http://www.nba.com/news/2013-14-nba-gm-survey/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt3a PREDICTIONS Which team will win the 2014 NBA Finals? 1. Miami -- 75.9% 2. Indiana and San Antonio -- 6.9% Also receiving votes: Chicago, L.A. Clippers, Oklahoma City Which team will win the Eastern Conference? 1. Miami -- 86.2% 2. Indiana -- 10.3% 3. Chicago -- 3.4% Which team will win the Central Division? 1. Indiana -- 51.7% 2. Chicago -- 48.3% PLAYERS Who will win the 2013-14 MVP? 1. LeBron James, Miami -- 69.0% 2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City -- 24.1% Also receiving votes: Carmelo Anthony, New York; Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers (No Rose?) Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2013-14? 1. Anthony Davis, New Orleans -- 27.6% 2. Andre Drummond , Detroit -- 10.3% 3. Derrick Favors, Utah; Paul George, Indiana; Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City -- 6.9% Also receiving votes: Bradley Beal, Washington; James Harden, Houston; Tobias Harris, Orlando; Gordon Hayward, Utah; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland; DeAndre Jordan, L.A. Clippers; Jeremy Lamb, Oklahoma City; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio; Kevin Love, Minnesota; Klay Thompson, Golden State; Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto; John Wall, Washington (No Jimmy) Who is the best point guard in the NBA? 1. Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers -- 70.0% 2. Derrick Rose, Chicago -- 20.0% 3. Tony Parker, San Antonio -- 10.0% Who is the best center in the NBA? 1. Dwight Howard, Houston -- 65.5% 2. Marc Gasol, Memphis -- 20.7% 3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio -- 10.3% 4. Roy Hibbert, Indiana -- 3.4% Last year: Dwight Howard -- 93.3% (No Noah) What was the most underrated player acquisition? 1. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans; Andrei Kirilenko, Brooklyn; Luis Scola, Indiana -- 10.0% 4. Jared Dudley, L.A. Clippers; J.J. Redick, L.A. Clippers -- 8.3% 6. Mike Dunleavy, Chicago; Andre Iguodala, Golden State; Paul Millsap, Atlanta; Josh Smith, Detroit -- 6.7% Also receiving votes: Steven Adams, Oklahoma City; Marco Belinelli, San Antonio; Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix; Earl Clark, Cleveland; Jarrett Jack, Cleveland; Al Jefferson, Charlotte; Mike Miller, Memphis; Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Last year: Andre Iguodala -- 16.7% (Dunleavy 6th) Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA? 1. Nikola Mirotic -- 25.0% 2. Rudy Fernandez, Vassilis Spanoulis -- 14.3% 4. Juan Carlos Navarro, Dario Saric -- 10.7% 6. Andrew Wiggins -- 7.1% Also receiving votes: Furkan Aldemir, Bojan Bogdanovic, Linas Kleiza, Nenad Krstic, Bo McCalebb (Can't wait!) DEFENSE Who is the best defensive player in the NBA? 1. Dwight Howard, Houston -- 34.5% 2. LeBron James, Miami -- 27.6% 3. Tony Allen, Memphis -- 13.8% 4. Andre Iguodala, Golden State -- 6.9% Also receiving votes: Tim Duncan, San Antonio; Marc Gasol, Memphis; Paul George, Indiana; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio (No Deng) Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA? 1. Tony Allen, Memphis -- 36.7% 2. LeBron James, Miami -- 33.3% 3. Paul George, Indiana -- 10.0% 4. Avery Bradley, Boston; Andre Iguodala, Golden State; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio -- 6.7% Last year: Tony Allen -- 33.3% (No Deng) Who is the best interior defender in the NBA? 1. Dwight Howard, Houston -- 46.7% 2. Joakim Noah, Chicago -- 16.7% 3. Marc Gasol, Memphis; Roy Hibbert, Indiana; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City -- 10.0% Also receiving votes: Tyson Chandler, New York; Tim Duncan, San Antonio Last year: Dwight Howard -- 66.7% (Noah! And Chandler, too) Which is the best defensive team in the NBA? 1. Chicago -- 43.3% 2. Indiana -- 33.3% 3. Miami -- 10.0% 4. Memphis -- 6.7% Also receiving votes: Oklahoma City, San Antonio COACHES Who is the best head coach in the NBA? 1. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio -- 75.9% 2. Doc Rivers, L.A. Clippers -- 10.3% 3. Erik Spoelstra, Miami; Tom Thibodeau, Chicago -- 6.9% Last year: Gregg Popovich -- 80.0% (Thibs #3)
A few things: Best defense, best defensive schemes, best player outside the NBA, but apparently were underdogs against the Pacers this year. I have to wonder......are these given out during the middle of the summer? I wouldn't be surprised. I think the Bulls with an MVP calibre Rose are better than the Pacers. Never the less, I found those results surprising. Maybe we're being too optimistic? I also wonder how much time GM's really give these types of things. The answers are surprisingly run of the mill. How much of Pop's success would follow him if he were to spend a decade in Milwaukee? I noticed Rip Hamilton got a vote for being the best in the league at moving off the ball despite not being signed by anyone.
The annual survey used to be fun. But you can tell now that none of them are filling the thing out. It's got to be people in the PR departments. The results are strangely behind the times.
