8 down, 8 to go: Ranking the NBA's conference semifinalists

And then there were eight.

After a thrilling first round of the playoffs, the NBA's conference semifinals have tipped off, leaving eight teams left to battle for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. But how realistic are the title chances of those remaining?

1. Houston Rockets

Houston has been the league's best team all year and routinely dusted a talented, if imperfect, Timberwolves squad in the opening round. The Warriors remain the more talented outfit, but with a Game 1 win over the Rubio-less Jazz already in the rearview and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, the Rockets deserve top billing until further notice. - Joseph Casciaro

2. Golden State Warriors

The Curry-less Warriors weren't tested by a banged-up Spurs team in round one, and the Pelicans didn't fare much better in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Related: Curry 'very likely' to return in Game 2 vs. Pelicans

Now, a team that's posted an average point-differential of plus-11 in six playoff games thus far is about to get a two-time MVP back. Houston appears all that stands in the way of a Warriors repeat. - Casciaro

3. Toronto Raptors

The top-seeded Raptors opened the postseason a step behind the Cavs in our pre-playoff rankings, based solely on the fact Cleveland employs LeBron James.

If the first round reminded us of anything, though, it's that the deeper, more dynamic Raptors are truly different this time around, and that James' excellence may no longer be enough for the fatally flawed Cavs. Toronto is better positioned to end LeBron's Finals streak than any other Eastern Conference foe of the last eight years. - Casciaro

4. Philadelphia 76ers

No East team has been better since the calendar flipped to 2018, and no East team cruised through the first round as cooly as the young Sixers did.

With two transcendent young superstars, plenty of shooting, an elite defense, and a fortunate second-round matchup against the battered Celtics - while the Cavs and Raptors have to get through each other - you can make the argument Philly maintains the clearest path to The Finals. - Casciaro

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

James averaged better than 34 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists on 55 percent shooting in Cleveland's opening-round series against Indiana - and logged more than 41 minutes per game - yet the Cavs barely scraped by the Pacers in a seven-game slugfest.

LeBron will remain brilliant and his presence alone gives Cleveland a fighting chance, but that narrow victory over the Pacers was a stark reminder that the Cavs are every bit the 4-seed they earned during the regular season, and are simply a step or two behind Toronto and Philadelphia at this point. - Casciaro

6. Boston Celtics

Despite Jaylen Brown going down with a hamstring injury late in the first half of their Game 7 win against Milwaukee on Saturday night, the Celtics next-man-up ethos, which has carried them all season, rang true once again, as Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, and Terry Rozier carried Boston to a win.

Even though they enter their series against the Sixers as a major underdog, with Brad Stevens at the wheel and the league's top-ranked regular-season defense, these plucky Celtics can't be counted out from pulling off the upset. - Mitch Robson

7. Utah Jazz

The Jazz boast the Defensive Player of the Year front-runner in Rudy Gobert and rookie Donovan Mitchell is playing like a multiple-time All-Star. Among the remaining eight playoff teams, only the Warriors boast a better defensive rating (99.4) this postseason than the Jazz (100.7).

But after dispatching a talented Oklahoma City Thunder team in the first round, Utah's fantastic season will likely soon end against the Rockets. The Jazz are full of promise but lack the dynamism on offense to hang with proven playoff squads in the long run. - Andrew Potter

8. New Orleans Pelicans

All the hype behind the Pelicans came to a screeching halt when the Warriors sonned them in Game 1 without Stephen Curry. They tried to play up-tempo against the most lethal fast-paced team in the league and it failed miserably. Anthony Davis was outplayed by Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday failed to lock down Klay Thompson, and they had no answers for Kevin Durant.

The Pelicans shouldn't lose their confidence - at least not yet. They made just 41 percent of their uncontested shots in Game 1, and that number is bound to improve. - William Lou

(Photos courtesy Getty Images)