Preseason poll of NBA general managers picks Spurs to win it all. [Archive]

flipcritic

10-24-2006, 09:23 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/specials/preview/2006/10/24/bc.bkn.gmsurvey.ap/index.html

GMs speak out
Spurs picked as champs, LeBron as MVP by GMs

The San Antonio Spurs will win another title and LeBron James will capture his first MVP award, according to a preseason poll of NBA general managers.

All but two of the league's 30 general managers responded to the fifth annual NBA.com survey. They also picked Portland's Brandon Roy as the rookie of the year, Pat Riley of Miami as the best coach and Kobe Bryant as the player they want taking a shot with the game on the line.

The Spurs won the 2005 NBA championship but lost to Dallas in last season's Western Conference semifinals. San Antonio was picked by 43 percent of the GMs to regain the title, with the Mavericks getting 29 percent and reigning champion Miami earning 14 percent.

However, the Spurs weren't even predicted to win their own division. The Mavs were the pick as Southwest Division champs by 57 percent of the GMs, with San Antonio at 43 percent.

Other division champion picks were Miami (Southeast), New Jersey (Atlantic), Detroit (Central), Denver (Northwest) and Phoenix (Pacific).

With 39 percent of the vote, James beat out fellow U.S. captain Dwyane Wade (29 percent) as the MVP choice. James was also the choice of 71 percent of the GMs as the player they would want to sign if they were starting a franchise.

Full results of the survey will be available on NBA.com on Wednesday.

1Parker1

10-24-2006, 09:29 PM

reigning champion Miami earning 14 percent

:lol That's a shame.

Mr.Bottomtooth

10-24-2006, 09:43 PM

In the Anthony Johnson thread.

milkyway21

10-24-2006, 09:45 PM

James was also the choice of 71 percent of the GMs as the player they would want to sign if they were starting a franchise.

just a few yrs ago it was Duncan...:cry
i didn't realize how time flies too fast.

theroc5

10-24-2006, 10:52 PM

just a few yrs ago it was Duncan...:cry
i didn't realize how time flies too fast.
all that matters is that were playing in june and have a championship banner come this time next season

ponky

10-24-2006, 11:06 PM

Kenny and Barkley also picked you guys to win next year against the Cavs and Heat respectively...oh, but they're always wrong.

milkyway21

10-24-2006, 11:50 PM

Kenny and Barkley also picked you guys to win next year against the Cavs and Heat respectively...oh, but they're always wrong.not always. Barkley picked the Spurs to win over the Mavs in 2003 and we won :D

BELIEVE!

T Park

10-25-2006, 12:38 AM

He also picked them in 05 along with Kenny Smith.

mavsfan1000

10-25-2006, 12:52 AM

He also picked them in 05 along with Kenny Smith.
They picked them against the Lakers in 04 as well.

milkyway21

10-25-2006, 02:05 AM

why those GMs didn't pick the Mavs over the Spurs despite the Dallas winning the WC last season?

are Dallas Mavericks an underrated team, Duncan is still a more dominant figure over Dirk(contrary to some people here who thinks Dirk is now the dominating player in the league), or is it because Duncan is well-rested, he hasn't for sometime now bec of summer Fiba commitments or nursing an injury, and now he's back to old form?

or they are just playing safe?

i wonder :rolleyes

ChumpDumper

10-25-2006, 02:46 AM

Stupid idiot GMs.

Texas_Ranger

10-25-2006, 10:44 AM

Quite realistic.

AFBlue

10-25-2006, 10:49 AM

They picked them against the Lakers in 04 as well.

The point of those posts was that the Mavs Fan said Barkley and Kenny are NEVER right... guess he's wrong. I'm not saying that they're ALWAYS right, but they, like the GM's, make their selections based on the talent and chemistry of the teams...and this time around they like the Spurs.

spurs_fan_in_exile

10-25-2006, 10:51 AM

I wish they'd show which GM's voted where. Obviously they can't because no one needs the PR of giving their team a vote of no confidence right before the season, but I might give a little more weight to this poll if I knew where guys like Zeke voted vs. guys like RC and Dumars.

MajorMike

10-25-2006, 10:56 AM

I like the pick, but let's be honest... how many of the GMs want to vote for the brat in blue?

Chris Childs

10-25-2006, 10:56 AM

This is ludicrous. Spurs won't make it pass the 1st round. My New york Knicks will win it all.

cornbread

10-25-2006, 11:03 AM

This is ludicrous. Spurs won't make it pass the 1st round. My New york Knicks will win it all.

