Boston Celtics Tipped to Defend NBA Championship Title, General Managers Predict

The Boston Celtics have been overwhelmingly voted as the favorites to repeat as NBA champions in the annual survey conducted by NBA.com among the league’s 30 general managers. With 83% of the vote, the Celtics are predicted to win the title again, which would make them the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

The survey is conducted at the start of each new season to gauge the opinions of the league’s front-office leaders. Besides Boston, the Oklahoma City Thunder received 13% of the votes to win the championship, while the Dallas Mavericks got a single vote. The Celtics are also unanimously expected to finish at the top of the Eastern Conference, followed by the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites to finish first, acquiring 80% of first-place votes. They are expected to be followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks.

Individual player accolades saw Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander narrowly favored to win the Most Valuable Player award over Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. Gilgeous-Alexander received 40% of the vote, compared to 30% for Doncic. San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was selected by 77% as the player they would most likely start a franchise with and as the NBA’s best defensive player.

In terms of team improvements and acquisitions, Oklahoma City was recognized for the best offseason, primarily due to acquiring Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. The most impactful player acquisition was Philadelphia 76ers signing Paul George.

The survey also highlighted several individual honors, with Celtics guard Jrue Holiday named the best perimeter defender, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors picked as the league’s best shooter. Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat was voted the NBA’s best coach for the fifth consecutive season.

For rookies, Reed Sheppard from the Houston Rockets was predicted to become the 2024-2025 Rookie of the Year, ahead of Zach Edey from the Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the most promising rookie for the future was again Sheppard, as he was chosen as the best player in five years time.

The Celtics were not only favored for their defense but also viewed as the team likely to lead in offensive efficiency, illustrating their well-rounded prowess on both ends of the court. They were also titled as having the league’s best defensive team, a testament to their comprehensive strengths heading into the new season.