LeBron James no longer impedes the path of 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference, leaving the Boston Celtics as perhaps the biggest threat to advance to the NBA Finals and compete for a championship.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons felt Boston's wrath with the Philadelphia 76ers in last year's East semifinals, so he'll admit that they're the favorites until proven otherwise.
"We've got to get past Boston, those are the guys at the top right now. Beating them, that's our next goal," said Simmons to NBA Australia's James McKern.
"Obviously getting further than the second round and winning the Eastern Conference finals and then moving on to the Finals (are the team's other goals)."
The 22-year-old Australian guard is more than justified in placing the Celtics on such a pedestal. Boston eliminated the Sixers in just five games without the services of both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, although three of the team's victories were decided by five points or fewer.
Philadelphia qualified for the playoffs in 2017-18 with a 52-30 record, which was their best mark since they went 56-26 in 2001.
