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Wilfredo Lee / AP
New Orleans Pelicans center Steven Adams takes on the Miami Heat in preseason NBA action.
NBA general managers seem to be adamant on this one: Kiwi center Steven Adams is the toughest guy in his league.
For the second year in a row, the 27-year-old New Zealander, who is about to put on the suit for his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans, was voted “toughest” player in NBA.com’s annual CEO poll.
A total of 32 percent of general managers surveyed rated Adams as the toughest in the league, the same win total he earned in 2019, which put him ahead of the Houston Rockets’ PJ Tucker (25%) and Jimmy Butler from Miami and Marcus from Boston. Smart who tied for third place with 14%.
The Pelicans will certainly hope their new acquisition lives up to its reputation after they acquired it from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of an offseason trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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New Orleans immediately signed the seven-year, 2.11 million NBA veteran with a two-year extension of $ 35 million (NZ $ 50 million) that will likely keep him with the Pelicans for at least the next three seasons. New head coach Stan Van Gundy is excited about the prospect of Adams starting front row and second-year power forward Zion Williamson, who appears to be the most powerful in the league.
“Find me a 4 and a 5 together anywhere in the league that’s as physical as those two guys,” Van Gundy said of his front-line partner. “When we did that trade, I said one thing I know for sure is that you can come here and throw the ball really good, you can find a way to beat us, but you’re not going to hit the New Orleans Pelicans with those two guys. side of the other “.
Adams’ toughness, experience and firm focus on the team first become an important ingredient for the otherwise young Pelicans group this season. Led by 2019 draft No. 1 pick Williamson, long-limbed Brandon Ingram and point guard Lonzo Ball, they have a young core that will benefit from whatever veteran leadership they can get.
NBA general managers agree, voting the Pelicans (41%) as the team with the most promising young core, ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies (22%) and Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets (all with eleven%).
Adams also ranked highly in another key category in the survey, ranking second (11%) as the most underrated player acquisition behind LA Clippers’ Serge Ibaka (15%).
Wilfredo Lee / AP
Steven Adams will play his first NBA season for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020-21.
The 19th annual GMs poll also showed an emphatic result for the team that won the NBA Finals, with 81 percent leading the Los Angeles Lakers to repeat as champions. That’s the third-highest total in poll history, behind only the Golden State Warriors 2017-18 (93%) and the Warriors ’18 -19 (87%).
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (32%) surpassed Dallas Mavericks playmaker Luka Doncic (21%) as probable MVP as well as best international player (68% to 29%), while the pair also finished in first place (43%) in player. I would sign up if I was starting a franchise today.
Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, who played last season in the Australian NBL, topped the rookie of the year vote (39%), while Miami’s Eric Spoelstra dominated the managerial ranks.
Finals MVP LeBron James also won the favor of the general managers, voted not only the best small forward in the league (as well as the second best power forward), but also the best passer and most versatile player. .
The NBA regular season begins on December 23 (NZT) with the Warriors visiting the Brooklyn Nets and the Lakers hosting the Clippers at the Staples Center.
