NBA General Managers Favor Spurs for Championship, Wembanyama Dominates Player Categories
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
NBA general managers have overwhelmingly selected the San Antonio Spurs as favorites to win the upcoming championship, with rookie Victor Wembanyama dominating player categories. The survey also projected the Spurs to lead the Western Conference, while the New York Knicks were favored in the East. Key player awards and offseason moves were also highlighted, with notable mentions for Giannis Antetokounmpo's impactful signing and Erik Spoelstra as best coach, while Dani Avdija and Portland were unmentioned.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- San Antonio Spurs are the favorites to win the NBA championship with 50% of GM votes.
- Victor Wembanyama was voted the best defensive player and leading MVP candidate.
- Portland was projected to finish seventh in the Western Conference.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić were named best point guard and center, respectively.
- The Philadelphia 76ers were recognized for the best offseason moves.
- Dani Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers received no mentions in the survey.
The traditional NBA general managers' survey has been released, showing overwhelming support for the San Antonio Spurs to win the upcoming championship, with 50% of the GMs picking them. The Spurs were also projected to finish first in the Western Conference by 53% of respondents. Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was a dominant figure in the survey, winning eight categories. He was overwhelmingly chosen as the player to build a franchise around (93%), the best defensive player (97%), the leading MVP candidate (77%), the player forcing the most opponent adjustments (47%), and the best international player (53%).
In the Western Conference projections, Portland was ranked seventh, behind San Antonio, OKC, Minnesota, Denver, Houston, and the Lakers. Conversely, the New York Knicks were favored to finish first in the Eastern Conference by 60% of the GMs. Individual player awards saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander selected as the best point guard (67%), Anthony Edwards as the best shooting guard (73%), Luka Dončić as the best small forward (37%), Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best power forward (70%), and Nikola Jokić as the best center (63%).
Regarding offseason moves, the Philadelphia 76ers were named the team with the best offseason moves (73%). Giannis Antetokounmpo's move to Miami was considered the most impactful signing (53%), while Tobias Harris's addition to San Antonio was deemed the most "underrated" signing (20%). The Indiana Pacers were predicted to show the most improvement in the 2026-27 season (43%).
In the rookie and young player categories, Cameron Boozer of Memphis was the favorite for Rookie of the Year (50%). AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson tied for the best rookie in five years (33% each). Dylan Harper was selected as the player most likely to break out this season (27%), Sasha Vezenkov was named the best international player outside the league (77%), and Erik Spoelstra of Miami was chosen as the best coach (43%). Notably, Israeli player Dani Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers received no mentions in the survey.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
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