Kings’ De’Aaron Fox voted NBA’s fastest man; Davion Mitchell for Rookie of the Year?
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox was a runaway winner as the fastest man in the NBA and Davion Mitchell was tabbed as a candidate for Rookie of the Year in the 20th annual NBA.com GM survey.
A resounding 59% of NBA general managers identified Fox as the fastest player with the ball in his hands. Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies was second with 24% of the vote followed by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook (14%) and Charlotte Hornets’ Ish Smith (3%).
When asked which player will win Rookie of the Year, 47% of general managers picked Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets. The Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (40%) was second followed by the Orlando Magic’s Jalen Suggs (7%). Mitchell, the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets also received votes. In a separate question asking which rookie will be the best player in five years, Mitchell finished fifth behind the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, Cunningham, Green and Suggs.
Kings forward Harrison Barnes and assistant coach Mike Longabardi also showed up in the survey. Barnes was among those who received votes for which active player will make the best head coach someday, finishing behind the Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul, Lakers’ Rajon Rondo, Indiana Pacers’ T.J. McConnell, Utah Jazz’s Mike Conley, Miami Heat’s Udonis Haslem and New Orleans Pelicans’ Garrett Temple.
Longabardi was among those receiving votes for best assistant coach in the NBA, a list that was topped by the Golden State Warriors’ Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee Bucks’ Darvin Ham, Portland Trail Blazers’ Scott Brooks, Brooklyn Nets’ David Vanterpool and Orlando’s Nate Tibbets.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 6:30 AM.
