The NBA recently revealed the results of their annual GM survey. The GMs of the league vote on a myriad of categories including the biggest steal of the draft, best head coach, what team is the most fun to watch, and which player is the best pure shooter just to name a few.
Let's take a look at how often the winners of the GM survey have gone on to be correct in three of the more meaningful categories since 2006-07.
MVP
This season's prediction: LeBron James 50%, Kevin Durant 29%, Kawhi Leonard 11%, James Harden 7%, Stephen Curry 4%
Times correct since 2006-07: 3 (LeBron James 2012-13, 2009-10, 2008-09)
LeBron James heads the list for the sixth straight year and the 10th time in the last 12 seasons.
Three of those ten times he actually was named the MVP, but when he won in 2011-12, he got the second-most votes behind Kevin Durant.
In two of the past 11 GM surveys, a player who did not receive a single vote for MVP won the award. Stephen Curry in the 2014-15 season and Derrick Rose in 2010-11 weren't acknowledged by any GMs to take home the hardware, but they did anyway.
Last season's winner Russell Westbrook received the second-most votes to win MVP in the 2016-17 season survey. Others who won MVP since 2006-07 who didn't receive the most votes in the survey were Stephen Curry in 2015-16 (tied for fifth-most votes), Kevin Durant in 2013-14 (second-most), Kobe Bryant in 2007-08 (third-most), and Dirk Nowitzki in 2006-07 (third-most).
Rookie of the Year
This season's prediction: Lonzo Ball 62%, Ben Simmons 24%, Dennis Smith Jr. 7%
Times correct since 2006-07: 3 (Kyrie Irving 2011-12, Kevin Durant 2007-08, Brandon Roy 2006-07)
Last season, the NBA GMs weren't even close with their prediction of Kris Dunn to win Rookie of the Year. Nobody voted for the actual winner Malcolm Brogdon which isn't surprising being he was a second-round pick.
There were two other Rookie of the Year winners since 2006-07 who didn't receive a single vote in the survey: Michael Carter-Williams in 2013-14 and Derrick Rose in 2008-09. Rose surprisingly did not receive a vote despite being drafted with the first overall pick.
Others who won Rookie of the Year since 2006-07 who didn't receive the most votes in the survey were Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015-16 (second-most), Andrew Wiggins in 2014-15 (second-most), Damian Lillard in 2012-13 (second-most), Blake Griffin in 2010-11 (second-most), and Tyreke Evans in 2009-10 (third-most).
NBA Champion
This season's prediction: 93% Golden State Warriors, 7% Cleveland Cavaliers
Times correct since 2006-07: 7 (Golden State Warriors 2016-17, Cleveland Cavaliers 2015-16, Miami Heat 2012-13, 2011-12, Los Angeles Lakers 2009-10, 2008-09, San Antonio Spurs 2006-07)
Last season, 69% of GM's polled were correct in predicting the Warriors to win the NBA Championship. That number may have actually been lower than the percent of the general public after the team signed Kevin Durant.
That was the seventh time since 2006-07 that the GM survey has correctly predicted the NBA Champion. The only team since that time that went on to win it all but didn't receive a vote was the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-11.
Other teams that won the NBA Championship that didn't receive the most votes in the survey are the Golden State Warriors in 2014-15 (sixth-most), the San Antonio Spurs in 2013-14 (tied for second-most), and the Boston Celtics in 2007-08 (tied for fifth-most).
