Thunder a major theme in 2010 NBA GM survey

The annual NBA executive survey is out today on NBA.com and guess who’s winning your 2010-11 MVP? Yep, that Kevin Durant guy. Twenty-eight general managers voted and handed KD 67 percent of the vote. Kobe Bryant was next with 26 percent and LeBron James and Dwight Howard both got a single vote.

The KD over LeBron trend continues.

While everyone will kind of focus on that, the Thunder was mentioned a lot in the survey. A few notes on it:

• Not a single GM thought Durant was the best small forward in the league  last season, but now 29 percent of them do. And he even received votes  as the league’s best shooting guard and best power forward.

• Durant also picked up votes in five other categories where he received  none last year: The player who forces coaches to make the most  adjustments (11 percent), the best pure shooter (14 percent), the best  at getting his own shot (one vote), the toughest (one vote) and the guy  you’d want taking the shot with the game on the line (seven percent).

• The Thunder was voted the most fun team to watch in the league (52 percent).

• OKC was picked the Northwest Division with 63 percent. Portland was No. 2 with 22 percent.

• The Thunder was picked as having the third-best homecourt advantage. The Jazz, then Lakers were in front of OKC.

• Russell Westbrook was tied for third in the “most athletic” category. LeBron and Josh Smith were in front and Dwight Howard was tied with Russ.

• KD was picked as the third best shooter.

• Westbrook was second fastest with the ball behind Chris Paul and Derrick Rose who tied.

• KD tied for second with Carmelo Anthony in “Who do you want taking the last shot?” behind Kobe.

• Serge Ibaka was tied for third in “International player most likely to break out.”

• I found it somewhat odd that OKC didn’t even get a vote in the best defensive team category. Thabo did pick up a vote in best perimeter defender though.

• Though KD was picked for MVP by a wide margin over LeBron, King James was still voted the best small forward by a wide margin.

• KD was tops in the “Start a franchise with a player” category grabbing 55 percent of the vote.

• KD was voted fourth in forcing coaches to make adjustments behind LeBron, Kobe and Dwight Howard.

• Westbrook tied Blake Griffin for the top spot in “Most likely to break out.”

• Scott Brooks was voted sixth in best at making in-game adjustments.