NBA GMs pick Celtics to repeat, would start team with Wembanyama - ESPN

The annual NBA.com survey of all 30 of the league's general managers has overwhelmingly tapped the Boston Celtics as its pick to repeat as NBA champions.

The survey, conducted at the start of each season and polling all 30 front offices across the association, saw 83% of the vote come in for Boston — which, if it wins the title, would be the first repeat NBA champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and '18.

The only other teams to receive a vote were the Oklahoma City Thunder, who got 13% of the vote, and last year's Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks, who received a single vote.

Elsewhere in the survey, the Celtics were the unanimous favorites to finish atop the Eastern Conference, with every single team in the league picking them to finish first in the East. They were followed by, in order, the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers.

Out West, Oklahoma City — fresh off adding Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to their group this offseason — were also the big favorites to top the conference, taking home 80% of the first-place votes. The Thunder were followed by, in order, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors.

In individual honors, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was narrowly picked to win this year's Most Valuable Player award over Mavericks guard Luka Doncic — Gilgeous-Alexander received 40% of the vote, compared to 30% for Doncic — with Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum finishing in a distant tie for third.

Meanwhile, French phenom Victor Wembanyama received 77% of the vote for the choice for who a team