Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury has forced the Celtics to make a hard 180 degree turn on their future plans. Within a few months, their focus has shifted from title contention to shedding salary and building for JT’s return. As a result, they parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, who played a pivotal role in last year’s championship run. But amid this massive roster shakeup, Joe Mazzulla continues to keep an optimistic approach.

Addressing how he has been dealing with the Tatum adversity, the head coach said, “I think at the end of the day you sign up for the journey. I don’t think you sign up for the short-term approach to one year. If that was the case, I would have retired after year two. And you don’t sign up for just one person’s journey. I think you take on the journey of everybody in the organization.”

Yes, Mazzulla understands that if he wants to have a long-term head coaching career, there are bound to be adversities along the way. And it’s important for him and the Celtics to keep a clear mindset. “All of your players, all of your coaches, all of your staff members. However long you’re together, you’re on this journey and its different chapters in it, right?… I think that’s how you have to look at it is one chapter is over the next chapter begins.” He remarked.

Sure, Tatum’s injury is a massive blow and likely puts the Celtics out of title contention for next season. But Mazzulla believes that does not mean the team will stop writing its story. Despite the adversity, they will come in with the same mindset next year, with new goals. “You have to take on other people’s journeys to build those relationships and to go after stuff together. So, that’s kind of how we look at it.” The head coach added on the Games with Names podcast. But what about the offseason moves that the Cs have made so far?

Joe Mazzulla has two words for Celtics’ offseason moves as he addresses harsh reality

While Tatum is expected to miss majority of next season recovering from his injury, Celtics front office is busy adding new pieces to the roster. So far, they have acquired Anfernee Simons, Luka Garza, Georges Niang, and Josh Minott. As they pivot from last year’s core, Mazzulla described this offseason as a “happily miserable” experience.

“It’s the space of where people are trying to live and I don’t think you can have one without the other. I don’t think you can have too much of one. I think it’s a balance of like we’re in a space right now.” He remarked. While there is the pain of not winning a championship and falling short of their goal, there is also the happiness of finding new positives throughout the season. And that’s what the journey is all about.

Mazzulla believes every head coach should get used to this feeling because of the profession’s harsh reality, “I think the scariest thing is like if you plan on coaching or playing for a long time, if you look at the ratio, outside of like John Wooden, Red Auerbach, and Phil Jackson, the ratio of successes to failures weighs heavier on the failure side, if you count not winning a championship as a failure.” Yes, most coaches spend their entire career chasing a single championship. Although it doesn’t mean their career was a failure, they constantly have to face disappointment for one brief moment of glory.

“That space of happily miserable is somewhere you gotta be extremely comfortable because I think that’s where you grow the most.” Joe added. And that’s where the Celtics are at right now as they navigate through this adversity and build toward a better future.