The Boston Celtics were mentioned frequently in the annual NBA GM Survey.
The NBA released the results of its annual GM Survey on Wednesday. The survey polls NBA general managers to gauge their attitudes about the best players, coaches, teams, and offseason moves. Unsurprisingly, the Boston Celtics featured prominently in the survey results.
These results matter. You could argue, very reasonably, that nobody knows the league as well as its GMs. General fan polls are fun, but not typically meaningful. The GM poll, on the other hand, is valuable both as a barometer of the general feeling among league executives, and as a predictive tool.
Here are some thoughts and highlights from the survey results for Boston Celtics fans, broken up into five sections.
Celtics enter NBA Finals odds discussion
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
The Golden State Warriors unsurprisingly ran away with the championship vote. A whopping 87 percent of GMs picked the Warriors to win the NBA finals. The Houston Rockets tied with the Boston Celtics at 7 percent of the vote.
Last year, the Warriors had 93 percent of the vote, with the Cleveland Cavaliers earning the other 7 percent.
So GMs aren’t exactly brimming with confidence about the Celtics winning the championship. If my math checks out, then this means 26/30 NBA GMs picked the Warriors, two picked Houston, and two picked Boston. But Celtics fans have to be at least a bit encouraged that their team has entered such an exclusive conversation.
More encouraging is the fact that GMs have overwhelmingly selected Boston to at least make the Finals. When asked about the best team in the East (which this survey seems to conflate with ‘who will make it to the finals’), 90 percent picked the Celtics and 10 percent picked the Toronto Raptors. In somewhat of a surprise, none picked the Philadelphia 76ers to win the conference. The overwhelming majority of voters placed them in the 2-3 range.
The bottom line for Celtics fans is that, according to NBA GMs, they’re in a two-team race to the conference throne and are overwhelming favorites to win the race.
Last year, 86 percent picked the Cavaliers to win the East, 10 percent picked the Celtics, and 3 percent picked the Washington Wizards. It’s interesting that nobody picked the Raptors a year ago; throughout the season, there was a sizable chunk of the fanbase that foresaw a Raptors Finals berth (a narrative aided in part by Cleveland’s consistent turmoil).
On the other side of the league, 90 percent picked the Warriors to win the West, and 10 percent picked the Rockets. Last season, 97 percent picked the Warriors. That dip isn’t that big, but it’s noteworthy that at least a few GMs think Golden State’s run at the top could reach an end this year. That matters for the Celtics; Golden State and Houston play radically different brands of basketball, and matching up with one instead of the other is a big deal. While the Warriors would no doubt be favored in any match-up, the Boston Celtics might actually be favored in a match-up with Houston.
Kyrie Irving earns votes in several categories
In a vote that was more split than last year’s, LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the way with 30 percent and 27 percent, respectively, in the MVP predictor. Some unknown quantity of GMs voted that Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving will win the 2018-2019 MVP award.
In a post about a year ago, I argued that Irving likely wouldn’t enter the discussion in 2017-2018, but could in later years.
There’s certainly a strong case to be made for his candidacy this year. Irving was the key cog in Boston’s offense last season, when healthy. He was an elite scorer for them, upped his effort on the defensive end, and was by all accounts a great leader and teammate.
CHECK THIS OUT!
Boston Celtics adidas Neue Phrase climalite T-Shirt - Charcoal
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Narrative matters a lot for these things. Last season, Irving’s narrative was cluttered with flat-earth jokes (okay, those will never go away) and a feeling that his leaving Cleveland was a diva-move. But things have changed a lot in a year.
His departure from Cleveland is infrequently talked about, and if anything is used to paint him as smart and mature. He’s taking a class at Harvard Business School now, and he has come off as thoughtful and self-aware in interviews. If he stays healthy and leads the Boston Celtics to a top-two seed, his MVP narrative could look very strong.
Also worth noting: Irving tied with Chris Paul for third in the ‘best point guard in the NBA’ vote, behind only Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook. He did not receive any votes in that discussion last year. Irving also earned 7 percent of the vote for the player who’s fastest with the ball, and received votes in the ‘best pure shooter’ question; he was the only non-Warrior to earn a vote. When asked which player they’d want taking a shot with the game on the line, Irving received 10 percent of the vote.
Several Celtics receive some love from voters
GMs were also asked which player they expected to have a breakout season. Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets won with 20 percent of the vote. Brandon Ingram of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jayson Tatum tied for second place. The #Notarookie crowd will appreciate that Tatum earned more votes than reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons.