The Knicks actually looked pretty good against the 76ers last night. Don't listen to what Greg Anthony says. Renaldo Balkman is a balla!!!

Dirk41MVP

10-25-2006, 11:44 AM

What's interesting is that for the 05-06 season, those same GM's, picked SAn Antonio to win the west and win it all and they ended up getting beaten in the 2nd round...

Which team will win the Western Conference?

San Antonio Spurs 96.2%
Phoenix Suns 3.8%

Which team will win NBA Finals 2006?

San Antonio Spurs 76.9%
Miami Heat 15.4%
Others receiving votes: Detroit, Minnesota

Minnesota winning the finals ?, how about they make the playoffs first ?... stupid ass GM's that voted for them...

Who will win the 2005-06 MVP?

Tim Duncan, San Antonio 58.3%
Shaquille O'Neal, Miami 16.7%

Who will win the 2005-06 Rookie of the Year?

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee 40.0%
Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City 36.0%
Deron Williams, Utah 12.0%

Seems to be pretty off, and considering last year you got more votes from GM's and you lost in the 2nd round, this season you got less votes, what will happen ?... muahah

Here's the link if you want to check it out yourself:

http://www.nba.com/preview2005/gmsurvey_predictions.html

bdictjames

10-25-2006, 11:49 AM

"Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and the Spurs"

That was the headline in nba.com, but Im too lazy to quote.

Wow. Tony's the new leader of the Spurs bunch. There wasn't even a Manu there.

dougp

10-25-2006, 11:51 AM

What's interesting is that for the 05-06 season, those same GM's, picked SAn Antonio to win the west and win it all and they ended up getting beaten in the 2nd round...

Minnesota winning the finals ?, how about they make the playoffs first ?... stupid ass GM's that voted for them...

Seems to be pretty off, and considering last year you got more votes from GM's and you lost in the 2nd round, this season you got less votes, what will happen ?... muahah

Here's the link if you want to check it out yourself:

http://www.nba.com/preview2005/gmsurvey_predictions.html (http://www.nba.com/preview2005/gmsurvey_predictions.html)
No one really knew how bad Tim's PF would bother him ...

Mr. Body

10-25-2006, 11:52 AM

The Knicks actually looked pretty good against the 76ers last night. Don't listen to what Greg Anthony says. Renaldo Balkman is a balla!!!

Belongs in the Knicks forum, but they're my second favorite team right now, if leagues behind the Spurs. Helps I'm in NY and get games all the time.

They're really two teams - one of overpaid, underproductive players who don't know or care how to win, the other a bunch of scrappy, hustling rookies and second year players, with a couple others slightly overpaid but who really care about winning (like Jamal Crawford). David Lee, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman... there's not a player there I wouldn't love to be a Spur.

Thomas fucked up the draft, anyway. He could have had Marcus Williams AND Renaldo Balkman, but at least Balkman's the real deal.

Texas_Ranger

10-25-2006, 11:53 AM

This is ludicrous. Spurs won't make it pass the 1st round. My New york Knicks will win it all.

:lol , Good joke. :lol

Solid D

10-25-2006, 12:36 PM

According to the GMs, Timmy is the best 4 and the second best 5.

Who is the best power forward in the NBA?
Tim Duncan, San Antonio 57.1%
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas 25.0%
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota 14.3%
Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix 3.6%

Who is the best center in the NBA?
Shaquille O'Neal, Miami 75.0%
Tim Duncan, San Antonio 17.9%
Others receiving votes: Dwight Howard, Orlando, Yao Ming, Houston

AFBlue

10-25-2006, 12:48 PM

Seems to be pretty off, and considering last year you got more votes from GM's and you lost in the 2nd round, this season you got less votes, what will happen ?... muahah

The Spurs got the majority of the vote because they had just won the championship and added Michael Finley while losing no one of note. As previously stated, no one predicts health of players.

This time around the Mavs proved their worth, the Heat won the championship, and the Spurs have two-thirds of their trio's health in question.

I'd say it's a testament to how good the Spurs really can be that they still received the most votes despite the rest of the field having compelling arguments for why they should win it all.

JGrice02

10-25-2006, 12:57 PM

Seems to be pretty off, and considering last year you got more votes from GM's and you lost in the 2nd round, this season you got less votes, what will happen ?... muahah

Wow, I didn't realize people would go to such an extent for the sole purpose of making themselves feel better. If there is a less logical argument in existence I would love to see it.

Dude, you team beat the Spurs in the second round. Why do you even care what the GMs say? I mean, they are certainly smarter than you are but what does it really matter what they say? All they are voting on is who they think the best team is going into the season. Obviously they still think that team is the Spurs. But its not like the GMs play the game so who really cares?

