Which team will win the ring? Who is the most underrated player? And the best coach? NBA players themselves answer

The annual anonymous survey by The Athletic provides insight into what the players in the league really think. The survey posed a wide range of questions to 158 players, including who the MVP is, which team will win the title, who is underrated/overrated, possible rule changes, and more. According to the players, the Boston Celtics are the top favorites for the title, and shooting guard Derrick White is one of the most underrated players. Let's analyze the presence of the Celtics in this survey.

Based on their performance in the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are slightly favored for the title, with the Celtics close behind. However, 57.7% of the surveyed players chose the reigning champions to win it all, while the Thunder received the second-highest number of votes at 17.5%. Players cannot vote for their own team. Regarding open-ended questions, the highest percentage of votes leaned towards the Celtics to win the title. The 56.1% of votes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP was slightly lower than the percentage of players selecting Boston to win the title.

This result highlights the players' respect for the champions. Undoubtedly, Boston's experience and their dominance on both ends have enabled them to win two consecutive titles. After winning 61 games during the regular season, the Celtics clearly have what it takes to repeat as champions. The star duo of Celtics' forwards, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with a solid core including Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, makes them virtually unstoppable. Boston boasts a plethora of scoring options and no weak spots defensively. Considering their perfectly constructed roster and incredible playoff experience, it's easy to see why players choose the Celtics to win another championship.

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Additionally, players voted the Celtics organization as the third-best in the league, receiving 15.3% of the votes. The Thunder (17.5%) and the Golden State Warriors (21.9%) ranked above the Celtics. Joe Mazzulla placed fourth as the best coach with 12.2% of the votes. Mark Daigneault (21.8%), Kenny Atkinson, and Erik Spoelstra (13.6%) slightly edged out Mazzulla. Nevertheless, this demonstrates how respected the 36-year-old guru is among the players.

The contributions of Derrick White and his significance for the Celtics cannot be overstated. As a three-point shooter, playmaker, and versatile defender, he truly does everything for the Celtics. White averaged 16.4 points in his career and was one of Boston's most consistent players. It's evident that other players in the league recognize White's value, as he finished second in the voting for the most underrated player, with 7.4% of the votes. Cade Cunningham was first, receiving 8.8% of the votes.

Questions like the most underrated player yield a wide range of results. However, it's clear that White is highly esteemed by his peers. Players understand the overall impact value of White, and it's wonderful to see that recognized. Payton Pritchard, Tatum, Brown, and Holiday also garnered votes for the most underrated player. Ultimately, the respect that the Celtics and their players command across the league is evident.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Qué equipo va a ganar el anillo? ¿Quién es el jugador más infravalorado? ¿Y el mejor entrenador? Los propios jugadores de la NBA responden