Jordan Walsh is trying to live by Joe Mazzulla’s advice entering Year 2 – NBC Sports Boston

The defense, his college calling card, was stout. There's a role for Walsh as a gritty, defense-first player who rolls up his sleeves and does the dirty work.

The missed shots still nag at him, but Walsh knows he must give one care, then it's on to the next play.

After all, there are plenty of highs ahead. The Celtics open the season Tuesday night against the New York Knicks and players will receive their championship rings. Walsh spent much of the Celtics' championship parade pointing at his ring finger, while boat-mate Luke Kornet worked the crowd into a championship lather throughout the ride.

More importantly, Walsh will log the first game of his sophomore season on Tuesday and finally shed the rookie title. His rookie duties have been mild to start the new season, but he hasn't even benefited from the addition of two new first-year players in Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson.

"They're older than me, so I can't really tell them what to do," shrugged Walsh.

So Walsh is focused on what he can control, like putting his best foot forward whenever opportunities come along.

"Hopefully, going into this next year, I'll be a way better version of myself," said Walsh. "Hopefully I'll have the opportunity that I want. If not, it's OK. But just striving for greatness, striving to finally get to a level that I think that I can get to. Maybe it's not this year, maybe it's next year, but making strides to get to that level."

And how might that manifest itself on the court?

"Hopefully better shooting ability, better decisions and playmaking ability," said Walsh. "When I'm with Boston, making the right play every single time."

But he knows now that things don't always go as planned. You've got to be able to adjust on the fly and move on. Sometimes a greater reward awaits. Just like he found out on parade day.

"I thought that it was gonna be a quiet like stroll, a ride through the city," said Walsh. "I thought Luke was gonna just like chill. But he got me into it. And I was like, 'All right, now we're counting. We're interacting with the fans.' Like, he made it more and more fun ...

"I think the best part, Luke started a chant. We were counting from one to 18. And when we got to 18, everybody went crazy. That was definitely the most amazing part."

Those are the sort of moments that make all the ups and downs of the roller coaster worth it.