Posted Oct 28 2008 6:06PM
Will the Boston Celtics be the first NBA team to repeat as champions since the 2002 Lakers? Perhaps it will be the latest version of the Lake Show to stop them? Is this the year that the King gets crowned MVP? Which team helped themselves the most this summer? Will the Rookie of the Year come from this year's draft class or last year's?
NBA.com posed these questions and more to the league's general managers, and nearly all of the GM's responded to our survey.*
Here's what the guys who call the shots think will transpire this season.
• Predictions
• Players
• Moves
• Rookies & International
• Defense
• Coaches
• Miscellaneous
• Q&A with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak
• 2008-09 NBA Expert Predictions
• 2008-09 NBA Celebrity Predictions
• 2007-2008 GM Survey
Who will win the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year?
1. Michael Beasley -- 48.1%
2. Greg Oden -- 29.6%
3. O.J. Mayo -- 11.1%
Others receiving votes: Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph, Russell Westbrook
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Greg Oden -- 30.8%
2. Michael Beasley -- 23.1%
Derrick Rose -- 23.1%
4. Anthony Randolph -- 7.7%
Russell Westbrook -- 7.7%
Others receiving votes: Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo
Which rookie is the most athletic?
1. Derrick Rose -- 33.3%
2. Russell Westbrook -- 25.9%
3. Joe Alexander - 18.5%
4. Anthony Randolph -- 7.4%
Others receiving votes: Jerryd Bayless, Goran Dragic, DeAndre Jordan, Courtney Lee
Which international rookie is most ready to contribute this season?
1. Rudy Fernandez -- 51.9%
2. Danilo Gallinari -- 37.0%
Others receiving votes: Alexis Ajinca, Goran Dragic, Marc Gasol
Which rookie is most likely to be a "sleeper" success?
1. J.J. Hickson -- 20.0%
2. Courtney Lee -- 12.0%
Robin Lopez -- 12.0%
4. Mario Chalmers -- 8.0%
Rudy Fernandez -- 8.0%
Anthony Randolph -- 8.0%
Others receiving votes: Ryan Anderson, Darrell Arthur, Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights
Who is the best international player in the NBA?
1. Dirk Nowitzki -- 66.7%
2. Manu Ginobili -- 18.5%
3. Steve Nash -- 11.1%
4. Yao Ming -- 3.7%
Which international player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2008-09?
1. Rudy Fernandez -- 32.0%
2. Andrea Bargnani -- 16.0%
3. Marco Belinelli -- 12.0%
4. Jose Calderon -- 8.0%
Others receiving votes: Andrew Bogut, Danilo Gallinari, Pau Gasol, Nenê, Thabo Sefolosha, Sasha Vujacic, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian
Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA?
1. Ricky Rubio -- 57.7%
2. Juan Carlos Navarro -- 7.7%
3. Tiago Splitter -- 7.7%
Others receiving votes: Dimitrios Diamantidis, Jorge Garbajosa, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, Theo Papaloukas, Fran Vazquez, Nikola Vujicic
* - Percentages are based on the pool of respondents to each question of the survey, rather than all 30 general managers.
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