GM's survey on NBA.com

[cordobes]

http://www.nba.com/2008/tipoff/10/21/gmsurvey.predictions/index.html

We already know they predicted the Lakers to win it all, but here are some of the more interesting questions. Let us answer them as well:

Which team will be the most fun to watch?
1. New Orleans -- 26.9%
2. Portland -- 23.1%
3. Golden State -- 11.5%

My answer: Utah Jazz

Which player is the best offensive rebounder?
1. Tyson Chandler -- 38.5%
2. Dwight Howard -- 30.8%
3. Reggie Evans -- 11.5%

My answer: Jeff Foster

Which head coach makes the best in-game adjustments?
1. Gregg Popovich -- 28.0%
2. Larry Brown -- 20.0%
3. Rick Carlisle -- 12.0%

My answer: Larry Brown

Which head coach is the best in the last two minutes of a close game?
1. Gregg Popovich -- 45.8%
2. Larry Brown -- 12.5%
3. Rick Adelman -- 8.3%

My answer: Gregg Popovich

Which coach has the best defensive schemes?
1. Gregg Popovich - 50.0%
2. Doc Rivers -- 30.8%
3. Jerry Sloan -- 7.7%

My answer: Doc Rivers

Who is the best defensive player in the NBA?
1. Kevin Garnett -- 44.4%
2. Ron Artest -- 22.2%
3. Kobe Bryant -- 11.1%

My answer: Kevin Garnett

Which player best defends the passing lanes in the NBA?
1. Allen Iverson -- 26.9%
2. Trevor Ariza - 11.5%
Caron Butler - 11.5%

My answer: Rajon Rondo

Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA?
1. Bruce Bowen -- 44.4%
2. Kobe Bryant -- 25.9%
3. Ron Artest -- 14.8%

My answer: Shane Battier


Which player is the fastest with the ball?
1. Chris Paul -- 37.0%
2. Tony Parker -- 18.5%
3. T.J. Ford -- 14.8%

My answer: Barbosa

Who is the toughest player in the NBA?
1. Ron Artest -- 37.0%
2. Kobe Bryant -- 14.8%
3. Matt Harpring -- 7.4%
Chris Paul -- 7.4%

My answer: Allen Iverson

Which active player will make the best head coach someday?
1. Eric Snow -- 24.0%
2. Sam Cassell -- 16.0%
3. Derek Fisher -- 12.0%

My answer: Eric Snow

Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Greg Oden -- 30.8%
2. Michael Beasley -- 23.1%
Derrick Rose -- 23.1%
4. Anthony Randolph -- 7.7%
Russell Westbrook -- 7.7%

My answer: Derrick Rose

Which rookie is most likely to be a "sleeper" success?
1. J.J. Hickson -- 20.0%
2. Courtney Lee -- 12.0%
Robin Lopez -- 12.0%

My answer: Marreese Speights

Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA?
1. Ricky Rubio -- 57.7%
2. Juan Carlos Navarro -- 7.7%
3. Tiago Splitter -- 7.7%

My answer: Siskaukas. If they mean who would be the best if he was playing in the NBA, Diamantidis/Splitter/Smodiz in the short-run; Rubio in the long run.

Which team made the best overall moves?
1. Philadelphia -- 51.9%
2. Houston -- 18.5%
3. Cleveland -- 7.4%

My answer: Philadelphia

What was the most underrated player acquisition?
1. James Posey -- 22.2%
2. Rudy Fernandez -- 11.1%
3. Mickael Pietrus -- 7.4%

My answer: Baron Davis

What was the most surprising move of the offseason?
1. Elton Brand -- 30.0%
2. Marcus Camby -- 24.0%
3. Baron Davis -- 22.0%

My answer: Josh Childress

Which player does the most with least?
1. Bruce Bowen -- 12.5%
2. Reggie Evans -- 8.3%
Steve Nash -- 8.3%
Fabricio Oberto -- 8.3%
Mehmet Okur -- 8.3%
Luke Walton -- 8.3%

My answer: Kendrick Perkins

[D Dub]

We already know they predicted the Lakers to win it all, but here are some of the more interesting questions. Let us answer them as well:


Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA?
1. Bruce Bowen -- 44.4%
2. Kobe Bryant -- 25.9%
3. Ron Artest -- 14.8%

My answer: Shane Battier

After last years playoff shut-downs of LBJ & Kobe --- this has GOT to be Paul Pierce.

[Roy Hobbs]

11% of GMs think Kobe is the best defender in the NBA?!

[bdm860]

Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Greg Oden -- 30.8%
2. Michael Beasley -- 23.1%
Derrick Rose -- 23.1%
4. Anthony Randolph -- 7.7%
Russell Westbrook -- 7.7%

My answer: Derrick Rose

I'm surprised Gred Oden didn't run away with the best rookie question.  I could understand if this was last year with him and Kevin Durant possibly splitting the vote, but I figured he would be the hands down winner this year.  Maybe some GM's just didn't think of him as a rookie since he wasn't drafted this year and forget about him.

What was the most underrated player acquisition?
1. James Posey -- 22.2%
2. Rudy Fernandez -- 11.1%
3. Mickael Pietrus -- 7.4%

My answer: Baron Davis

You really consider Baron Davis an underrated acquisition?  I probably consider him as the 2nd biggest offseason acquistion behind Brand.  I would never consider his acquisition as underrated.

[cordobes]

You really consider Baron Davis an underrated acquisition?  I probably consider him as the 2nd biggest offseason acquistion behind Brand.  I would never consider his acquisition as underrated.

