Knicks have plenty of repeat doubters NBA survey…
“Knicks in 5” hasn’t stopped the doubters in the NBA.
Only one of the league’s 30 common managers picked the Knicks to win the championship this season according to the annual GM survey revealed Thursday on NBA.com, which is the fewest for a defending champ since Toronto in 2019-20.
In the case of the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard — the Finals MVP — had just left in free company for the Clippers.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have a good time during the trophy ceremony after their NBA championship win over the Spurs last season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But these Knicks are returning the whole beginning lineup that helped set the league file for optimistic level differential in the playoffs.
The Spurs, whom the Knicks toppled in the 2026 Finals, acquired 50 p.c of the GM votes for the next champion. The Thunder have been second with 43 p.c of the votes. The Knicks and Sixers each acquired 3 p.c — or just one vote.
The GMs weren’t allowed to choose their own groups or gamers.
Despite the dearth of religion in the Knicks to repeat, 60 p.c of the GMs picked New York to emerge from the East — which was properly above the No. 2 Sixers at 23 p.c. It was the first time in the survey’s historical past — which dates to 2002 — that the Knicks have been picked to win the convention.
But the league’s decision-makers clearly don’t imagine New York can topple the West champs, particularly the Spurs or Thunder.
For the classes about particular person gamers and coaches, Jalen Brunson and Mike Brown acquired plenty of love.
Most notably, Brunson was voted as the NBA’s best chief with 53 p.c of the votes, properly above the 20 p.c for Stephen Curry. It supplied Brown an alternative to reward his group captain.
“He studies the game, and that helps a lot,” Brown said. “He walks the talk. He works extremely hard, and he strives for perfection from himself. And when you do that — and when your peers see you do that and you’re looked upon as the best player on the team — it gives credibility to tell somebody else when they’re not giving their all, when they need to be better. But just as importantly, he’s not afraid. Because as a leader, sometimes you have to be on an island.”
Brunson was also voted second for the top clutch participant in the NBA, behind Curry. Brunson was also third for future best coach.
Brown took third for best current coach (behind Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and OKC’s Mark Daigneault) and fourth for top motivator (behind Spoelstra, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Golden State’s Steve Kerr).
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