NSL GM Survey 2022-23 Opinions and Personalities

As the 2022-23 season slowly comes into view, 26 of the respective 30 franchise managers submitted their thoughts, predictions and opinions on some of the league�s biggest topics. This article will break down the opinions of the GMs on the big questions in the NSL.

Most Desirable

Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder in NSL which is usually why making trades can be such as challenge. This question of the survey asked GMs to give their outside opinion on the attractive teams of the league. Basically, telling the pretty girl in the room what they already know or at least should by now. The responses were mixed with a number of teams receiving multiple votes, however a clear favourite emerged with the Timberwolves taking the largest portion of the pie- 30.8%.

Led by GM Ethan, the Wolves bounce back after trading league MVP Steph Curry has been remarkable! They have accumulated a young, star-studded roster with a plethora of win-now vets. The average rating of their starting lineup is currently 86 overall and they bat deep, to at least 9 players with Free Agency looming for another quality role player to join the ranks. LaMelo Ball and Scottie Barnes are the jewels in the crown and the title aspirations of GM Ethan appear largely pinned on the development of his young stars.

In 2^nd place are the New York Knicks how acquire the Jimmy Butler/Kawhi Leonard duo last season. Like the Wolves, the Knicks bat deep and with the recent trape of the Mavs, have at least 10 good players with upside. All the hope for this franchise is pinned to the health of Kawhi Leonard�s knees.

Other notable vote getters:

11.5%- Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs
7.7%- Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trailblazers

 

 

A star to build around?

A bizarre looking bar graph that needs work to interpret, when asked which player GMs would like to build around most there was a trend with two clear stand-outs and a number of young stars on their tail. It seems GMs like a mixture of Superstar ability, long-term upside with age and someone who is able to create shots and dominate games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic embody all sentiments above. Though completely different in player type, both know how to dominate a game. They�re both in their 20s, Luka early 20s and seem to be the players that will take over the league when Lebron and Steph Curry step aside. Giannis a dominating slasher, inside scorer and defender has proven he has an ability to carry a weak supporting cast deep into the playoffs while Luka is just beginning to scratch the surface of his NSL potential after gunning his way into the top 5 in the MVP last season.

Total Votes:

Giannis- 9 votes/ 37.8%
Luka- 7 votes/ 29.4%
Ja and Steph Curry- 2 votes 8.3%
Zion, Jokic, Durant, Mobley, Cade Cunningham- 1 vote/ 4.2%

 

 

 

2022 Free Agents

With Free Agency just around the corner, the GMs looked at the biggest targets coming up. It�s a strange Free Agent class, the big names mostly look like they�re going back to their NSL teams as most big names were re-signed in their NBA affiliates, meaning big re-signing bonuses. Beal, Harden, Levine headline the big names that will be retains with all restricted free agents set to return as well. The only real gettable big target in the market outside of MLE territory appears to be Jalen Brunson, who only received one vote, just 4.3% of the overall. The only other big name in this territory is James Harden who is almost certain to be retained, he also received 1 vote- 4.3%.

 

Then we head to MLE territory which is where the steals and big signings will likely occur. The MLE group made up the majority of the vote with names such as John Wall, JaVale McGee and Andre Drummond dominating the votes. John Wall led the pack with 11 votes- 47.7% of the vote while Javale McGee scraped in second with 6 votes- 26% and Drummond made up the last big target with 5 votes- 21.7%. Wall is the highest rated 2k player in the Free Agent class outside of the untouchables and he fits in the MLE which is a big plus for teams over the cap. Another factor possibly giving Wall the edge is that he�s one of the few decent point guards available. The FA class is extremely shallow at that position. McGee and Drummond earned a lot of attention as glitch bigs in the MLE range. McGee got the edge as he seems to be certain to head to another destination, while Drummond would need a suitor with the balls to take on Portland with a 99 gm bid to get it done. Sounds unlikely.

 

THE GM SECTION

The GM Awards is dedicated to acknowledging the best of the best GMs in NSL. These guys are �the real owners� who exemplify �exceptional� in one (or many) facets of the world�s most amazing game.

Last Year�s Work Horse

With the new season approaching, it�s important to acknowledge the GMs who made huge contributions last season to make the league such a special place. The GMs who were voted as the biggest contributors were GM Pistolpk- 10 votes- 40%,  Jmac- 6 votes- 24%, Gm Laddas 4 votes- 16% and GM Nenjamin 2 votes- 8%.

Leading the pack with nearly half the vote was workhorse Pistolpk. Without the commish, there�s no league. Everything site based is done in his own time for the benefit of himself. He deals with the B.S and keeps putting in the work to improve the league for everyone. He�s a deserving winner of the vote and was huge for the league last season.

