Ben Simmons Says 'Next Goal' Is Beating Kyrie Irving's Celtics in the East

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons said his goals for the 2018-19 NBA season include pushing the Sixers past the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference and contending for the Most Valuable Player Award.

On Sunday, James McKern of the Sporting News provided comments from Simmons about the Kyrie Irving-led Celtics and his individual ambitions.

"We've got to get past Boston, those are the guys at the top right now. Beating them, that's our next goal," Simmons said. "Obviously getting further than the second round and winning the Eastern Conference Finals and then moving on to the Finals."

He added, "I knocked off one of those (Rookie of the Year), the next one is MVP."

The 76ers' extended rebuilding efforts finally started paying off last season as Simmons, Joel Embiid and Co. posted a 52-30 record to finish third in the East and earn the team's first playoff berth since 2011-12.

Although they breezed past the Miami Heat in five games during the first round of the postseason, they were eliminated by the Celtics in the conference semifinals.

Ben Simmons Game Highlights

Simmons, who missed his first NBA season because of a foot injury after getting selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, enjoyed a banner year by averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 81 games en route to ROY honors.

While it was the Toronto Raptors who finished with the East's best record last season at 59-23, the Celtics are viewed as the team to beat ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

OddsShark noted Boston holds the second-best championship odds (+550, bet $100 to win $550) in the NBA behind only the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors (-195). The Sixers and Raptors are tied for the fifth-best odds (+1600), which ranks second in the East.

If Philly does overcome Irving's Celtics and Kawhi Leonard's Raptors in the battle atop the conference, there's a strong chance it will mean Simmons is a serious contender in the MVP race at season's end.