[Forsberg] The Celtics’ biggest holiday gift? Being ahead of schedule
December 24, 2025
[Forsberg] The Celtics’ biggest holiday gift? Being ahead of schedule
3 comments
From Chris Forsberg:
Merry Christmas, Celtics fans. Boston doesn’t have a game on the NBA’s marquee day for the first time in a decade, but we suspect it will only be a one-year holiday hiatus. Heck, if the league could flex the Celtics into the Cavaliers’ spot on Thursday, they probably would.
It’s easy to get caught up in the wins and losses — the fact that Boston sits seven games over .500 and in third place in the Eastern Conference with a third of the season in the rearview is encouraging on its own — but the real victory here is just how bright the future appears.
… The longer-term future is even more tantalizing. It’s fair to daydream about what a Tatum/Brown combo is capable of when, 1) Tatum has fully shaken rust from his Achilles rehab and 2) Teams can’t load up on Brown again with Tatum back on the floor.
3 comments
From Chris Forsberg:
Merry Christmas, Celtics fans. Boston doesn’t have a game on the NBA’s marquee day for the first time in a decade, but we suspect it will only be a one-year holiday hiatus. Heck, if the league could flex the Celtics into the Cavaliers’ spot on Thursday, they probably would.
Instead, you can spend the 25th savoring the strides these Celtics have made since a jarring summer overhaul. Think about how hazy the future appeared after all the summer changes, and contrast that with [the optimism that flows about where this team is headed](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/brad-stevens-press-conference-takeaways-jayson-tatum/754592/).
It’s easy to get caught up in the wins and losses — the fact that Boston sits seven games over .500 and in third place in the Eastern Conference with a third of the season in the rearview is encouraging on its own — but the real victory here is just how bright the future appears.
Jaylen Brown has muscled himself into the MVP conversation while [making 30-point nights seem routine](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/live-updates-pacers-highlights-score/755736/). [Jayson Tatum has attacked his rehab](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/brad-stevens-jayson-tatum-injury-update-return-timeline/754490/) from Achilles surgery and has a chance to at least ponder a return in a season most thought he’d miss entirely. Boston’s entire cluster of young wings, including recent draftees Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez, [have all impacted winning](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/hugo-gonzalez-stats-highlights-rookies/755653/) far more than anyone could have expected to this point.
Joe Mazzulla is pushing all the right buttons, and while he’d be the first to suggest that [nobody cares](https://www.instagram.com/nbcsboston/reel/C8KyvrwCZtN/), he deserves to be in the way-too-early conversation for Coach of the Year. And if they keep their foot on the accelerator heading into calendar year 2026, the Celtics could give president of basketball operations Brad Stevens [even more motivation to seek big man help](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/brad-stevens-nba-trade-deadline-approach/752889/) that would bolster the roster for a stretch run.
… The longer-term future is even more tantalizing. It’s fair to daydream about what a Tatum/Brown combo is capable of when, 1) Tatum has fully shaken rust from his Achilles rehab and 2) Teams can’t load up on Brown again with Tatum back on the floor.
[Read more here](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/storylines-jaylen-brown-hugo-gonzalez-potential/756043/).
The Jay’s 2.0 is gonna be a true Tango/Cash situation. Its gonna be awesome.
biggest holiday gift = HUGO