It just goes to show how much respect a proven franchise has in the eyes of other GMs. Either that or the voting is a reflection of the malcontent toward that idiot Mavs owner, Cuban.

George Gervin's Afro

10-25-2006, 12:59 PM

What's interesting is that for the 05-06 season, those same GM's, picked SAn Antonio to win the west and win it all and they ended up getting beaten in the 2nd round...

Minnesota winning the finals ?, how about they make the playoffs first ?... stupid ass GM's that voted for them...

Seems to be pretty off, and considering last year you got more votes from GM's and you lost in the 2nd round, this season you got less votes, what will happen ?... muahah

Here's the link if you want to check it out yourself:

http://www.nba.com/preview2005/gmsurvey_predictions.html

Speaking of the Finals how did that Parade turn out? Are you going to be at the game where they raise the Western Conference banner ?

LilMissSPURfect

10-25-2006, 01:09 PM

:lol That's a shame.

"You want answers!"
"You want answers! ? "
"I want the truth ! "

yes a shame! of the mockery the NBA has become ...if only if --the zebra's went about their grazzzzing bidness :dizzy dang...it hurts to surcome to that
Spurs played their butts off and if anything deserved to advance.

ratings = :greedy :greedy

Dirk41MVP

10-25-2006, 01:39 PM

No one really knew how bad Tim's PF would bother him ...

sure.. every time you average 30+ and 10+ you have lots and lots of foot problems. He might have had that in the reg. season, but he was fine in the PO's.

This time around the Mavs proved their worth, the Heat won the championship, and the Spurs have two-thirds of their trio's health in question.

That's why I don't give much thought to it. SA lost in the 2nd round, and they are now going to the finals and winning it all, they don't give the heat and the mavs much credit, despite them being the 2 best teams as of right now.

Dude, you team beat the Spurs in the second round. Why do you even care what the GMs say? I mean, they are certainly smarter than you are but what does it really matter what they say? All they are voting on is who they think the best team is going into the season. Obviously they still think that team is the Spurs. But its not like the GMs play the game so who really cares?

I don't care, that's what I said in the OP. They are just guessing, so they're smart, because they picked the spurs to win ?... right. "obviously" the spurs have to prove their worth again, cause as of right now the mavs > spurs. We'll see when the end of the reg. season comes by and the PO's end...

ither that or the voting is a reflection of the malcontent toward that idiot Mavs owner, Cuban.

might be the biggest reason why the mavs never get much respect around. He is a great owner, but at the same time he goes too far sometimes, I agree with that comment.

Are you going to be at the game where they raise the Western Conference banner ?

Nah, I'll be busy watching the spurs get their 2nd round ones... wait they don't even get 1, lmfao.

phxspurfan

10-25-2006, 01:41 PM

If anyone remembers the first Spurs game during last season on TNT (Spurs-Nuggets where Nene hurt his knee), Barkley said something like "they don't even need to play the season. The Spurs will win it all"

z0sa

10-25-2006, 01:43 PM

an the spurs should have. thanks 'CIA pop' for the secret small ball attack

phxspurfan

10-25-2006, 01:49 PM

get over it already

cornbread

10-25-2006, 03:02 PM

How long until nov 2? I can't take this much longer.

Extra Stout

10-25-2006, 03:27 PM

Nah, I'll be busy watching the spurs get their 2nd round ones... wait they don't even get 1, lmfao.
Yeah, too bad, we'll just have to take solace in the three championship banners that are already there.

But, hey, you guys went to the Finals! That's so nice.

dbreiden83080

10-25-2006, 04:14 PM

Dirk41MVP

10-25-2006, 05:07 PM

an the spurs should have. thanks 'CIA pop' for the secret small ball attack

wait, I thought Popovich was a better coach than Riley and Jackson... I guess he's not after all is he ? :lol

ponky

10-25-2006, 05:22 PM

No one really knew how bad Tim's PF would bother him ...

He looked just fine during the semis, best player on the Spurs team and maybe as far as individual stats go, he may have been the most efficient player in the Mavs/Spurs series. The Spurs didn't lose because of Duncan, not by a long shot.

CaptainLate

10-25-2006, 05:22 PM

wait, I thought Popovich was a better coach than Riley and Jackson...

5. Can the Pistons recover from the loss of Big Ben? :dizzy

Replacing Ben Wallace with Nazr Mohammed is a little like trading in a Range Rover for a Toyota Corolla. The Pistons' new car will work efficiently, but it'll be woefully underpowered when Detroit needs to gain some separation on the road to the playoffs.

