Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger is keeping a diary for ESPNBoston.com this season. He tips off his first entry by explaining how Brad Stevens' coaching style has changed, what Marcus Smart adds to the roster, how the team will win more games this season, and why he roots for his favorite football team. (As told to Louise K. Cornetta)

Summer was nice because I was able to go back home to Ohio. The best thing was going back to play in the Columbus Pro-Am League with my brothers. I enjoyed that the most. But now, it's time to get ready for the season. Last year and this year have been totally different coaching styles with Brad Stevens. Last year was real relaxed in letting the players do what they wanted. This year he's a little bit more aggressive and a little bit more disciplined. He wants us to play at a faster pace. He's doing a great job and as we get better, he gets better.

Jared Sullinger's main goal entering this season is for the Celtics to win more games. David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports

There are some new faces on this team. Marcus Smart is someone whom people have been talking about. I see a competitor. He comes to practice day in and day out and just competes. He wants the best for the team. He's another defender and playmaker that can help us. Last year toward the end, we didn't really play well and you always need a playmaker. So he adds another playmaker to this team.

Rajon Rondo is out for a little bit with his hand injury. So adding playmakers, like I mentioned, Marcus Smart or Marcus Thornton or Evan Turner, will make us better. We now have a lot of guys who can make plays for us. Making adjustments with them is what we'll do while Rondo gets better.

For me this season, I just want to win more. Last year was really, really tough. We just want to win more as a team and compete. I never set goals for myself. I set them for within the team. Winning is the main thing for me.

So how do we win more? I think if we just get three more stops a game, I think we'll be good. We were in a lot of close games. We just have to continue to play from start to finish. There also needs to be a balance. With the team we have, we don't have that one person who can step out and get us buckets when we have to. What we need to do as a team is play with balance and share who is going to be the one to stand out each night.

I talked about going home to Ohio this summer. A lot was going on in the state of Ohio the past few months. Johnny Manziel was drafted by the Browns. I've actually been a Johnny Manziel fan since he was in college. He was a great football player in college, but he really hasn't been able to showcase his stuff yet. I do think he's been playing well when he's had the chance. I couldn't say if he should be starting because Brian Hoyer has been doing a heckuva job for the Cleveland Browns.

Growing up, the Browns were actually my second-favorite football team. I love the Denver Broncos. In January 1998, when they won Super Bowl XXXII and were playing against Brett Favre's Packers, my brothers, especially Julian, were rooting for Brett Favre. From that day forward, I was a Broncos fan just because I was rooting against my brother Julian.

The other big news in Ohio was LeBron James returning home. I think it's good for the city of Cleveland. I know the city really wanted another superstar in there. They added two with LeBron and Kevin Love.

I was happy to see the Celtics add a fellow Buckeye to this team with Evan Turner. He's a great basketball player and a complete player who does a lot of things. He can score. He can pass. He can rebound. He can create for others. He's an all-around player that we need. Even though I've been on the Celtics longer, he took me under his wing instead of the other way around. He's always done that from our days in college. Whenever I wanted to do something, he'd always ask if I wanted to do something with him. He's just like a big brother to me.

This year is different for me. I am no longer the young guy on the team. It feels like yesterday that Rondo was asking me to go get him water and ice. Now he's asking other people, which is kind of awkward for me. I have not made it to that level yet where I am asking people to do things for me, though.

I wanted to mention that if you're at the Haymarket Center branch of the RMV on Oct. 20 from 2:30-3:30, I'll be there helping people get some new Celtics license plates. I'm ready to suspend some licenses and give some out and do it all. Really though, if you want a new Celtics license plate then stop on by. The reason I like doing community events like this is because the community I was in where I was growing up was very, very bad. So whenever I get the chance to go out and be in the community and show my face it's important because I want to let people know that I came from the same places that many others have. It always means a lot to me.