Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic finishes 1st in 4 crucial NBA GM Survey categories
By Tyler Key
For 23 years in a row, the league has administered an NBA GM Survey, getting answers to some of the most intriguing questions about players, coaches, teams, and offseason moves entering the new NBA season. In this year's survey, four Denver Nuggets were mentioned in GM responses to questions: Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Michael Malone, and David Adelman.
Coach Malone was picked by some GMs for categories including “Which head coach is the best manager/motivator of people?”, “Which head coach makes the best in-game adjustments”, and “Which head coach runs the best offense?”.
Meanwhile, Assistant Coach Adelman and Aaron Gordon were each mentioned once in the GM Survey. Adelman received mention for “Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?” and Gordon got a vote for “who is the most versatile defender in the NBA?”. It is important to note that GMs cannot vote for their own players/coaches so these were other GMs' praises.
Nikola Jokic was a name brought up incredibly often in this NBA GM Survery
The 3x MVP, Nikola Jokic, was mentioned in the survey 11 times. The Joker questionably fell in the rankings from last year for “Who will win MVP?” thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and voter fatigue, as well as in “If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?” due to Victor Wembanyama enticing upside.
With that being said, entering his age-29 season, the 7-foot Serbian is still a clear top 3 player in the league. CBS even has him ranked as the best player in the NBA, in addition to other prominent sports websites. Furthermore, Jokic still ranks at the very top for NBA GMs in four incredibly impactful categories, according to the responses in this survey.