The players got it right on who was the NBA MVP among them — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Same with the top defensive player — Victor Wembanyama.How else did NBA players hit the nail on the head in The Athletic’s annual anonymous survey during this tumultuous regular season, one dominated by headlines of federal gambling charges, an investigation into potential salary-cap circumvention by the Clippers and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s next team? Here is one last look at the full poll, after the release of the results over the previous month.From late February through the start of April, our writers fanned out across North America and asked the league’s players a wide array of questions on topics ranging from individual awards to player movement to league issues. Our writers surveyed 161 players, a record high for this annual project and a number that equates to approximately one-third of the league’s workforce.As always, we granted the players anonymity to give them the freedom to answer honestly, without fear of reprisals from opponents, teammates or fans. For the sake of transparency and context, we’ll tell you how many people responded to each topic.Who should be the 2026 MVP?When San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama sparked a robust MVP debate in late March, advocating for himself in the kind of direct and detailed way that forced voters and oddsmakers alike to reassess the situation, it was fair to wonder if it might be enough to bump Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from his frontrunner spot.Or … perhaps not.The players predicted that the silky smooth Thunder star would win his second straight Michael Jordan Trophy, and that's exactly what happened.• Full story: Who is this season’s MVP? SGA, Jokić or Dončić?Which team, other than your own, will win the title this year?The Thunder are considered the team to beat, and for good reason. They own the league’s best regular-season record, going 64-18, they’re postseason-proven, and as the first installment in our player poll series indicated, they boast the Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on their roster.“They’re the most dominant team,” a player who voted for the Thunder told us.• Full story: Who’ll win 2026 NBA Finals: Thunder, Spurs or Celtics?Who is the league’s best defensive player?Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to the league’s second-best record, 62-20, and he led the league in blocks, with 3.1 per game. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren finished second among qualifiers in blocks, and Holmgren “only” averaged 1.9 blocks per game.“He’s 7-6!” said one of the players who voted for Wembanyama, who is officially listed at 7 feet 4. “He just has the ability to cover up so many mistakes, including ones that he’ll make. Just his ability to erase mistakes is extremely impressive where guys drive in the paint and see him and turn around and dribble out. Like, no one does that in the NBA.• Full story: Who’s NBA’s most overrated player? Underrated? Best coach?What team will Giannis be on to begin the 2026-27 season?