The Boston Celtics took a bold step during the offseason and traded half of their championship squad away. Boston was the defending champion last season and had a respectable run that ended against the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.The series against the Knicks exposed the problems in Boston's roster, so the franchise opted for a swift rebuild. They kept their star players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and traded away almost half of the remaining roster, including Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.They brought in young players with budding talent to replace veterans. Now, with Brown returning fresh from an injury and Tatum expected to miss at least the first half of the upcoming season, the Celtics have had their reputations reduced from potential champions to underdogs.During Boston's media day on Monday, the franchise's general manager, Brad Stevens, acknowledged their status as an underdog and hyped up the young players on the roster."We are just gonna evaluate the first few months, see how it looks, see how it comes together, be patient with the fact that we are getting some new guys together, but at the same time... don't put a ceiling on us."Stevens is excited to give unproven players who have not received enough chances an opportunity to utilize their talents and make a name for themselves. He also laid a big emphasis on consistency and seeing people play with a chip on their shoulder.Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla shows strong resolve ahead of the 2025-26 seasonBoston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla showed strong resolve about winning ahead of the new NBA season. During media day, a reporter asked coach Mazzulla for his thoughts on the expectations that fans have for him and his team.In his response, Mazulla remained calm and delivered a strong message on winning."If I ever gte to the point where I start basing my motivation on the expectation of other and people that I have never met before, I would retire, quick," He said."I think not allowing others to put expectations on you but if you don't have high expectations for yourself, you are not gonna get to where you wanna get to. So, every season picks up a new tone, every journey is different, every team is different and I think you have to look into that as you head into any season."The process of winning is the ultimate goal."Daniel Donabedian @danield1214LINKJoe Mazzulla said the day he lets outside expectations dictate how he feels is the day he retires. He said the Celtics still have high expectations: “The process of winning is the ultimate goal.”Joe Mazzulla was behind the Celtics' historic 2024-25 championship run, and he has proven several times that he is the best man for the job in Boston. This show of strong resolve only reassured the fans' belief in him.