Well, I agree with you but I think Baron Davis is very, very underrated (see the answers to the "Which one player acquisition will make the biggest impact?" and "Which team will be most improved in 2008-09?" questions on the survey), therefore his acquisition is being underrated - you don't see a lot of buzz around it.

[nickagneta]

How exactly can 4 GMs in this league think Kobe Bryant is the toughest player in the league after watching him get shut down and physically moved around during last year's Finals.

Is he the best player. Sure, I could see a ton of votes for him there but to have the second most votes for toughest player??? That's like saying ARod is baseball's toughest player.

Great? Possibly best? Definitely! Toughest? No way!!!


I can't believe David Lee didn't get any love as the best offensive rebounder in the game considering he was among the tops in offensive rebounding over the last two years while playing much less time than the players who were ahead of him. I hate PER48 stats, but in this case I think it is applicable. His offensive rebounds per minute over the last two years has been astounding.

2007-08 4.9 ORP48
2006-07 5.5 ORP48

Tyson Chandler's numbers:

2007-08 5.6 ORP48
2006-07 6.1 ORP48

Dwight Howard's numbers:

2007-08 4.1 ORP48
2006-07 4.4 ORP48

Just something to think about.

[Mr October]

One thing that really stinks about predictions, is that everyone wants to be cute and pick a dark horse, so they can say I had them all along. Think final 4 brackets.... 

I think prediction polls should be made with a punishment incentive. Lets say... if you guess wrong, Shaq gets to kick you in the groin as hard as possible. I wonder what kind of answers you'd see in these polls then. 

[Mr October]

Sorry. I'm just bitter because I have to listen to another season of why Kobe and the Lakers are so great from all the clowns in LA.

Then again, when the C's beat them again, I'll just stroll around Staples with a big smile on my face.

More on topic... yeah, when I think toughness and defense, I think Kobe Bryant.  ...I hate the Lakers...

[cordobes]

Nick, I agree he could have got some love, but:
- Rebounds per game (or per 48 minutes) aren't a good measure because some teams miss more shots than others. The Knicks missed a lot of them.
- Playing only 30 minutes per game helps to keep your legs fresh.
- Lee played a lot of time against subs, because he started most of the games in the bench and the Knicks played an awful amount of garbage minutes last season (also factor that they didn't care a lot about transition defense or running hard back on defense to deny post position).

Check the OR% numbers:

Tyson Chandler: 13.2
Jeff Foster: 15.0     
David Lee: 11.3     

Considering the aforementioned factors, I think it's hard to argue he should top any of other two guys.

-----------

Kobe was voted in almost every "which player is the best.." category. His defense is becoming over-rated, in my opinion. But he got votes for everything: most athletic player (!!), best in open court, best finisher...

The funniest answer was probably "LeBron James" to "Which player does the most with least?". Good pun (or the GM just misunderstood the question).

[davemonsterband]

New Orleans. Half league's GM's are nitwits.

[greg683x]

Honestly?  I love it.

They didnt pick us to win last year.  Just about EVERYBODY picked Detroit to beat us, Im not even gonna bring up everyones pick for the finals.

It's a sign of good things to come in my opinion. haha

[nickagneta]

Nick, I agree he could have got some love, but:
- Rebounds per game (or per 48 minutes) aren't a good measure because some teams miss more shots than others. The Knicks missed a lot of them.
- Playing only 30 minutes per game helps to keep your legs fresh.
- Lee played a lot of time against subs, because he started most of the games in the bench and the Knicks played an awful amount of garbage minutes last season (also factor that they didn't care a lot about transition defense or running hard back on defense to deny post position).

Check the OR% numbers:

Tyson Chandler: 13.2
Jeff Foster: 15.0     
David Lee: 11.3     

Considering the aforementioned factors, I think it's hard to argue he should top any of other two guys.

-----------

Kobe was voted in almost every "which player is the best.." category. His defense is becoming over-rated, in my opinion. But he got votes for everything: most athletic player (!!), best in open court, best finisher...

The funniest answer was probably "LeBron James" to "Which player does the most with least?". Good pun (or the GM just misunderstood the question).

I think Foster should have gotten a lot more respect there, too. I just don't understand the Howard inclusion. He's a great rebounder, a beast. But he's only above average on the offensive side. Heck, I think Al Jefferson is a better offensive rebounder than Dwight Howard.

[bdm860]

You really consider Baron Davis an underrated acquisition?  I probably consider him as the 2nd biggest offseason acquistion behind Brand.  I would never consider his acquisition as underrated.

Well, I agree with you but I think Baron Davis is very, very underrated (see the answers to the "Which one player acquisition will make the biggest impact?" and "Which team will be most improved in 2008-09?" questions on the survey), therefore his acquisition is being underrated - you don't see a lot of buzz around it.

Ok, I can dig that answer.  And actually now that I look at the actual results, I see another GM picked Baron Davis too, and one even picked Elton Brand.  I mean I still wouldn't view either as underrated acquisition but apparently at least a couple of GM's do.

[shookones99]

Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Greg Oden -- 30.8%
2. Michael Beasley -- 23.1%
Derrick Rose -- 23.1%
4. Anthony Randolph -- 7.7%
Russell Westbrook -- 7.7%

My answer: Derrick Rose

You really think Derrick Rose will be better than Oden?  I love Rose But Oden is an absolute animal. 

[greg683x]

You really think Derrick Rose will be better than Oden?  I love Rose But Oden is an absolute animal. 

Personally, I would put Rose above Oden just because I believe Oden  is going to have an injury prone career.  Just a gut feeling I have.


Of course now that Ive said that, Oden will now go on to become the greatest center of all time haha.