SBNation likes to do league-wide theme days once in a while and for this edition they asked the very timely question of “what does your team want for Christmas?”

I toyed with a few ideas. For one thing, it is always fun to root against the Lakers and we have the added benefit of taking their pick if it is between 2 and 5 this year. I could ask for the Cavaliers to have something derail their season and open the door for the Celtics to sneak past them to the Finals. Still, schadenfreude doesn’t quite fit the holiday spirit.

So I decided to root for something that I hope all NBA fans can agree on. The health and wellness of one of the game’s young stars (and by all accounts a really nice guy).

It seems like we’ve been waiting for years for the chance to sign Gordon Hayward and he finally became a member of the Celtics this summer. But we’re only had 5 minutes of official game time with him. He’s like that sleek new sled that you open under the tree but can’t actually use until it starts to snow outside.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rooting for him to return too quickly or rush back. I want him to get a 100% clean bill of health from every doctor in the New England area before he participates in so much as a shootaround. I am not banking on his return any time before next season and anything over and above that is pure gravy.

I’m not even putting a timetable on this Christmas wish. There are some injuries that can impact players for the rest of their careers. Re-injury and loss of explosiveness is always a concern. I just hope that he’s able to fully recover as much as you can given the benefit of modern medicine and a carefully crafted recovery plan.

So yeah, a fully recovered Gordon Hayward would be a wonderful gift that I’m happy to wait a little while longer to receive. Get well soon.