Every year the NBA general managers are surveyed on what they think will happen this season. It’s always interesting as a fan to see what the people in charge think about how the season plays out. I thought it would be fun to look at what they said, and see if I personally agree or not. With that being said, let’s get right into it.
NBA Champion:
GM Majority: Los Angeles Clippers
KB: Los Angeles Clippers
I have no disagreement here. To me the Clips are the best team in basketball, and their huge offseason is bound to set them up for success this season. I’m very high on the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George duo, and those two can absolutely lead a team to a championship. We saw Kawhi do it last year with the Raptors, and with another superstar on his team we could very well see more of the same. The other pieces on the Clippers will have a big impact if they make a championchip run. Patrick Beverley’s mentality and toughness is huge for the team, and Lou Williams and Monterzl Harrell are two of the best bench players in the whole league. Along with the gm’s, I predict the Clippers to be holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.
Player Most Likely to Have a Breakout Season
GM Majority: De’Aaron Fox
KB: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson was the second leading vote getter behind Fox for this category. I am a big fan of De’Aaron Fox, and I assume he will take another jump this year, but we saw a little flash of stardom with how good he was last season. We haven’t really seen Jaren Jackson play at the level Fox has, but I think he can do it this year. Tre J is a great prototype for the modern day big man. He can do a little bit of everything including shoot the ball, and he has the skills to be a star. I think he can reach stardom as early as this year, and along with Ja Morant they can be a very powerful duo for the Grizzlies.
Best Center in the NBA
GM Majority: Nikola Jokic
KB: Joel Embiid
If we count Anthony Davis as a Power Forward, Joel Embiid is the best Center in basketball. Jokic is great, and while it doesn’t look like it at first glance he can take over a game in many different ways. He’s surely right behind Embiid on this list because he’s incredibly talented. However, a healthy Joel Embiid is a completely different beast. Almost unstoppable in the post, and can stretch the floor a little bit. He’s also my pick for defensive player of the year, being the anchor for what should be a very good defensive 76ers team. If Embiid can stay on the court, he will surely be in MVP talks due to him being so dominant and being the best player on what looks like one of the best teams in the league. They’re both great players, but there’s no way I put Nikola Jokic over someone as good as Joel Embiid.
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