The shadow of Jaylen Brown still looms large over the Boston Celtics’ shift in franchise identity. The team’s president and owner have spoken following the blockbuster trade that sent the All-Star wing to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George. It did little to give bitter Celtics fans assurance. Now breaking his silence on the massive roster shake-up, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla spoke candidly after the team’s summer league practice on Thursday about the impossibility of replacing the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

“When something like that happens, it’s not a black-and-white type of thing,” Mazzulla explained to reporters.

He hinted at the narratives surrounding Brown’s trade to reflect entirely on the impact he left on Boston.

“The part that I hope gets talked about more, and the part that we really want to focus on the most, is really just the respect, the appreciation and the gratitude for what he did for the Celtics for 10 years. He was a Celtic longer than I have been. He was here before me. He set the tone and started that, and was a part of special things, and continued that, and obviously was one of the biggest reasons why we were able to be as successful as we have been. So that to me is what we have to focus on more: The respect as a competitor and the gratitude for what he’s done.”

When asked point-blank about filling the massive void left by Brown, who not only carried the offense in Jayson Tatum’s injury absence but also for prolonged stretches last season, Mazzulla firmly rejected the idea of finding a direct copy.

“I think that’s one of the big questions, is, every time something like this happens, it’s like, how are you going to replace (him)?” Mazzulla stated.

“You’re not going to. Obviously, not only what he’s done in his career, but what he did this year, you don’t replace that. And I think that’s where it’s not a black-and-white thing, right? There’s two sides. There’s obviously a relationship there, and there’s things there, but there’s two sides to it. We’ve also brought in people. And so we have to have an understanding that we’re not asking anybody who comes back, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s (in a) trade, whatever, to be anything what he was because we are not going to do that. But they’ve got to be the best version of themselves, and they have to bring things to our team to try and help us become a better team.”

Though the coach is valid about the expected highs and lows of the NBA business, the Boston faithful have their own concerns going from a high usage Jaylen Brown to an injury-prone PG13 past his prime.

Joe Mazzulla’s next task is reshaping Celtics’ post-Jaylen Brown identity

Although there were many rumors and alleged internal friction, the Celtics aggressively pursued Antetokounmpo, offering Brown plus two unprotected first-round picks, only for Milwaukee to ultimately choose Miami’s package instead. The failed bid publicly signaled Brown’s expendability.

Reports later revealed Boston had been shopping Brown even before the Giannis pursuit heated up, raising real questions about front-office direction. When the trade still happened, just for a lesser return, the fan base’s confusion turned to alarm.

Brown himself expressed shock during a live stream.

“I just got traded. … They packed me up, bro. It’s a crazy business, bro. Don’t become a basketball player,” Brown told streamer IShowSpeed while adding that in the NBA business, “There’s no loyalty. There’s no love.”

While Mazzulla clarified that he did not have direct input on the trade, he said that the President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens kept him in the loop. 

The overhaul didn’t end with George. The Celtics actively reshaped their depth by acquiring defensive center Mitchell Robinson fresh off the Knicks’ historic title run and veteran playmaker Mike Conley in free agency.

According to Stevens, swapping the explosive scoring of Brown for Paul George’s two-way flexibility and Robinson’s elite rim-protection introduces a brand-new roster identity. The main concern will be PG and Robinson’s health, which has left their availability in question.

It’s Mazulla’s next challenge to make the new acquisitions work in Boston’s new identity. The reigning Coach of the Year seems fully prepared to mold this newly constructed collective around cornerstone Jayson Tatum.