CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cavs began this season, many analysts believed they had a relatively clear path to the Eastern Conference finals. Twenty-five games later, that narrative has completely changed, not just because of the Cavaliers’ underperformance but because the Eastern Conference landscape has dramatically evolved.

On the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins painted a starkly different picture of the conference than what was expected before the season began.

“We came into this season thinking, they’re going to cakewalk into the conference finals. Who’s going to challenge them outside of New York? That is no longer the case,” Watkins told host Ethan Sands, highlighting how quickly the competitive landscape has shifted.

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