CBS Experts Pick Thunder, Spurs for 2027 Finals as 8 East Teams Enter Crowded Race
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Oct 19
CBS Experts Pick Thunder, Spurs for 2027 Finals as 8 East Teams Enter Crowded Race
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Oct 19
Summary
CBS Sports' 2026-27 NBA panel largely converged on Oklahoma City and San Antonio as the West's clear top tier, with another Thunder-Spurs conference finals matchup seen as the season's defining showdown.
The split comes in the championship call: several experts picked the Thunder behind back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while others backed Victor Wembanyama's Spurs after last season's Finals run.
In the East, analysts described the race as far less settled, with one expert saying eight teams have credible Finals cases and another projecting more than six 50-win teams.
That depth left the Knicks, Celtics, Pacers, Raptors and 76ers all drawing serious support, while the Nets and Bucks were framed as the conference's clearest laggards.
The broad takeaway was a two-track season: a relatively fixed Western hierarchy topped by 2 contenders, and an Eastern playoff field where even Play-In finishes could trigger major fallout.