The second edition of the NBA Cup (now with a fancy sponsor, Emirates) will begin on Tuesday night as group stage action gets started. Feelings on the NBA Cup vary, but for the most part, it seems to have been at least a mild positive in terms of adding a little juice to November regular season hoops.
Last year, the eight teams that emerged from group play were the Celtics, Bucks, Pacers, and Knicks in the East, and the Lakers, Kings, Suns, and Pelicans in the West. Ultimately, the Lakers beat the Pacers in the final, marking the high point of the season for Los Angeles, while that was just the beginning of a run to the conference finals from Indiana. There are differing views from teams on how they approach the Cup, but because most of the games until you get to Vegas count all the same as regular season games, you should see contenders still trying at least until the quarterfinals where they may punt to avoid adding a trip to Vegas to their schedule.
Not every team has the Cup schedule circled on their calendars, and for some, it gets in the way of the long-term goals (either to get lottery balls or winning a title). But as the Pacers showed a year ago, for a young team without much playoff experience, the Cup can get guys feet wet to that kind of environment and build some confidence for the tournament everyone cares about come April, May, and June.
Here, we’ll look at eight teams that we think should be willing to invest early season energy into trying to get to Vegas and hoist the NBA Cup.
Houston Rockets
Houston’s gotten off to a strong start this season at 7-4, and I think they’re in a similar position to the Pacers last year, as they can use this as a way to test their young roster without much playoff experience. A successful run to the knockout rounds (and maybe beyond) would be a genuinely big deal for the Rockets, who can assert themselves as a genuine threat in the West playoff race with a strong tournament showing.
Los Angeles Lakers
We saw that the Lakers were willing to raise their level a year ago in the Cup competition, and it’d be kind of incredible if they went back-to-back. Their group is a bit less daunting now that the Thunder are without Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (although that’s still an excellent team), and if they make the knockout rounds, a team with LeBron and AD is always going to be a threat in a single-elimination basketball game. We’ll see if they approach it with the same aggression, but this is a team that has to try and chase wins regardless, so I’d expect the effort to be there, even if they can’t replicate the same kind of run.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies want to prove they are fully back as West contenders, and they can make a strong statement if they come out of the aforementioned Group of Death. They are playing at a high level right now, led by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s continued brilliance, and if they can get to Vegas, they’d have a very good chance at lifting the Cup. And if Ja Morant can get healthy and come back in time, absolutely no one will want to see that guy in a one-off.
San Antonio Spurs
By the time the season is over, the Spurs will likely have filtered out of the Play-In race, but this is the exact kind of team I think should place an overemphasis on the NBA Cup. The Spurs are still building around Victor Wembanyama and figuring out what that should look like, but this team has been fairly competitive early (5-6) and could take advantage of some injury woes for the top teams in their group to try and make a little noise in the Cup. We saw in the Olympics that Wemby loves some heightened competition, and this might be a good chance to turn him loose and make an all-out push for something in November, understanding that they probably don’t have the roster just yet to really threaten the playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Will the Cavs ever lose? At some point, yes, but why not keep the good vibes rolling as long as possible and try to win the Cup? Yes, they’re a title contender, but unlike, say, Boston, this isn’t a team that’s had any real playoff success. Building some good habits in the knockout rounds could pay dividends down the road, and seeing as how they’re in the same group as the Celtics, I’m sure they’d love to use this as a statement of intent in the event they cross paths in the postseason.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks desperately need something to turn around their season, and maybe the Cup gives them a carrot to chase that can wake things up. I’m skeptical they have the juice to make this happen, as the vibes are just horrendous in Milwaukee right now, but theoretically, Giannis and Dame (who will miss their opener with a concussion) are good enough as a tandem to beat anyone. That will require them to get on the same page, which hasn’t really happened to this point, but perhaps playing on different courts can change the mojo in Milwaukee.
New York Knicks
Like every team other than the Cavs and Celtics in the East, the Knicks are off to a sputtering start at 4-5. Their star-studded roster isn’t clicking just yet, the defense has taken a major step back, and the offense hasn’t been quite good enough to make up for it. Their group, at one point, looked like the toughest in the East, but the Magic are without Paolo Banchero and the Sixers … well, we’ll get to them in a second. That cracks the door for the Knicks to try and lay a foundation of winning they can build on as the season progresses and create that chemistry that’s been lacking in games with a slightly bigger game feel.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is back for the Cup games, but Tyrese Maxey is out and Paul George has been on a minutes restriction. This team is desperate to go on a run, and with the big fella back, there’s no time like the present to try and climb out of the East’s basement. Like the Bucks, Philly just needs to stack some wins and get some positivity, and if they can somehow make it to Vegas, they can erase a decent amount of the early season concern about them.