OKC Thunder factor prominently in annual GM Survey

Coaches Segment:

Does it say something that Billy Donovan doesn’t factor in any of the five coaches questions? Of the 18 assistant coaches who collect votes for best Assistant not one of the Thunder bench crew make the cut, although former assistant Adrian Griffin (now with Raptors) ties four others in third with seven percent.

Arguably the most shocking OKC Thunder inclusion on this list goes to Steven Adams who gets mention in the active player who’ll make the best head coach someday. I’m not suggesting he won’t – just that I’m surprised anyone outside OKC knows that.

Best Defensive Team:

Little curious Kawhi Leonard draws many of the votes in the defensive category and joins a top five defensive team replacing arguably the Raptors worst defender and yet they don’t make the cut. Remember that come season end when Toronto ranks among the top teams in this category.

The Thunder make the cut (barely) with 3 percent of the vote behind Utah (45%), Boston (34%) and Golden State (17%). Like the Raptors the Thunder’s low rank feels too low here as well as they seemed poised to contend for the Association’s top defensive unit.

Stand up Thunder Nation:

As per usual the OKC Thunder fanbase get the nod as being one of the best home court advantages although they drew less than 13 percent with the Raptors and Celtics. Oracle takes the top spot (50%) although Utah (27%) and Denver (13%) capture a greater share than in year’s past. Overall I’d say the GMs got this one correct though the 76ers, Blazers and Knicks might also warrant inclusion.

Beastbrook and Adams make an impression:

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Not surprisingly General Managers recognize the talent that is Russell Westbrook ranking him as the most athletic by a wide margin (48%). His closest competitor is Giannis Antetokounmpo,who grabs  14 percent of the vote.

Likewise, Westbrook ranks atop the GM’s vote for fastest with the ball garnering a whopping 50 percent of the vote. Second to Russ is speedster John Wall who takes 33 percent of the vote.

Injured OKC Thunder player Andre Roberson may be missing in action, but he still resonates with the league management as he takes a few votes as best perimeter defender in the NBA.

While some GMs think Adams is destined for a coaching role other predominantly cite him as the toughest player n the NBA with 33 percent of the vote. His closest competition came from LeBron James with 13 percent and teammate Westbrook also got votes.

Turning votes into reality:

Ultimately this is just a starting point for fans and analysts to see how other brain trusts view their squads. In some ways it’s a hat tip to LeBron James 15 year dominance, the Warriors superteam as well as rising stars.

As mentioned above an interesting takeaway is five players get recognized in the survey. Given the fact the OKC Thunder entered the season with only four of the starting five solidified and each was cited in the survey speaks to the respect this team holds league wide.

Each of the categories are yet to be determined and translating “paper” prowess into court dominance requires action. Ultimately, having the player deemed the toughest and fastest with defensive nods is a great starting point. Next up, it’s time for the OKC Thunder to prove they belong among the elite via their actions.