General Managers favor Bulls over Bucks

These are the professionals.

And most of them like the squad the Bulls are bringing to the Central Division.

The GM survey is always an interesting read, as far as reading lists goes. There are only 30 possible voters, and each of them gets paid a lot of money to understand players, teams, trends, salaries, and how the league fits together. We know some are better than others, but they should all be more than reasonably competent -- they should all be quite prolific, and at the least they should all understand a fair bit more than you and I do about the NBA...

Should.

The full 2010-11 GM Survey Predictions were just released earlier today. And as usual, there are a few interesting choices. Now, there were 60 questions in all, and not every GM voted on every question. That is important to keep in mind, as the results are broken down into percentages. So, onto them...

Chicago has heaps talent, silly and clumsy as it may be, and I wouldn't fight the idea too hard that they are the favorites in the Central. But I just thought it was more like favorites in a "co-favorites" kind of way. Not like this 82/18 split stuff. Also: Poor Cavs.

More interesting morsels...

So the Cavaliers won 61 and 66 over the past two regular seasons respectively... Respectable. Granted, they didn't win the Finals either time, but don't you think it is enough that LeBron James is now playing alongside Dwyane Wade (top five player) and Chris Bosh (top twenty player) instead of Mo Williams (top twentyish point guard) and Anderson Varejao (top twentyish power forward)?

The vote is just shockingly overwhelming to me. As far as I know, the poll is anonymous, and I don't see how picking the Lakers is playing it safe or something anyway. On the contrary, picking against the Heat seems quite bold, and no, I don't buy into the notion that the defending champs are by default the favorites. And neither should you. Because it's non-sensical.

I adore Kevin Durant. Probably my favorite superstar going, right with Chris Paul. But this makes me wonder whether the GMs were really thinking about who will win the MVP or who should win the MVP. If they did in fact answer the question as stated -- who will -- then this makes some sense. Mostly because the media voters can be counted on to not make sense.

Oh. So the GMs just simply aren't making sense. Cool. James was picked by 78.6 % last year and then he turned 25 and is down to the top pick by just 25.9 %? Got it.

Again, Durant is amazing, and being four years LeBron's junior, he amazingly makes this particular question a somewhat legitimate debate. But let's be real here.

Kirk Hinrich is most assuredly going to break out this season. And is it really "Marcus Aldridge?"

Okay, picking James second to Durant is one thing... picking James second (or third or something) to Carmelo Anthony? Please disclose your name and turn in GM card. Thanks!

I'm very down with the Beaubois choice, and I wonder who wants to trade for Ilyasova?

I have no idea whether to think the Bucks will be better or worse defensively. They can't get much better than second best.

If things had really devolved into joking around at this point in the questionnaire, Brian Skinner would have been a more apt choice. This vote (these votes??) is an absolute diss to Tyson Chandler and I will hardly stand for this sort of effrontery.

The Raptors are going to improve more on 40 wins than the Heat are on 47 wins, yes?

Skiles received votes in a few different categories; this was his best percentage. He didn't collect a single coach in the Best Coach in the NBA department though.

See, this makes it all worthwhile. At least one General Manager in the NBA (not John Hammond because GMs could not vote for their own players/team) thinks Brandon Jennings is the best pure shooter in the NBA. Is there some secret executive colloquialism for "shooter" that I am unaware of?