NBA GMs pick Lakers, not Heat, to win championship
While many pundits and fans have been so quick to hand over this year’s NBA championship to the Miami Heat before they even play a game that counts, the general managers of this league
are thinking twice. It appears they have chosen experience over hype.
The annual NBA.com GM Survey polled 28 of the league’s GMs to give their predictions for the upcoming season and the majority believe that a three-peat by the Los Angeles Lakers is more
likely than LeBron James winning his first championship.
63 per cent of NBA GMs chose the Lakers as the team to beat this year while 33 per cent chose the Heat. It seems most GMs want to wait and see how the superstar trio of James, Dwyane Wade,
and Chris Bosh, works out in South Beach before giving them the title. Meanwhile, the Lakers have quietly improved over their off-season, adding the likes of Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff.
The Boston Celtics, who made it to the finals last year, picked up four per cent of the vote in this category.
In perhaps another dig at James, only one GM out of 28 thought the reigning two-time MVP would do it again. The majority of votes for MVP went to burgeoning star Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma
City Thunder. Durant received 67 per cent of the vote while Kobe Bryant was second with 26 per cent. Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic received one vote.
Regarding the Rookie of the Year race, 68 per cent of GMs picked Washington Wizard John Wall, the number-one pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.
Bryant led the way in the category for who GMs would want taking the last shot in a close game. 79 per cent of GMs chose Bryant.
The GMs also chose the best player in the league at each position. Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz was chosen at point guard (60 per cent); Bryant at shooting guard (86 per cent); James
at small forward (68 per cent); Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Pau Gasol of the Lakers at power forward (29 per cent each); and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic at centre (96 per cent).
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