2016 NBA Eastern Conference Champion Expert Picks and Predictions

The seeds are finalized, the matchups are set, the players are ready, and the Philadelphia Sixers are somewhere we don’t know. At long last, playoff basketball is upon the NBA. And while we let the playoff-bound teams take a short rest before plunging into the grind, let’s scrutinize how the experts think the Eastern Conference will shape up in the playoffs. You can also check out this piece’s version for the Western Conference.

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Expert Predictions for the 2016 NBA Eastern Conference Champion

CBS Sports

Expert | Pick
Ken Berger | Cavs
Bill Reiter | Cavs
Zach Harper | Cavs
James Herbert | Cavs
Matt Moore | Cavs
Ananth Pandian | Raptors

CBS Sports polled six of their basketball analysts and the result was pretty much what you’d expect—that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers would represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals again. Of the six experts, only Ananth Pandian went the other way, choosing the Toronto Raptors to win the franchise’s first conference championship this season. That’s not a crazy idea, though, considering that the Raptors finished just a game back of Cleveland at the conclusion of the regular season. With the tandem of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan working the backcourt and DeMarre Carroll set to come back following a long absence, the Raptors shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The Cavs have never been displaced as the favorites to win the conference throughout the season. They entered the season as chalks of around -280 and will enter the postseason with odds of -260 to repeat as conference champs.

The National

Expert | Pick
The National | Cavs

Similar to most of CBS Sports’ basketball pundits, The National is choosing the Cavs to reign supreme in the East. The No. 1 Cavs should have a breeze in the first round against Detroit, especially if James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love all play to their explosive potentials as teammates. The Cavs barely had Love last year in the playoffs as the big man was sidelined with a shoulder injury right in the first round.  Now that Love’s healthy, the Cavs are going to be a tough beat for any team regardless of the conference.

Yahoo Sports

Expert | Pick
Dan Devine | Cavs
Kelly Dwyer | Cavs
Eric Freeman | Cavs
Ben Rohrbach | Cavs

The fun guys over at Yahoo Sports’ Ball Don’t Lie have a surprising pick for the Eastern Conference champions. Just kidding, Dan Devine, Kelly Dwyer, Eric Freeman, and Ben Rohrbach all have Cleveland winning the conference. Worth noting also is their identical selection of the Raptors as the Cavs’ opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s really hard for these experts to go cute and not choose the Cavs to win it all in the East. That’s largely because of the way James has played of late. James has been a monster on the court heading into the postseason, as he’s averaged scary good numbers of 27.9 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds, while shooting 63.1 percent from the field in his last seven games.