NBA General Managers Predict Jahlil Okafor To Win Rookie Of The Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The results of the NBA's 2015-16 General Manager Survey came out on Tuesday. GM's throughout the league were surveyed on a number of topics including who they felt the best teams and players are in the game today.
There were a few Sixers names that popped up in the survey that serve as strong indicators for the bright future that the team hopes is ahead.
44.8 percent of GM's voted that Jahlil Okafor would be the Rookie of the Year. Okafor beat out fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5%) and Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets (13.8%).
On the preseason, Okafor is averaging 10 points per game to go along with 3.5 rebounds in around 18 minutes per game.
A likely future teammate of Okafor also came up in the survey. When GM's were asked who is the best international player not in the NBA, they answered Sixers prospect Dario Saric.
The 21-year-old prospect stars for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish League and his versatile game is something that has team officials seeing great NBA potential. 28.6% of General Managers tabbed Saric as the best player internationally, not yet in the league.
The man tasked with getting the most out of these two young players also received some recognition from GM's. Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr were the top three favorites for best manager/motivator of players, but Brett Brown did receive votes for the honor.
When you account for the lack of experience and talent on the roster during Brown's tenure in Philadelphia, you have to applaud what he's gotten out of his players. The Sixers have built a reputation of being a team that never gives up and never takes a play off.
That mentality starts at the top and has been fostered by Brown.
