Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen joins Sports Tonight to discuss the prospects for the Celtics this season and beyond.
The Celtics headed into their Friday night game against Houston with a 12-9 record. Gary Tanguay raised the question, 'Is this as good as it's going to get for the Celtics or will they get better?'
Thomsen discusses why the Celtics are in a difficult position this year and why he predicted the team would finish 5th in the conference before the season began.
"Doc Rivers I thought had one of the toughest jobs in the league - to try to win the championship while also preparing the team for the era when you are winning championships. He's straddling two different worlds here."
When January and February roll around, will the Celtics look to make a move to push them over the edge?
"I don't think they're going to make changes to try to win this year," said Thomsen.
It certainly sounds like the Celtics are looking to be competitive this year, but the real prize is the team they're preparing to build next year and the years after. They won't sacrifice that long-term plan for a chance at winning this year.