Mohammed isn't a bad player -- on a per-minute basis, he grabs as many boards and scores twice as much as Big Ben -- but Wallace was the one player Detroit had who was a legitimate difference-maker, a player few teams could effectively counter.

ponky

10-25-2006, 05:23 PM

dirk4mvp

10-25-2006, 05:27 PM

Yeah, too bad, we'll just have to take solace in the three championship banners that are already there.

But, hey, you guys went to the Finals! That's so nice.

What a typical Spurs fan response.

angryllama

10-25-2006, 06:49 PM

I was actually surprised by this, since a lot of the media right now seem to saying that if Amare is healthy it will be the Suns and if not them the Mavs. It is nice to see the GM's who know a hell of a lot more than the sportwriters are not saying the Spurs are too old and the window has closed.

Chances are, Stoudemire will never be the same again. He had microfracture surgery. Check out the long list of players who never recovered from that surgery, and then check out the short list of players who were able to contribute some in the NBA, then check out the nonexistant list of players who returned to pre-injury form.

GrandeDavid

10-25-2006, 08:48 PM

Well, this puts a dent in my "Spurs ain't gettin no respect" tank. :lol

Obstructed_View

10-25-2006, 11:22 PM

wait, I thought Popovich was a better coach than Riley and Jackson... I guess he's not after all is he ? :lol
At least you recognize that his terrible coaching is the only reason the Mavs made it to the WCF.

Amuseddaysleeper

10-25-2006, 11:43 PM

I usually resign my bitching until the season starts and was more than happy to give the Mavs their due in beating us last year but for the love of god some of you Mavs fans need to shut the fuck up. You guy's have yet to do shit when it matters so you haven't earned any respect. You choked away a 2-0 lead in the finals so of course experts will be skeptical in giving you the benefit of the doubt. and yes, we have choked away a 2-0 lead as well.......but we still got 3 championships so we know what it takes to get over the hump. I don't blame last year's loss on bad reffing or injuries, but more on the players themselves (Manu better fucking show up this year provided he stays healthy) and the sketchy coaching.

So props on beating us last year......but seriously

shut the fuck up about a bunch of ex basketball players and gm's actually thinking the Spurs would win it all this coming year. I don't even agree with them as of right now and I'm a SPURS FAN (though some of these other posters may find that hard to believe)

RC's Boss

10-26-2006, 12:09 AM

Turn off your T.V. when the Spurs play then and let us enjoy our championship run

RC's Boss

10-26-2006, 12:09 AM

And we've never choked in the finals

Louis2

10-26-2006, 01:02 AM

Didn't the GMs voted San Antonio to win the title last year?

Obstructed_View

10-26-2006, 01:42 AM

Didn't the GMs voted San Antonio to win the title last year?
Wow. Reading the thread would help. Oh wait, trolls don't read.

Louis2

10-26-2006, 01:48 AM

My point here is that these polls mean shit...dont' get too excited!!

TheSanityAnnex

10-26-2006, 02:10 AM

Kobe Bryant as the player they want taking a shot with the game on the line.

???

I'll never understand this. Kobe has one of the lowest % of clutch shots made out of all the superstars. Not to mention zero assists in the clutch.

THE SIXTH MAN

10-26-2006, 02:18 AM

My point here is that these polls mean shit...dont' get too excited!!
You know we do have a troll forum, feel free to visit any time.

dirk4mvp

10-26-2006, 06:14 AM

???

I'll never understand this. Kobe has one of the lowest % of clutch shots made out of all the superstars. Not to mention zero assists in the clutch.

Billups % in the clutch wasn't that high either last year.

All you have to do to be clutch is hit a few big shots. Forget %

TheSanityAnnex

10-26-2006, 03:21 PM

All you have to do to be clutch is hit a few big shots. Forget %:lol No. To be considered clutch, you have to hit many big shots. You can't overlook percentages. If I recall, last year Kobe only hit 7 out 32 in clutch situations. Are you sure thats the guy you want shooting the ball?

Carmelo Anthony was nails when it came to clutch shots. That is who I want shooting it.

dirk4mvp

10-26-2006, 03:30 PM

:lol No. To be considered clutch, you have to hit many big shots. You can't overlook percentages. If I recall, last year Kobe only hit 7 out 32 in clutch situations. Are you sure thats the guy you want shooting the ball?

Carmelo Anthony was nails when it came to clutch shots. That is who I want shooting it.

I'd want 'Melo shooting it too.

But I sure wouldn't mind Kobe shooting it.