The Cleveland Cavaliers are already the favorites to win next year's NBA Championship.

Last year's Cavaliers team went an abysmal 33-59 in the NBA standings, good enough for 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Head coach Mike Brown was fired by the team for a second time. Despite all of last season's struggles, the Cavaliers have experienced an unbelievable offseason and have emerged as the favorites to win the East next year.

Obviously, the biggest addition was acquiring four-time MVP LeBron James, who previously played seven seasons with the Cavaliers and won two world titles with the Miami Heat. With Kevin Love now on the team, and a possible Ray Allen addition, the Cavaliers are head and shoulders the favorites to win the East next season.

There's still many other great players and coaches in the Eastern Conference, but none of those teams have the best player in the world. This season, James will attempting to make his fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. So, can any other team win the East this year besides the Cavaliers?

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls made a huge run to get Carmelo Anthony, but came up short. Their best addition of the offseason was power forward Pau Gasol. Gasol is a skilled forward, but he's not in the prime of his career anymore. If Derrick Rose's knee issues resurface, this Bulls team still has a very questionable offense that ranked dead last in the NBA last season averaging just 93.7 points per game.

Derrick Rose has played just 49 games over his last three seasons combined. Even when he was healthy, Rose only led the Bulls out of the first round once. There's no reason to believe this team can defeat the Cavaliers in the playoffs, with or without Rose.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Their elite defense led them all the way to the conference championship. As usual, their offense let them down when it was needed most. Their front court of Roy Hibbert and David West have been a great combination playing together.

This season will be extremely difficult for the Pacers. Their leading scorer Paul George is expected to miss the entire season after he fractured a bone in his leg. Hibbert and West are talented big men, but they can't score at will. Without George, the Pacers won't go far.

Miami Heat

Even though James is no longer with the team, Pat Riley was able to convince Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to stay. Both players opted in to remain with the Heat. Wade's biggest struggle will be can he stay on the court long enough to help the Heat win enough games. Bosh has shown time and time again he's a great forward, but how will he do without James?

This will be a great opportunity for Mario Chalmers to show off his talents. If the Heat can get the No. 1 seed, Erik Spoelstra will most likely get the Coach of the Year Award.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are a well-balanced team, but lack a superstar. DeMarco DeRozan is an underrated player who averaged a team-high 22.7 points per game last season. Despite finishing third in the East last season, the Raptors haven't won a single playoff series since the 2000-01 season. In the NBA more than any other sport, you need a superstar player, which the Raptors don't have.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards are the only other team in the East who many feel are very competitive. Point guard John Wall has been excelling every year since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2010. Last year he led the Wizards in assists and points, but the loss of Trevor Ariza won't help the Wizards in the long run.

Adding Paul Pierce was a decent move, but similar to the Raptors, the Wizards lack the superstar factor. Most people would agree that Pierce is far removed from the prime of his career. It's extremely unlikely the Wizards will eliminate the Cavaliers in a seven-game series.

Feel free to vote in our poll below, and tell us who you think will win the Eastern Conference next season

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