NBA GMs see De’Aaron Fox having a breakout year

The NBA released the results of their annual NBA GM survey on Thursday, and NBA GMs showed some love for De’Aaron Fox and and the Sacramento Kings. These surveys obviously aren’t an end-all assessment of how the season will go, but there’s value in knowing that other informed decision makers in the league see something positive in the Kings.

De’Aaron Fox was voted as most likely to have a breakout season, and voted as fastest with the ball in his hand.

Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2019-20?

1. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento -- 19%

2. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis -- 11%

Jayson Tatum, Boston -- 11%

4. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans -- 7%

Which player is the fastest with the ball?

1. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento -- 64%

2. Russell Westbrook, Houston -- 25%

Kings coach Luke Walton ranked third among new coaches and the impact they’ll have on their team.

Which new or relocated head coach will make the biggest impact on his new team?

1. Monty Williams, Phoenix -- 43%

2. Frank Vogel, L.A. Lakers -- 21%

3. Luke Walton, Sacramento -- 18%

4. John Beilein, Cleveland -- 11%

5. Taylor Jenkins, Memphis -- 7%

Also related to the coaching staff, Igor Kokoskov received votes as one of the league’s best assistant coaches.

Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?

1. Dan Burke, Indiana -- 11%

Chris Finch, New Orleans -- 11%

David Vanterpool, Minnesota -- 11%

4. Darvin Ham, Milwaukee -- 7%

Alex Jensen, Utah -- 7%

Igor Kokoskov, Sacramento -- 7%

Tyronn Lue, LA Clippers -- 7%

Nate Tibbets, Portland -- 7%

Perhaps the biggest snub was the question about which team is the most fun to watch. The Kings received votes, but didn’t rank in the top 5 in the league. Crazy.

The Kings also were recognized as a team with a promising young core.

Which team has the most promising young core?

1. New Orleans Pelicans -- 28%

2. Denver Nuggets -- 24%

3. Atlanta Hawks -- 17%

4. Sacramento Kings -- 10%

5. Philadelphia 76ers -- 7%

These rankings tend to be somewhat reactionary, often times more of a reflection on the previous year than the year to come. Still, it’s nice to see that other GMs are thinking about the Kings in a positive light.