How soon is too soon to call off the "gap year"?

With Jayson Tatum out indefinitely due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and four core members of their 2024 championship squad on new teams, most assumed the Boston Celtics would fade to the NBA's background in 2025-26. Maybe they'd make a push for a spot in the play-in tournament, but with a trimmed-down roster of new faces, this seemed like an opportunity to hit the reset button and focus on preparing for a bounce-back season in 2026-27 with Tatum back in the fold.

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After Tuesday's thrilling victory over the New York Knicks at TD Garden, however, the Celtics have won seven of their last nine games to improve to 12-9 at the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season. And as

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