Is Victor Wembanyama the future of the NBA? Analysis of Celtics' potential repeat and GMs' team-building strategy

The Celtics emerged as the clear favorites to lead the Eastern Conference, with every single team in the league selecting them as the top team in the East. They were followed by, in order, the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, and Indiana Pacers. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had recently strengthened their roster with Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, were also seen as the top contenders for the conference title, securing 80 percent of the votes. The Thunder were followed by, in order, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors. In individual awards, Thunder forward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was narrowly chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the year, beating out Mavericks forward Luka Doncic, who received 40 percent of the votes compared to Doncic's 30 percent. Joining Gilgeous-Alexander in the top three were Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum, who tied for third place. Meanwhile, French superstar Victor Wembanyama was overwhelmingly voted as the team's first-choice player for their franchise, marking the first time he's received this award and potentially setting the stage for many more years of this honor.

For the first time in a decade, Stephen Curry lost his title as the top point guard in the league, with Doncic becoming the first player other than Curry to achieve this feat since Chris Paul in the 2014-15 season. At the position of shooting guard, Anthony Edwards overtook Devin Booker, who had held the top spot for the last two seasons, while Tatum was selected as the best small forward for a second consecutive year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokic were chosen as the best power forward and center, respectively, for a sixth consecutive year. Meanwhile, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was named the league's best coach for a fifth straight year. The addition of Hartenstein and Caruso to the Oklahoma City team gave them a slight edge over the 76ers in terms of who had the best offseason (37 percent for OKC, 33 percent for Philadelphia), with Paul George's move to the 76ers being the clear choice for the player who would have the biggest impact. Caruso, in particular, was seen as the most undervalued player brought in, receiving 23 percent of the vote, surpassing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's move to Orlando and Hartenstein's transfer to the Thunder. The Grizzlies were voted as the most improved team in the league, securing 67 percent of the vote, while the Knicks' trade for Karl-Anthony Towns right before training camp was considered the most unexpected move of the summer, beating out George's move to Philadelphia for that title. Reed Sheppard of the Houston Rockets was selected as the General Manager's choice for Rookie of the Year, as well as the best player from this year's rookie class.

In terms of the league's best defensive player, Wembanyama was the clear favorite, as well as the best interior defender, while Celtics guard Jerue Holiday was named the best perimeter defender and Antetokounmpo was recognized as the most versatile. The Celtics were also voted as the league's best defensive team, edging out the Timberwolves and Thunder. Across all the individual excellence categories, Anthony Edwards took over Ja Morant's spot as the league's most athletic player; Curry was named the best shooter, a title he's held since the 2013-14 season; Jokic was selected as the league's best passer for a third straight year; and Curry was chosen for the seventh time - and third in a row - as the player you'd most like to have on your team when the game was on the line.