Every year, all 30 of the NBA’s general managers are surveyed on questions ranging from which player is the most clutch to who will win a particular division or the championship. The only caveat: a GM can’t vote for their own team or personnel.
This year, as it relates to the Bulls, 80 percent of the league’s execs picked the Indiana Pacers to win the Central Division. Chicago, minus Derrick Rose, was given a 20 percent chance of winning the division.
On the flip side, the Bulls were voted as the NBA’s best defensive team. Tom Thibodeau received 70 percent of the votes as the coach with the best defensive schemes, and Rose – despite potentially missing the entire regular season – checked in as the league’s best point guard behind Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rose also ranked third (10 percent) as the best finisher in the open floor and second as the fastest player with the ball (23.3 percent). Rip Hamilton ranked second (10 percent) as the best player moving without the ball. Former Bull and current Atlanta Hawks player Kyle Korver was tied for third with San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili (6.7 percent) in the same category.
Other players with ties to Chicago made the list as well.
No. 1 draft pick of the New Orleans Hornets, Anthony Davis, finished first in the rookie categories of player who will win the Rookie of the Year award, best rookie in five years and most athletic. On defense, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Tony Allen was voted as the league’s best perimeter defender.
You can view the results of the GM survey here.
