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Tim good morningESPN
The Los Angeles Lakers will repeat as NBA champions, according to a poll conducted by NBA general managers.
This prediction was one of the many contributions from NBA.com’s annual survey of the previous 30 offices 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 to who will win the award for most valuable player this year.
But one of the most misguided answers in the entire survey was the first question: who will win the title this season?
Eighty-one percent of respondents said the Lakers would repeat in 2021, with the only other team receiving multiple votes rival LA Clippers, which garnered 11 percent of the vote. The only other teams selected were the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat.
Milwaukee Bucks striker Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had just signed a five-year supermax overtime to stay with the Bucks, was selected to win a third consecutive league MVP award, which has not been done. since Larry Bird released it from 1984 to 1986.
League executives predict it will be an open race, however, as Antetokounmpo received only 32% of the vote, while five other players: Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (21%), the Lakers strikers, Anthony Davis and LeBron James (18%). ), Nets striker Kevin Durant (7%), and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (4%) also received votes.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo and Doncic were also favorites among the GMs when asked which player they would choose to start a franchise with. Both players received 43% of the vote, while Davis received 7%. To show the respect Doncic has earned over the past year, Antetokounmpo was last year’s winner with 86%.
The GMs in the league chose the best player in each position to be the Golden State Warriors’ point guard Stephen Curry (30%), Houston Rockets shooter James Harden (68%), James (57%) forward small, Antetokounmpo (46%) in front and Jokic (50%) in center.
They also determined that the Lakers (37%) had the best low season and rated goalie Chris Paul going to the Phoenix Suns (44%) as the best play and forward Gordon Hayward going to the Charlotte Hornets (54%) as the best player. the most amazing.
In addition, the GMs favored Hornets goalie LaMelo Ball (39%) to win the debutant of the year and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra (46%) to be the best coach in the league. The most promising core of players nodded to the New Orleans Pelicans (41%).