Media Release

NBA.com GM Survey Forecasts LA Clippers to Win First-Ever NBA Championship

NBA Digital

LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Named Most Impactful Offseason Acquisition,

Best Defender, Best Perimeter Defender & NBA’s Top Small Forward

 

NBA Execs Tab Milwaukee Bucks’s Giannis Antetokounmpo to Repeat as Kia NBA MVP

& Bucks to Win Eastern Conference Championship

 

NBA General Managers – based on the results of this year’s NBA.com GM survey – forecast the LA Clippers to win their first-ever NBA Championship – collecting 46% of the votes – followed by the Milwaukee Bucks (36%).

 

In the 18th annual survey, NBA executives overwhelmingly believe the LA Clippers (82%) had the Best Offseason. Kawhi Leonard garnered 67% of the votes for the NBA’s Most Impactful Offseason Addition and collected Best Defender (45%) and Best Perimeter Defender (59%) honors. In addition, he broke LeBron James’ streak as the survey’s Top Small Forward (62%), which dates back to 2005.

 

Overall, eight players earned votes for 2019-20 Kia NBA MVP, with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way with 52% of the votes, followed by the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis and LA Clippers’ Leonard, who each garnered 10% of the vote. Antetokounmpo also drew the most votes for the Player General Managers Would Want to Start a Franchise With (86%), Best International Player (79%), Top Power Forward (59%) and Most Versatile (46%).

 

New Orleans’ Zion Williamson was tabbed to be this year’s Kia NBA Rookie of the Year (68%) and Best Rookie in Five Years (68%), while also earning Most Athletic honors (41%).

 

Golden State’s Curry received the most votes among general managers for Top Point Guard (90%), Best Pure Shooter (86%) and Clutch Shooter (44%).

 

The Los Angeles Lakers were identified as the NBA’s Most Improved Team (38%), while James topped the list for Best Basketball IQ (64%) and Best Passer (57%).

 

San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich was named Best Coach (55%) for the eighth time in the past nine surveys, along with repeating as the NBA’s Best Motivator (41%).

 

Additional noteworthy 2019-20 NBA.com GM Survey results include: 

 

  • Paul George, LA Clippers – Most Surprising Offseason Move (52%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks – Eastern Conference Champion (76%)
  • Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers – Best Leader (41%)
  • Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz – Best Interior Defender (93%)
  • James Harden, Houston Rockets – Forces Most Adjustments (48%)
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker, New Orleans Pelicans – Biggest NBA Draft Steal (32%)
  • Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks – Best In-Game Adjustments (28%)
  • De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings – Fastest with the Ball (64%)
  • Denver Nuggets – Most Fun (31%)

NBA.com once again surveyed the league’s general managers to gather their responses on the best teams, players, coaches, offseason moves and more prior to the 2019-20 NBA season. The general managers were not allowed to vote for their own team or personnel. The complete results of the survey – compiled by John Schuhmann – are available at www.nba.com/gmsurvey/2019.