The NBA’s annual general manager survey once again sparked debate, with the results for the league’s best players by position eliciting confusion.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić finished first in the voting for “best small forward in the NBA” at 37%, while also picking up 10% of the vote at both guard positions.
That marked the second straight year GMs have ranked Dončić as a small forward, leaving fans puzzled by how the executives determine player positions and whether voters actually watch games.
NBA Fans Question Luka Dončić Being Voted League’s ‘Best Small Forward’
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum finished second in the small forward vote at 33%, with the Toronto Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard coming in third at 17%, in what was the only close positional race.
At point guard, reigning back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 67% of the vote, followed by the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson at 20%, while Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards topped the shooting guard tally with 73% to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 13%. Dončić finished third in both guard races.
One fan attributed Dončić’s small forward designation to the stiff competition at PG.
“Brunson and Shai lapped Luka so bad they had to put him in ‘SF,'” the user quipped.
Another interpreted the result the same way, writing, “Like how they just put Luka at SF randomly because he has no chance of winning the position he actually plays.”
A third fan questioned the voters’ motives as well:
“NBA GMs listing Luka as a small forward to avoid answering the actual question.”
Meanwhile, a Dončić fan page offered its own version of the top players by position:
“The correct list. PG – Luka, SG – SGA, SF – Tatum, PF – Giannis [Antetokounmpo], C – [Nikola] Jokić.”
The Slovenian led the league at 33.5 points per game last season en route to an All-NBA First Team selection. Basketball Reference’s position estimate placed all of his minutes at point guard or shooting guard, primarily at the point. NBA.com’s player page, however, lists the 27-year-old as a forward-guard.
A year ago, 40% of GMs also named Dončić the top small forward, while giving him 17% of the point guard vote and 7% of the shooting guard vote. However, in the 2024-25 survey, they voted the two-time NBA scoring champion the league’s premier point guard. Notably, GMs vote anonymously and cannot vote for their own team’s players.
One fan turned to last season’s numbers to question the voters:
“Luka played 86% of his minutes last season as a PG and 14% as SG. Zero minutes at SF. It’s kinda scary that NBA GMs know less about the league than an average fan.”
NBA content creator Jamal Cristopher also took issue with the choice:
“Actual NBA GMs having Luka as a small forward kinda crazy.”
Regardless of the reasoning behind the vote, Dončić looks poised for another strong season with the Lakers as he takes on an even bigger ball-handling role in the wake of LeBron James’ offseason exit.
If the six-time All-Star can stay healthy, put up another eye-popping scoring average, and keep the Lakers competitive, he could finally capture his first MVP award. Doing so would almost surely earn him more recognition from NBA GMs in the backcourt voting when next year’s survey rolls around.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.