Survey finds Lakers will beat Celtics in NBA Finals
Posted Oct 22 2008 1:45PM
NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Lakers will avenge their NBA finals loss to the Boston Celtics, according to a survey of the league's general managers.
The executives who responded to the NBA.com GM survey also picked Cleveland's LeBron James for the third straight year as the likely MVP. The results of the seventh annual poll were released Wednesday.
The Lakers received 46 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the Celtics (19 per cent). Boston beat Los Angeles in six games in June for its 17th championship.
The New Orleans Hornets got 12 per cent of the vote and San Antonio received eight per cent. It was the first time in five years the GMs didn't tab the Spurs as their pre-season pick to win the title.
James, who has never won the MVP award, collected 56 per cent of the voting in that category. Kobe Bryant, a first-time MVP last season, drew 37 per cent and Chris Paul the other seven per cent.
Also, Miami's Michael Beasley beat out Greg Oden in the rookie of the year voting. Beasley, the No. 2 pick, got 48 per cent of the vote, while Oden, getting ready for his NBA debut after sitting out the 2007-08 season following knee surgery, was the pick of 30 per
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