking debate among fans over who got the better end of the deal. Some believe George is the better all-around player, while others contend that Brown’s numbers have been affected by sharing the floor with three other stars on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fans Debate How Paul George Stacks Up Against Jaylen Brown

The Celtics shipped Brown to the 76ers in July for George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, ending his 10-season run in Boston that included five All-Star appearances, the 2024 NBA title, and 2024 Finals MVP honors.

Brown was coming off a career year, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, while George averaged 16.7 ppg over two injury-riddled seasons in Philadelphia.

George has flipped the script so far this season, though, holding the edge in scoring, assists, steals, and shooting, while Brown has a slight lead on the glass.

The nine-time All-Star is averaging 20.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, and 2.3 steals per game on 46.3% shooting and 38.8% from 3-point range. Brown is at 19.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 1.3 spg on 43.6% shooting and 37.5% from deep across his first six appearances.

Both teams are winning, too. The Celtics are tied with the Detroit Pistons for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 5-1, while the 76ers lead both teams by half a game (6-1).

George’s backers made their case plainly. One fan wrote that, compared with Brown, he “is the overall better and more complete player in every facet of the game at age 36.”

Another looked back to the postseason: “I said it in the summer, Paul George is legitimately a better player. You saw it in the playoffs last year, if PG stays healthy, you will see it all season this year.”

In that seven-game first-round series, George averaged 17.4 ppg and shot 55.0% from long range as the 76ers upset Boston after trailing 3-1.

Another fan zeroed in on the workload, noting that Brown “is playing more minutes and taking more shots per game than PG13,” and the numbers bear it out.

Brown is logging 36.7 minutes and 16.8 field goal attempts a night, compared with 31.0 minutes and 15.8 attempts for George.

Brown’s defenders pointed to the talent around him in Philadelphia. He ranks second on the 76ers in scoring behind Tyrese Maxey’s 29.6 ppg, on a star-studded roster that also features Joel Embiid and LeBron James.

One fan put it bluntly: “Stop pushing this false narrative, [their] roles are not the same.”

“PG is the number two option on a team with less options. JB plays with 3 other All-Stars every game,” another posted, overlooking James’ and Embiid’s early-season absences.

Boston’s schedule was also brought into the discussion, with three of its five wins coming against the rebuilding Chicago Bulls (1-5) and Brooklyn Nets (1-5).

“The guy who’s on a team with 4 other mouths to feed who played against the reigning NBA champs, an ECF team, and last season’s #1 seed vs. the guy who has played the Nets and the Bulls twice,” another fan argued.

George’s best night thus far came in the Celtics’ 121-113 season-opening loss to the Pistons, when he poured in 38 points on 12-for-21 shooting (57.1%). While he has only reached 20 points once since, he made it clear Sunday that he is far more concerned about team success as he pursues his first championship:

“Year 17, that’s all I care about. I don’t care about scoring. I don’t care about whatever it is. It’s all about winning. I’m gonna do whatever I can to win … That’s the one thing I’m seeking.”

The Celtics visit the 76ers on Nov. 10 for their first regular-season meeting since the league-altering trade, with overreactions to the final score almost sure to follow.