Celtics Couldn’t Be Approaching Title Defense In Better Way

The Celtics ended a relatively lengthy draught (by the organization’s standards) last season, finally capturing Banner 18.

Boston isn’t too interested in holding onto that triumph, though.

It’s time to get back to work.

“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the offseason,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said during his media day press conference Tuesday. “I did enjoy the parade… I enjoyed some parts of it. I think attachment is something you have to be aware of. One of the challenges of this offseason was detaching from the past and having an understanding of if you’re attached to a success or a failure for too long, that can be really dangerous. The world tries to keep you attached to the past. The world tries to keep you attached to your latest success or your latest failure and that’s where people get stuck.”

Mazzulla has a point regarding attachment, but external motivation to start running up titles certainly doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Kristaps Porzingis admitted to having a chip on his shoulder, stating he wants to make it through an entire postseason without injury. Jaylen Brown was kept off the Team USA roster, and you’re kidding yourself if you think he’ll get over that any time soon. Jayson Tatum even admitted that he has a little extra motivation for the way his last few months have gone.

“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and that I didn’t play in two of the games of the Olympics,” Tatum said Tuesday. “That was odd, but you know Joe. It makes sense. Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No. I’m not gonna give anybody, in particular, credit that they motivated me coming into the season. It was a unique circumstance and something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career, but I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The Celtics were happy to win a championship, but that would quickly fade if they weren’t able to run up anymore.

“It was never about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “Now you get to at least be in the same room with the other Celtics great teams, great players. All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be. What room or what tier are you trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?”

The C’s probably couldn’t have drawn up a better mentality for their title defense if they wanted to. Mazzulla is still crazy. Brown, Tatum and Porzingis are looking to prove doubters wrong. Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens kept the band together.

Can you ask for much more than that?