NBA general managers cast their votes in the annual GM survey, and let me tell you, if you’re a Lakers fan, this one’s gonna sting: Luka Dončić got a grand total of ZERO votes for the projected MVP winner. None. Nada. That’s a serious head-scratcher when guys like Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards pulled in votes. It makes you wonder what these GMs are watching.
Luka’s Wild Position Ride and Other Head Scratchers
The MVP snub wasn’t the only weirdness surrounding Luka. While he didn’t get any love for the top individual award, he did land fifth in voting for the player who forces the most adjustments from opponents. Not bad, right? But then things got seriously bizarre when GMs were asked to rank the best players by position. Without any clear definition of what position each player actually *plays*, Luka somehow ended up third for best point guard, third for best shooting guard, AND was named the top small forward in the league. Seriously? Who out there actually calls Luka a small forward? It’s wild. And to top it off, he didn’t receive a single vote for the best international player in the NBA; all those votes went to Victor Wembanyama or Nikola Jokić. He did finish second to Jokić for best passer, though, and tied for third for the player you want taking the final shot when the game is on the line. At least they got that right.
So, What About the Rest of the Crew?
Beyond Luka, the Lakers didn’t exactly light up the survey. Only two other individual players got any sort of shout-out. Sandro Mamukelashvili snagged some votes for the most underrated player acquisition, which was the lone acknowledgment the team received for their entire offseason overhaul. That’s a pretty quiet offseason according to the GMs. Cameron Carr tied for fifth as the biggest steal in the draft, so at least there’s a little glimmer of hope there. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers got absolutely no one featured in the defense section. It’s maybe a slight surprise that Matisse Thybulle didn’t get any votes for best perimeter defender, but let’s be real, Wemby was always going to be named the best interior defender.
Team Outlook and Coach Redick’s Odd Votes
When GMs were asked for their top four teams in the Western Conference this season, the Lakers received very little recognition, landing them in sixth place overall in the survey. They also got zero votes for the most fun team to watch. That’s highly subjective, sure, but with the offensive firepower they supposedly have, you’d think they’d be in the conversation there. Coach JJ Redick got ignored too, with no votes for best head coach or best manager/motivator. He also got no votes for best in-game adjustments or best defensive schemes. But here’s the kicker: he *did* receive votes for best offense. That’s a bit of a head-scratcher, especially considering defense is where he’s actually overachieved in his coaching career.
If this survey is any indicator, the Lakers have a massive chip on their shoulder heading into the season. It’s going to be wild to see if they can prove all those GMs wrong.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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