More from Boston Celtics
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Blake Griffin Angling Hard to Re-Sign With Celtics
- Game-by-Game Predictions for the Celtics’ 2023-24 In-Season Tournament Schedule
- Kristaps Porzingis’ Foot Injury is a Problem Despite Celtics’ Optimism
- Marcus Smart, Grant Williams and Ime Udoka all Returning to Boston on 2023-24 Schedule
This is another one that’s not surprising; Tatum looked like an all-star for stretches of the season, and showed remarkable poise for a rookie. So many young players wilt in the playoffs, but Tatum flourished, even as he was forced into the role of primary scorer. While there will be fewer touches to go around this year (presuming everyone stays healthy), it’d be tough to deny Tatum a prominent role if he continues to build on his already impressive skill package.
In what some might call a snub and others might call a generous nod, Al Horford received one vote in the ‘best center’ discussion. He was massively important to the Celtics on both sides of the floor; in that respect, it’s not a surprise that he got a vote. In a league with dominant physical centers like Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, it’s nice to see an elite system player like Horford get some appreciation. He was also fourth place in voting for the best leader in the NBA, and received votes for having the best basketball IQ.
Marcus Smart earned a single vote in the most versatile defender poll. He was the only point guard to earn a vote, an impressive distinction. Boston Celtics fans fell in love with Smart because of his defensive prowess, and Stevens often sticks him on much bigger players. This is a well-deserved nod, and it’s easy to argue he should have received more votes.
GMs were asked which bench player made the biggest impact. Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart tied for fourth, with 7 percent of the vote each. Smart earned 13 percent of the vote for toughest player in the NBA, tying him with LeBron. Aaron Baynes also received votes in that poll.
Coach and team awards
The change in GMs’ perception of coaches was absolutely staggering. Last year, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich earned 82 percent of the votes for best head coach. Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens did not earn a vote. This year, 47 percent of GMs said Stevens was the best head coach, with only 30 percent picking Popovich.
This time a year ago, the Celtics were coming off an unquestionably successful season. They were the number one seed, and made it to the Conference Finals. That was a big season, and many fans were already ready to anoint Stevens. However, coaches make their names in the playoffs, and Stevens’s playoff narrative was muddled.
The Boston Celtics made it to the Conference Finals, but only after a series against the Chicago Bulls that was closer than it should have been and a skin-of-their-teeth victory against the Washington Wizards. Then, the top-seeded Celtics were thoroughly embarrassed by the Cavaliers.
Though they didn’t get further, this year’s Boston Celtics looked significantly more impressive. Making it through to the Conference Finals alone would have been remarkable with Irving and Gordon Hayward out, but they did more than just make it; they pushed LeBron and his Cavs to seven games, and at times looked like the favorites to win the series.
It’s unclear how much of that is thanks to Stevens, but those performances are the sort of memories that boost your reputation. Playing as well as they did during the regular season despite all the injuries doesn’t hurt either.
That wasn’t the only mention for Stevens. He earned 53 percent of the vote for best coach at in-game adjustments, 30 percent of the vote for best defensive schemes, 20 percent of the vote for coach that runs the best offense, and 17 percent of the vote for best manager/motivator of people.
Boston’s Jay Larranaga tied for third place in the best assistant coach poll.
Meanwhile, the team itself also got many votes. They were voted as the second-best defensive team in the league behind Utah. It was somewhat surprising to see Toronto earning no votes after adding Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to an already stout defense – perhaps GMs were hesitant to select a team with so much roster and coaching turnover.
GMs were asked which team is the most fun to watch; the Boston Celtics were second to only the Warriors. They were second to Philadelphia in the vote for which team has the best young core (which is not only fun for team-wide rivalry purposes, but also perpetuates the individual rivalry potential between Tatum and Simmons). Boston earned votes in the poll of best home-court advantage, highlighting Boston’s rabid fanbase.
Were the Celtics snubbed on any questions?
Well, the short answer is “no.” GMs are generally very high on Boston this year. But if we put on our Green Teamer hats, we can certainly come up with a couple.
Marcus Smart did not receive any votes for best perimeter defender, and that’s a little weird. His defensive impact is well documented, so you’d think he’d earn some place in this discussion. Similarly, with Al Horford in the Defensive Player of the Year discussion, you’d have expected him to earn some votes as the best interior defender – especially considering Dwight Howard somehow earned votes.
And here’s one: the GMs were asked which player is best at moving without the ball. Guards and wings earned all the votes, which makes sense; we tend to think of off-ball movement as shooters running around off screens. But if the GMs had been a little bit more creative, Al Horford could definitely have entered this discussion. He is constantly active on offense, setting screens and directing traffic.
Centers don’t really get considered in this poll, but perhaps they should. But considering that plea for creativity is where we’re at, let’s draw the line. There aren’t any real snubs to speak of. GMs are on the Boston hype train as much as fans are. Take that as a good sign, Celtics nation.