The Boston Celtics will begin their road to Banner 18 on Monday when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the Orlando bubble.
A few months ago, a C's-Sixers playoff series likely would have been considered a toss-up. But with Ben Simmons (knee) out for the season and Philadelphia's defense struggling mightily in Florida, Boston enters the first round as the heavy favorite.
It still won't be a cakewalk for the Celtics, however. They'll still have to find a way to limit Sixers star Joel Embiid, and they'll need All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to be himself after spending the seeding round on a minutes restriction.
Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-76ers, which begins Monday at 5:30 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live followed by tip-off at 6:30 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.
If the 76ers do find a way to pull off the upset, who will be their X-factor? Chris Forsberg, A. Sherrod Blakely, and Kyle Draper discuss with Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Enquirer on a brand new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast.
Celtics Talk Podcast: The Al Horford conundrum and why Sixers won’t last long vs. Celtics | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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"I think it depends on Tobias Harris right about now," Pompey said. "I think Tobias Harris has to be the man. Right now, Tobias Harris is the highest-paid Sixer. He's a 'fringe All-Star.' And I think he tends to play better when Ben [Simmons] is not around, or Joel. When one of the two are missing, he plays well because he gets more touches. I think Tobias has to take charge and be that guy for them to win.
"Also, secondly, I think Josh Richardson has to play great. Those two guys play well, the Sixers may win a couple of games. I don't see them winning the series at all, but Tobias has to play well for them to steal this thing."
The crew also discusses whether we may be underestimating the 76ers, how C's stack up with the rest of the East, who will fill the void for Simmons, and much more.
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.