NBA bosses overwhelmingly back Oklahoma City Thunder to repeat as league champions
Survey of team general managers finds 70 per cent back Oklahoma City to retain crown, with Cleveland and Denver a distant second
Superstar players on new teams and All-Stars sidelined by severe injuries have jumbled expectations, but Oklahoma City remain favourites to win it all when the NBA’s 80th season begins on Tuesday.
The Thunder will raise a championship banner when Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets visit while the Los Angeles Lakers entertain the Golden State Warriors in the other opening-night clash.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the “new goal” was to repeat as winners not doing so “would suck”.
The 27-year-old Canadian guard was last season’s NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP and league scoring leader with 32.7 points a game. The three-time NBA All-Star added 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocked shot a game.
A survey of NBA team general managers had 80 per cent predicting Oklahoma City would repeat as NBA champions, with Cleveland and Denver sharing a distant second on 7 per cent.
The executives’ survey had Denver and Houston as the best of the rest in the Western Conference, with Cleveland and New York top in the East.