Thursday, August 30th, 2012 at 1:35 pm  |  61 responses

NBA Front-Office Poll: Heat, Thunder, Lakers Favorites to Win Title


by Eldon Khorshidi | @eldonadam

In an informal poll of 20 NBA front-office executives and coaches, in which the League’s elite basketball minds casted votes on their favorites for the 2013 Championship, only three teams received first-place recognition.

Expectedly, the defending Champion Miami Heat led the way, receiving 16 first-place votes. Following the Big 3 were the boys from Oklahoma City, who garnered six first-place votes. And last, but definitely not least, with a few superstar additions to their roster, the always-entertaining Los Angeles Lakers made their way into the conversation, receiving two first-place votes. The 2012-13 season tips-off on Tuesday, October 30, with the Heat hosting the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. With the current NBA landscape shaping up to be as exciting as ever, it’s safe to say we’ll be in for one of the best NBA seasons in a long, long time.

Here is the complete breakdown of the poll, followed by some quotes, all courtesy of SI.com:

The final tally, with three of the voters submitting only first-place votes: The defending champions in Miami received 16 first-place votes, one second-place vote and two third-place votes; their Finals foe, Oklahoma City, garnered two first-place votes, six second-place votes and nine third-place votes; and the Lakers, who have added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, got two first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and six third-place votes. The Lakers may not be seen as the favorites to win it all, but the idea that they’re the top threat to the Heat is not only a topic of much discussion in the media but also clearly a very real sentiment in NBA circles.

— Eastern Conference general manager who picked the Lakers as the front-runner but didn’t select a second or third team: “Lakers, hands down. They landed arguably the best center in the NBA and the only point guard who can bring out D12′s best. It all hinges on how much Kobe is willing to defer.”

— Western Conference general manager who ranked his top three as Miami, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City: “Miami: Obvious reason. Lakers: If Nash can stay healthy. OKC: Too much talent.”

— Eastern Conference head coach who voted Miami, Oklahoma City and Los Angeles: “Miami because of LeBron; OKC because of Durant and its experience of losing last year; the Lakers because of Kobe, Nash, Gasol — in that order. IF Howard is healthy, he will be the fourth reason.”

— Western Conference executive who voted Miami, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City: “LeBron and Dwyane Wade will carry the Heat once again. The Lakers will need to jell and stay healthy, but with their new mix of players they will be tough to beat. I don’t see the Thunder getting back to the Finals if the Lakers play to their potential, but the Thunder should be back in the West finals again for another crack at it.”

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  • LakeShow

    This is….. SHOCKING…

  • Jsims20

    And in other news, the sky is blue.

  • LakeShow

    Who ya’ll got in the East Semi’s and West Semi’s?
    For me:
    OKC:Lakers
    Celtics:Heat
    So same as last year, but so, so, so very different.
    Probably 15 new players out of the 3 teams will be in the semi finals with their new teams.

  • Redd

    Should have Western teams vote for Eastern teams and vice versa.

  • AT

    wow i didn’t see that coming…. such bold predictions

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    BREAKING: NBA Front Office poll proves, NBA front offices aren’t full of barnyard animals.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    I’m actually going out on a limb and saying Heat/Knicks. Before anyone bashes me I picked the Knicks because they were beginning to jell late in the season and some untimely injuries did occur. I think with their new additions they will be a hard out for any team in the East except for Miami.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i’m not going to bash you, but i’m going to call you crazy.

  • AT

    if the celts n heat play in the playoffs i wont be watchin the 2013 NBA Playoffs.Somebody hold that to me

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    cool

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    lmao

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    I told y’all with this new system it’s gonna be a funny year lol

  • LakeShow

    I don’t have a problem with that. We all know if they do get to the Semi’s that’s as far as they are going.

  • LakeShow

    *hold me to that*

  • Redd

    It’ll be between Spurs-OKC and Heat-Nets. Should be a good Semi-Finals round.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    Oh yea I think a majority of the logical commenters don’t see them making it to the finals unless every other team’s plane was somehow sent to the Bermuda Triangle.

  • Junior Taylor

    Nash is the “only PG that can bring the best out of Howard”, really? Howard first choice was to play in NJ with DWill and there is some other PG in LA that you might have heard of..

