To say the Boston Celtics have been playing great basketball is an understatement. The Celtics have now won 14-straight after an impressive 92-88 victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Boston was expected to be a strong contender in the Eastern Conference prior to the 2017-18 NBA season, however, their sustained high level of play early on despite key injuries show that the plans have not changed. Although they are likely to get every team's best shot moving forward, superstar point guard Kyrie Irving does not think that changes their approach, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg:

“We have a target on our back now? That’s a great perspective. It’s fun. I just think that our focus is not necessarily on that. I don’t even think we see it as that.”

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Now that the Celtics have confirmed their status as one of the NBA's elite squads, it will be interesting to see how they react to opposing teams making sure they are on top of their game. As good as Boston is, they still rely on a bevy of young, talented players that are still trying to develop.

Fortunately, they are led by Irving, who has already become accustomed to such expectations during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. That said, it will likely fall on the four-time All-Star to carry the load when players like second-year guard Jaylen Brown and rookie forward Jayson Tatum inevitably go through their growing pains.