Nets Picked to Win NBA Title, Kevin Durant Favored for MVP in 2021-22 NBA GM Survey

The Brooklyn Nets were overwhelmingly selected as the favorite to win the 2022 NBA championship in the annual survey of the league's general managers, and the GMs picked Nets superstar Kevin Durant as their top choice to win the Most Valuable Player Award.

John Schuhmann of NBA.com provided full results from the poll ahead of the 2021-22 season, which begins with the Milwaukee Bucks as the defending champs.

Here are the general managers' predictions for the NBA title:

1. Nets (72 percent)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (17 percent)
3. Bucks (10 percent)

And the MVP Award:

1. Durant (37 percent)
2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (33 percent)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (13 percent)
   
4. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (7 percent)
   
5. James Harden, Nets (7 percent)
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (3 percent)

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The GMs widely expect a star-studded Nets vs. Lakers matchup in the Finals, with 83 percent ranking Brooklyn as the top team in the East and 80 percent placing L.A. atop the West.

They gave Doncic (43 percent) a slight edge over Antetokounmpo (40 percent) as the best player to start a franchise with from scratch.

Here were the choices for the best player at each position right now:

• PG: Curry
• SG: Harden
• SF: Durant
• PF: Antetokounmpo
• C: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

The general managers were torn between the Houston Rockets' Jalen Green (47 percent) and Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham (40 percent) in the Rookie of the Year race. There was nothing close to a consensus about which player from the 2021 class will be the best in five years, with the Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley (33 percent) garnering the most support.

They felt the Miami Heat (47 percent) put together the best offseason, highlighted by a sign-and-trade deal for longtime Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry. That trade was chosen as the move most likely to make the biggest impact by 77 percent of voters.

Let's check out some of the top vote-getters in other categories:

• Best International Player: Antetokounmpo
• Best Defensive Player: Antetokounmpo
• Best Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra (Heat)
• Player Who Will Make Best Coach: Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
• Most Fun Team To Watch: Nets
• Best Young Core: Atlanta Hawks
• Highest Basketball IQ: LeBron James (Lakers)
• Best Shooter: Curry
• Choice To Take Game-Winning Shot: Durant

Last season, the general managers incorrectly predicted the Lakers to win a second straight championship, though they did vote the Bucks as the top team in the East.

Jokic, who was voted the 2020-21 NBA MVP, only received 4 percent of the vote in last year's GM survey before his dominant campaign leading the Denver frontcourt.