For the first time in a while, the NBA Championship race is wide open. For years it was an arms race as teams tried to compile Big 3s to compete for a championship. However, that is no longer the case. While players are still trying to team up, there are a lot more franchises that can stake a legitimate claim to being title contenders.
General managers around the league are aware of that and it showed in how the annual NBA GM survey played out. General managers around the league were surveyed on many questions and were not allowed to pick someone within their organization. One of the questions asked was who will win the NBA Championship and some answers may surprise people.
Right now, the LA Clippers are the odds on favorites to win the title, followed by the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. The Brooklyn Nets are fourth, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks rounding out the top five.
Don’t tell that to the general managers who voted, as the Bucks, who won the NBA Finals in 2021, were the overwhelming favorites to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season. They received 43 percent of the votes, nearly lapping the field.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Boston Celtics & Golden State Warriors Updates
Second, on the list was the defending champion Golden State Warriors. They received 25 percent of the votes. Third was the LA Clippers, who received 21 percent of the votes. Last but not least was the Boston Celtics, who received 11 percent.
If your team wasn’t on there, don’t fret. These surveys have shown that even general managers don’t have a good grasp on how things will shake out. Last season the Brooklyn Nets led the way with 72 percent of the votes to win the title and 83 percent of the votes to win the Eastern Conference. The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks also received votes to win the conference.
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers received the most votes, garnering 80 percent. The Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers were also selected yet didn’t even qualify for the playoff field.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Boston Celtics & Golden State Warriors Updates
Every season teams emerge, exceeding expectations and there are others that fail short and underwhelm. The parity in the league is apparent when taking a look at the votes this year, as six teams in the Eastern Conference were picked and nine in the Western Conference were selected.
That means half the league, according to general managers, has a chance to be taking part in the NBA Finals this season.