GM Jmac takes 2^nd place in the vote and there�s no doubt he�s the hardest working GM for their respective franchise. He dominates the premium count every year as he does his opposition on the court. He adds to the competitive element more than anyone else and stands as the benchmark of the competition in just about every possible aspect.

Laddas and Nenjabin deserve a kudos here as well. Both do a huge amount behind the scenes as part of the admin team and both add massively to the culture of the league with their knowledge, easy going personalities and light-hearted approach. Legendary blokes.

Also receiving votes:

1 vote- 4%- All, Ethan, Leeroy, Wizkid, Nels.

 

The Culture King

 

The league is full of guys who make NSL life better just a little bit better, they are a key cog in making the greatest league in the world greater. They might add to the culture by working and dedicating their time to fix and update, they might make things more engaging and enjoyable or simply just be �good for business� in the way they approach the game. The key vote getters were GM Laddas 20%, reigning GMOTY Ethan with 16%, Jmac 16%, Klemm 12% and PistolPk 12%. It doesn�t take a Brainiac to realise the dimension each GM adds, whether it be competitive, humour and light-heartedness or pure grunt work, these GMs continue to add to the league.

Also receiving votes:
Nels 8%, Nenjamin 4%, Gm Titles 4% and Giveaway Boat 4%

 

 

The Zen Masters

It�s an interesting conversation when looking at the GMs who seem to just know the game. They understand the glitches, the intricacies of the game that can be exploited, they know how to set their line-ups to optimise their stars and exploit match ups and most of all they know how to build winning teams. GM Jmac once again led the charge with 24% of the vote. As the only dual champion, he looks streaks ahead of the pack with his team building prowess and ability to find assets for future. He knows what players matter in the game and is always quick to ship off duds. His teams constantly win and his work at the controls has proven unstoppable, until the league passed rules to try and stop them.

The next stand-out in the vote was GM Craig of the Hornets with 20% of the vote. Since entering the league, Craig continues to build fun and successful teams. He identifies needs to add via trade and always prioritises basketball IQ, playmaking and length. There�s no doubt Craig is one of the truly elite GMs of the competition and he will be vying to get a trophy in the cabinet with his stacked team led by Superstar Luka Doncic.

Also receiving votes:

Dylan 8%, Nenjabin 8%, Nels 8%, Vitty 8%, Klemm 4%, Daz 4%, Digger 4%, Merencio 4%, Sheed 4% and Wiz 4%.

 

The Untouchables

Taking down the easy beats is always expected and provides minimal excitement, the rivalries in the NSL is what it�s all about. Some teams bring the heat and the banter, some teams seem unstoppable and some teams you just don�t like. There�s no doubt in NSL that there is winning and then there�s WINNING�

The GMs with the biggest target on their head as voted by fellow GMs was GM Jmac and his bad boy Blazers. Being the bench mark and most competitive GM makes you a target, which is a role GM Jmac relishes. Nearly half the league entered his name as the GM they most like to beat, however most of those GMs have probably never actually achieved that feat.

 Also receiving votes:

Nels 12%, 4%- Daz, Ethan, Josh, LJ, Nenjamin, Titles, Klemm, Laddas, Leeroy and Sheed.

 

Laughter is the best medicine

Finishing on a light-hearted note, these GMs bring the �lols� to the league and make the environment more enjoyable for all. Whether it be through wild statements in rivalries, snappy comebacks in NSL media world, epic takes on the game or quality Gif work, they always have us in stitches.

Winning the count with nearly 30% of the total vote was GM Klemm (7 votes). Klemm is no stranger to a hostile rivalry, he spits fire on the discord channels and his rants on the Podcast channel have league engagement soaring to new levels. He is the NSL�s Stephen A. Smith and isn�t afraid to speak his mind on the leagues biggest topics which makes him one, if not THE number 1 personality in the league.

Also receiving votes:

12.5%- GM Laddas, LJ and Nels, 8.4%- Titles and 4.2%- Jmac, Justin, Vitti, Merencio, Sheed and Digger.

 

That concludes the opinions and personalities section of the GM Survey. If this writer has enough hours in the day, there might be one more instalment that takes a closer look at what GMs of league value in terms of team building, with a sprinkle of bold predictions at the end, however if you want to catch up on all the data you can unpack it for yourself from the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1o5ALv_YXblg_mihMVp0EezALRvwXLjW8qgHBzEWu4UA/edit#responses

Good luck to all GMs over the remainder of the offseason and throughout the 2022-23 season.