NBA executives choose the Celtics to win again and start Wembanyama on the squad.

The Boston Celtics have been selected by a resounding majority of all 30 general managers in the NBA.com annual survey to win the championship again next season.

83% of the vote went to Boston, which would become the first NBA team to win the title twice since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The survey was done at the beginning of each season and polled all 30 front offices in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (13% of the vote) and the Dallas Mavericks (one vote), the Western Conference winners from the previous season, were the only other teams to earn a vote.

Celtics Tipped for Championship Glory

Each and every club in the league selected the Celtics to win the East, making them the overwhelming favorites to finish first in the poll elsewhere. The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, and Indiana Pacers were the teams that came after them, in that order.

With Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso joining them this offseason, Oklahoma City was the clear favorite to win the conference in the West, earning 80% of the first-place votes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors were the teams that came after the Thunder, in that order.

In individual honors, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was narrowly picked to win the 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.

For the first time ever, French sensation Victor Wembanyama was selected by 77% of voters as the player a team should start their franchise with.

Stephen Curry lost his title as the league’s greatest point guard at each individual position for the first time in ten years, as Doncic became the first player other than Curry to hold the title since Chris Paul in 2014–15. Anthony Edwards overtook Devin Booker, who had been the leader in that position for the previous two seasons, at shooting guard.

NBA Predictions: Celtics Set for Success with Wembanyama

Tatum was chosen as the best small forward for the second consecutive year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokic were chosen as the best power forward and center, respectively, for a record six consecutive seasons.

Erik Spoelstra, the coach of the Miami Heat, was chosen the greatest coach in the league for the fifth consecutive season.

When it came to who had the best offseason in the league—Oklahoma City with their acquisitions of Hartenstein and Caruso, and Philadelphia with their signing of Paul George—the 76ers emerged victorious, with George’s signing being the clear winner in terms of which newly acquired player will have the biggest impact.

Victor Wembanyama’s Impact on the Starting Lineup

With 23% of the vote, Caruso was the most underappreciated player acquisition, ahead of Hartenstein joining the Thunder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joining Orlando.

Sixty-seven percent of voters chose the Grizzlies as the league’s most improved team, and the Knicks’ trade for Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp was seen as the most unexpected summertime move, surpassing George’s decision to depart to Philadelphia.

The general managers selected Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard as the rookie of the year and the greatest player from this year’s rookie class in five years.

While Antetokounmpo was selected as the most versatile player, Jrue Holiday of the Celtics was selected as the top perimeter defender, and Wembanyama was the clear favorite as the league’s greatest defensive player and inside defender. In addition, the Celtics were selected as the league’s top defensive team, surpassing both the Thunder and the Timberwolves.

In the individual superlative categories, Jokic was named the league’s best passer for a third straight season, Edwards replaced Ja Morant as the league’s most athletic player, Curry was named the league’s best shooter, an honor he has held since the 2013–14 season, and Curry was selected as the player you’d most like to have take a shot with the game on the line for the seventh time, and third in a row.