Hopefully the Paul George comparison means Tatum is looking to up his defensive intensity when he gets to the NBA.
I generally don't see the comparison, but I think this is where George sets himself distinctly apart from Tatum. George is a multiple All-Defensive player, and I don't see where Tatum's physical profile, defensive IQ, and his intensity (to borrow your phrasing) suggest that he can achieve similar success. I think his defensive ceiling is relatively average, but with the potential to cover multiple positions competently. Coach Stevens values that kind of versatility, so I can envision it working well in his system.
I think George was also (and is currently post-injury) a much more explosive athlete, and never struggled to utilize his quickness to breakdown defenders at the NBA level or finish in traffic. While it remains to be seen how well Tatum translates his isolation skills to the pros, his athleticism isn't exactly ideal for being the same type of scorer George panned out to be especially after he was given the reigns from Danny Granger in Indiana.
It's been said a few times in this thread and other threads and I largely agree with it, but his game could parallel Parker's production at the NBA level, and I think we would all be pretty satisfied with that. My question is whether or not he can play the 4 because I think it would make his skillset that much more effective at the next level. Additionally, we could use a 4 and if he could fit an immediate need for our team that would be quite convenient.