  • german

    Lakers all the way. Thunder will be a tougher match up then the heat.

  • KDub

    Lol the lakers are going to destroy everybody!! its not even close! LA is just way to big!! and balanced!!!!

  • danpowers

    breaking news 1+1=2 and water is wet

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    I honestly think the Celtics have the best shot this year to win it all. Especially if Sullinger can provide some decent backup mins. IMO Jason Terry will be an improvement over Ray Allen, offensively and defensively, and Rondo has gotten better every year of his career so far, I don’t see why he wouldn’t have his best year yet this year. Also Courtney Lee off the bench is killer.

  • bike

    This is the kind of thing that makes me miss the lockout talk of last summer. At least it generated some good discussion.

  • The Fury

    I’d predict: Lakers v. Spurs and Nets/Boston v. Miami

  • LakeShow

    They “could” beat the Celtics or Nets.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    You may be on to something

  • fruizm

    ha!

  • MUB_WAR

    word I somehow taught my raptors would dethrone the heat.

  • Junior Taylor

    I have a weird feeling that the EC coach that said “Howard will be the 4th reason the Lakers win” is Doc Rivers.

  • Dagger

    If only we knew the name of the head coach who wrote this: “IF Howard is healthy, he will be the fourth reason.”

  • Dagger

    Yeah, that was bizarre. Also because Howard has been pretty damn good with Nelson. Safe to assume there’s a lot of bitterness towards Howard among NBA coaches and execs.

  • Nick Tha Quick

    Brook Lopez would like a word with some of the execs.

  • LakeShow

    It is widely considered that Steve Nash is the best pick and roll PG in the L.
    If it’s not him, it’s D-Will, or CP3.
    It is 100% given that Howard is the best pick and roll center…
    =
    So yes, Nash will bring out the best in Howard what’s so hard to understand about that?

  • danpowers
  • RKJ92

    YESSSS TORONTO STAND UP!!! LOL —->Scarborough<—–

  • Brion

    Depends when Howard starts playing

  • Junior Taylor

    “only” is the key word. reading is fundamental, lake.

  • LakeShow

    Ah, I see what your saying. Nash is arguably best PnR PG, so if you take him as the best then he is the “only” one who could bring out his “best.” Is how I took it.

  • Rainman

    still the best pick and roll facilitator. so yeah he isnt the ONLY guy that can do it. But he sure is THE BEST.

  • lakers…suck….

    i dont think…..howard gonna stand out….. she must stay healthy…!!

  • Redd

    I predict Kobe will never be comparable to Jordan.

  • Joe

    20 NBA front-office executives and coaches. Are they from contending teams, because I seriously doubt they are.

  • Yi-Cheng Chen

    true. because lakers should not have won that championship in 2002 if they weren’t assisted by the referees =X so that means KOBE wouldn’t have that much rings in the first place. :)

  • Justin05

    I was thinking the same thing lol. What a dope. The reason the lakers will win next season is Kobe, Howard, Nash, and Gasol in that order. It was probably Scott Brooks.

  • Justin05

    Or Spoelstra. The Heat could be a little bitter that LA actually has a center.

  • Justin05

    The West is a no brainer. The Spurs won’t be able to get past OKC or LA this year if they couldn’t do it last season. The East is tricky but I believe it will be Boston and Miami. The Knicks are sleepers and the Bulls could push with a healthy Rose as well. The Nets have proven nothing so idk why ppl think they nwill make noise this season.

  • Justin05

    The balance is key. NBA fans are in for a treat this season, I can’t remember a time when a team was this stacked at all starting positions. Don’t compare the LA team of Shaq, pre-prime Kobe, past prime Gary Payton, and past prime Malone either. Nash and Howard will be a supreme duo and Kobe n Pau will just chip in when necessary. We’ll never go cold haha. And Jamison is coming off the bench?? gtf out of here.. It’s a good year to be a Lakers fan KDub..a good year indeed.

  • valkyrie

    dude, read again. it says eastern conference head coach. last i check OKC is in the west.

  • valkyrie

    haha keep guessing.

  • Roscoe

    What were the ref’s names?

  • valkyrie

    not bad thinking positive, man. a lot of fans will eat their words when the season ends. let’s see who chokes out.

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