AI Summary
5 min read"93% said that Victor Wembanyama would be the one guy that they would start a franchise with." That is the headline from the NBA's annual general manager survey, and it captures the league's collective mindset heading into the new season. The NBA's 30 front offices have spoken, and their message is clear: the San Antonio Spurs are the team to beat, Victor Wembanyama is the league's center of gravity, and the rest of the West is already playing catch-up. But as the podcast hosts unpack, the survey's predictive track record is shaky, the Spurs' new three-guard lineup raises as many questions as it answers, and another Western contender—the Houston Rockets—might be dangerously overlooked.
The GM Survey: Spurs as the Chalk Favorite
The annual GM survey is less a prediction engine and more a "finger on the pulse of the league," as host Wes Goldberg puts it. This year, the pulse is overwhelmingly Spurs-colored. 50% of GMs picked San Antonio to win the NBA Finals, 77% picked Wembanyama for MVP, and a staggering 93% said he is the one player they would build a franchise around. 47% said Wembanyama forces the most defensive adjustments on a game-to-game basis. The Western Conference race is seen as a two-team affair: 100% of first-place votes for the conference title went to either the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:09) **GM Survey Spurs Love & Wemby MVP Favorite** - The NBA's annual GM survey is released, with overwhelming support for the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama.
- 2 (03:52) **Thunder Also Dominant in GM Survey** - The Thunder are the only other team receiving first-place votes for the Western Conference, but the hosts question if OKC is being disrespected.
- 3 (09:59) **Historical GM Survey Misses** - The hosts look back at previous GM surveys to show how often they get it wrong, proving the unpredictability of the season.
- 4 (13:41) **Spurs Debut Three-Guard Starting Lineup** - Coach Mitch Johnson starts De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle together in a preseason win over the Suns.
- 5 (16:01) **Is This the Future of the Spurs Backcourt?** - The hosts speculate on the long-term viability of the three-guard lineup and who might be the odd man out.
- 6 (19:31) **Dylan Harper's Breakout Potential** - The GM survey also named Dylan Harper as the player most likely to have a breakout season, adding to the hype.
- 7 (25:10) **Houston Rockets: Overlooked Contender?** - The Rockets are flying under the radar in title conversations, but the hosts see legitimate potential.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Are Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs about to TAKE OVER the NBA? The league's annual GM Survey is out, and NBA executives are overwhelmingly backing San Antonio to win the 2026-27 championship. Wes Goldberg, Matt Moore and Haize break down the biggest surprises from the survey on Locked On NBA Daily. With 50% of general managers picking the Spurs to win the Finals and 77% predicting Wembanyama will win MVP, are expectations getting out of control?
Then, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson unveils a fascinating new starting lineup featuring De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Wembanyama. Can San Antonio's three-guard experiment become a championship-winning formula?
Plus, the Philadelphia 76ers receive overwhelming praise for their offseason, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's move to Miami gets recognized as a potentially transformative acquisition. Finally, are the Houston Rockets becoming the NBA's most overlooked contender? The guys explain why Houston deserves more attention in the Western Conference championship race.
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