By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The 2023/24 NBA season is coming up, and General managers of all 30 teams pitched in on the most interesting questions before the kick-off in the traditional preseason survey.
Answering on the best teams, players, coaches, and offseason moves, they made Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic star of the survey, as the Serbian center received the most votes for this season’s MVP pick (43%), and the player GMs would start a franchise with (33%), the best center (93%), best passer (67%) and the player with the best basketball IQ (50%).
Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo received almost all the votes for the best players in the League at their respective positions, with Greek freak getting 97% as the best power forward. For the first time in 11 years, any player received more than 90% votes for any position.
San Antonio’s French prodigy, Victor Wembanyama, got 90% of the GMs votes as the player they expect to be the best in five years from all the rookies and 23% of the votes for the player they would start the franchise with, which got him second behind undisputed Jokic.
Playing for Metropolitans 92 last season, Wembanyama received 45% of the votes for the best international player outside the NBA, and now Nikola Mirotic tops that list with 37% in front of Real Madrid’s center Edy Tavares (27%) and Perth Wildcats’ talented French center Alexandre Sarr. Real’s Dzanan Musa got 10% of the votes.
Check out some of the most interesting predictions General managers of 30 NBA teams made before the start of the 2023/24 season.
Which team will win the 2024 NBA Finals?
T-1. Boston Celtics – 33%
T-1. Denver Nuggets – 33%
3. Milwaukee Bucks – 23%
4. Phoenix Suns – 7%
5. LA Clippers – 3%
» Last year: Milwaukee Bucks – 43%
Who will win the 2023-24 Kia MVP?
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 43%
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 20%
3. Jayson Tatum, Boston – 13%
4. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 10%
» Last year: Luka Doncic – 48%
If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 33%
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio – 23%
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 13%
4. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 10%
5. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota – 7%
» Last year: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 55%
Who is the best point guard in the NBA?
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 63%
2. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 27%
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City – 7%
4. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee – 3%
» Last year: Stephen Curry – 72%
Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?
1. Devin Booker, Phoenix – 63%
2. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 10%
T-3. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 7%
T-3. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota – 7%
T-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City – 7%
» Last year: Devin Booker – 45%
Who is the best small forward in the NBA?
1. Jayson Tatum, Boston – 47%
2. Kevin Durant, Phoenix – 20%
3. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 17%
4. LeBron James, L.A. Lakers – 13%
5. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers – 3%
» Last year: Kevin Durant – 45%
Who is the best power forward in the NBA?
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 97%
2. Kevin Durant, Phoenix – 3%
» Last year: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 86%
Who is the best center in the NBA?
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 93%
» Also receiving votes: Anthony Davis, L.A. Lakers; Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
» Last year: Nikola Jokic – 79%
Highest percentage of total votes on position questions
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 19.3%
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 18.7%
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 14.7%
4. Devin Booker, Phoenix – 12.7%
T-5. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 10.0%
T-5. Jayson Tatum, Boston – 10.0%
Which one-player acquisition will make the biggest impact?
1. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee – 47%
2. Jrue Holiday, Boston – 13%
3. Bradley Beal, Phoenix – 10%
T-4. Kristaps Porzingis, Boston – 7%
T-4. Fred VanVleet, Houston – 7%
T-4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio – 7%
» Last year: Donovan Mitchell – 59%
Who will win the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio – 50%
2. Scoot Henderson, Portland – 27%
3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City – 20%
4. Sasha Vezenkov, Sacramento – 3%
» Last year: Paolo Banchero – 79%
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio – 90%
» Also receiving votes: Scoot Henderson, Portland; Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City; Amen Thompson, Houston
» Last year: Paolo Banchero – 31%
» Five years ago: Deandre Ayton and Jaren Jackson Jr. – 27%
Who is the best international player in the NBA?
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 80%
2. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 10%
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 7%
4. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia – 3%
» Last year: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 57%
Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA?
1. Nikola Mirotic – 37%
2. Edy Tavares – 27%
3. Alex Sarr – 13%
4. Dzanan Musa – 10%
5. Willy Hernangomez – 7%
» Also receiving votes: Juancho Hernangomez, Rokas Jokubaitis
» Last year: Victor Wembanyama – 45%
Who is the best defensive player in the NBA?
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 40%
2. Jrue Holiday, Boston – 13%
T-3. Draymond Green, Golden State – 10%
T-3. Marcus Smart, Memphis – 10%
T-4. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis – 7%
T-4. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers – 7%
» Last year: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 48%
Who is the most versatile defender in the NBA?
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 37%
2. Draymond Green, Golden State – 23%
3. Bam Adebayo, Miami – 13%
T-4. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn – 7%
T-4. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis – 7%
» Last year: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 41%
Who is the best head coach in the NBA?
1. Erik Spoelstra, Miami – 73%
2. Tyronn Lue, LA Clippers – 10%
T-3. Steve Kerr, Golden State – 7%
T-3. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio – 7%
5. Michael Malone, Denver – 3%
» Last year: Erik Spoelstra – 52%
Which new or relocated head coach will make the biggest impact on his new team?
1. Ime Udoka, Houston – 57%
2. Monty Williams, Detroit – 17%
3. Frank Vogel, Phoenix – 13%
T-4. Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee – 7%
T-4. Darko Rajakovic, Toronto – 7%
» Last year: Darvin Ham – 48%
Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?
1. Jordi Fernandez, Sacramento – 31%
T-2. Terry Stotts, Milwaukee – 10%
T-2. Kevin Young, Phoenix – 10%
T-4. Sam Cassell, Boston – 7%
T-4. Charles Lee, Boston – 7%
» Last year: Kenny Atkinson / Charles Lee – 34%