NBA GM Survey Picks Title Favorite, MVP And More
Some interesting thoughts emerged in the NBA GM Survey. Let's run down the main ones here.
To Win The NBA Championship:
The Milwaukee Bucks.
They were the defending champs last season, and had to play the playoffs without their No. 2, Khris Middleton. The GMs think they'll get back to the apex with their roster intact. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers finished 2-3 in the poll.
To Win The Eastern Conference:
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Philadelphia 76ers
After getting burned last season picking the Brooklyn Nets, the GMs shied away from them this time around. Everyone's darling up-and-comers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, were picked for 6th. But they did take home a number of other accolades:
- Best young core
- Best offseason
- Most impactful offseason addition
To Win The Western Conference:
- LA Clippers
- Golden State Warriors
- Phoenix Suns
The return of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, of course, is the key to this vote.
Other major awards:
MVP:
- Luka Doncic 48%
- Giannis Antetokounmpo 34%
- Joel Embiid 14%
Interestingly, the defending two-time MVP Nikola Jokic didn't even get 3% of the vote. Though he did earn the nod as Best Center, at 79%, to Embiid's 14%. Strange dichotomy there.
Rookie Of The Year:
- Paolo Banchero 31%
- Keegan Murray 17%
- Jabari Smith 3%
Not a surprise for the top choice here with the No. 1 overall pick Banchero with the Orlando Magic. But a bit of an eye-opening selection as the 2nd-favorite for ROY is the Sacramento Kings' No. 4 pick, Keegan Murray.
If your team or player didn't finish where you'd hoped, though, keep this in mind: Last year, the GMs got every award and standings prediction they made wrong. Except for one: Coach of the Year, which they correctly predicted was Erik Spoelstra.
Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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