The Los Angeles Lakers will repeat as NBA champions, according to a survey by NBA general managers.
That prediction was one of many conclusions from NBA.com’s annual survey of the 30 headquarters before the start of the new season. The survey included 33 questions, ranging from which player to choose to start a franchise to the best player in each position and who will win the Most Valuable Player award this campaign.
But one of the most unequal answers in the entire survey was the first question: Who will win the title this season?
81% of respondents said the Lakers would repeat in 2021, and that the only other team to receive multiple votes was rival LA Clippers, which garnered 11% of the vote. The only other teams selected were the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat.
Milwaukee Bucks center-back Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had just signed a five-year supermax extension to stay with the Bucks, was selected to win a third consecutive Most Valuable Player in the league award. which has not been done since Larry Bird got it in 1984-86.
However, league executives predict it will be an open race, as Antetokounmpo received only 32% of the vote, while five players: Dallas Mavericks baseman Luka Doncic (21%), the forwards of the Lakers Anthony Davis and Lebron James (18%), Nets winger Kevin Durant (7%) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (4%) – also received votes.
Antetokounmpo and Doncic, meanwhile, are also favorites among general managers when asked which player they would choose to start a franchise. Both players received 43% of the vote, while Davis received 7%. To show how much respect Doncic has earned over the past year, Antetokounmpo was last year’s absolute winner with 86%.
The league’s general managers voted for the best player in each position: Golden State Warriors baseman Stephen Curry (30%), Houston Rockets escort James Harden (68%), James (57%) as wing, Antetokounmpo (46%) in wing-pivot and Jokic (50%) in center.
They also determined that the Lakers (37%) had the best low season, qualifying baseman Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns (44%) as the best move and winger Gordon Hayward signing with the Charlotte Hornets (54). %) as the most amazing.
In addition, general managers favored Hornets base / escort Lamelo Ball (39%) to win the Ninth of the Year and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra (46%) to be named the best coach in the league. The most promising young core of players was for the New Orleans Pelicans (41%).