2024 NBA Cup roundtable: Biggest surprises and disappointments in group play

We’re formally nearing the top of group play within the 2024 NBA Cup, and the matchups for the knockout spherical will grow to be a lot clearer within the coming days.

The Golden State Warriors have already claimed their spot within the knockouts after dominating West Group C. The Houston Rockets may also be becoming a member of them after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in time beyond regulation on Tuesday in West Group A.

And bear in mind, level differential issues on this match, particularly for the Los Angeles Lakers, who entered Tuesday with a plus-12 level differential however at the moment are chasing the Phoenix Suns in West Group B after being blown out by the Suns 127-100. LeBron James and the defending in-season match champions face a tricky highway again to even making the knockout spherical.

After group play concludes on Dec. 3, the quarterfinals will happen on Dec. 10 and 11 as groups battle it out to say the second in-season match trophy ever, to not point out $500,000 for every participant.

We requested our NBA insiders to reply a number of the greatest questions on this high-stakes match, together with who the group-play MVP is and what’s been the most important shock thus far.

Which group has proved to be the hardest thus far?

Michael Wright: West Group C. There are three groups that entered the week sitting within the high seven within the Western Conference: the Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. Not to say the defending West champion Dallas Mavericks actually aren’t a slouch. The Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans have each been decimated by accidents this season, which is why they’ve struggled within the NBA Cup and the common season. The Warriors, nonetheless, are cruising by the group after changing into the primary group to clinch a spot within the NBA Cup knockout spherical, eliminating New Orleans within the course of.

Tim MacMahon: West Group B has lived as much as its expectations. Anticipated to be the hardest group, it options three groups coming off playoff appearances (defending in-season tourney champ Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Suns) and the San Antonio Spurs, who’re making a large leap this season after bettering the supporting solid round Victor Wembanyama. All 4 of these groups have one loss in NBA Cup motion, so this group’s bid to the knockout stage will go right down to the wire.

Dave McMenamin: East Group C. It options the defending champs within the Boston Celtics, the most popular group within the league within the Cleveland Cavaliers, plus the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks — sub-.500 groups, certain, however not straightforward wins by any means. Plus, all 4 of these groups are sturdy sufficient to disregard the depressing Washington Wizards, who had been eradicated Tuesday evening by the Bulls.

Ohm Youngmisuk: East Group C has turned out to be a lot more durable than initially anticipated attributable to Cleveland’s red-hot begin. With the defending champion Celtics in the identical group, East C has the groups with the 2 finest information within the league. After Tuesday’s slate of video games, nonetheless, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston had been all tied for third, and Friday will clear up which one among these groups makes it nearer to the knockout rounds.

Chris Herring: West Group B. Yes, the Utah Jazz are flat-out unhealthy. But the group’s different 4 golf equipment — the Thunder, Suns, Lakers and Spurs — all have successful information and would attain the postseason if the marketing campaign ended in the present day. And within the case of the Suns, they may be much better than their file, provided that they had been one of many hottest groups within the league earlier than Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal suffered calf accidents.

Which group has made the most important shock run?

McMenamin: The Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee has been nice in group play, going 3-0 — together with a win in opposition to final season’s East finalist within the Indiana Pacers and a highway win in Miami with out Giannis Antetokounmpo — and has been fairly pedestrian in all its different video games. The Bucks look considerably paying homage to final season’s NBA Cup champions, the Lakers.

Youngmisuk: While they’ve performed solely two NBA Cup video games thus far, the Detroit Pistons are a shocking 2-0 within the match coming into Friday’s video games. Yes, the Pistons wanted a uncommon gaffe by Erik Spoelstra calling a timeout when he did not have one to flee with an time beyond regulation win over the Miami Heat. But the truth that the Pistons have a shot on the knockout rounds after successful simply 14 video games a season in the past is spectacular.

Herring: It feels unfair to name them the most important shock, solely as a result of what they’re doing seems so legit. But it is laborious to go in opposition to the Rockets. From a statistical standpoint, they’re proper on the heels of the Thunder’s historic league-leading protection, which is wildly spectacular. They’ve carved out a legit id by that finish of the ground, they usually may need extra upside, given how dominant they have been after they swap in defensive stud Amen Thompson for scorer Jalen Green.

MacMahon: Ime Udoka may be offended that the Rockets are my alternative right here. After all, he was adamant on media day that Houston would make the playoffs, so Udoka will not take into account the Rockets’ early NBA Cup success a shock. But did you assume the Rockets can be essentially the most dominant group in group play? Houston, which clinched West Group A with Tuesday’s highway time beyond regulation win over the Timberwolves, is 3-0 with the most effective level differential (plus-49) within the league.

Wright: The Lakers gained the inaugural NBA Cup final season, so their manufacturing this season has been no shock. The Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and the Rockets have been spectacular, too. But Golden State needs to be the most important shock given the considerably low expectations for the Warriors coming into this season. Plenty of individuals questioned whether or not this squad’s time within the solar was lastly over. Clearly, it is not. What’s been enjoyable to look at is that this group’s by-committee strategy. One evening it is Stephen Curry main the cost, the subsequent it is Buddy Hield or Andrew Wiggins. Golden State’s protection, ranked fourth within the league, is a giant cause it was the primary group to punch its ticket to the knockout rounds.

What is your championship matchup — and who will win?

Youngmisuk: How a couple of rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals? The Celtics and Warriors assembly in Vegas wouldn’t solely be enjoyable however would have a tinge of drama. Besides getting a famous person matchup of Steph versus Tatum, there’s additionally Tatum in opposition to Steve Kerr. The first assembly between the 2 on Nov. 6 completed with the Warriors successful in Boston to the sound of the local crowd’s boos. While Golden State has struggled a little bit of late, Curry is just not going to return away from Vegas empty-handed if he has gotten this far.

Herring: I might see the Suns and Bucks making a run to provide us a (very different-looking) rematch from the 2021 NBA Finals. Both groups have skilled tough patches early on this season however appear keen to indicate that they are worthy of being seen as contenders. Who would not wish to see KD and Devin Booker sq. off with Giannis and Damian Lillard with {hardware} on the road?

Wright: There will not be any scarcity of star energy if the Lakers face off in opposition to the Celtics with LeBron James and Anthony Davis taking up defending champions Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The solely concern from this vantage level is the query of whether or not the groups will expend a lot vitality to win the NBA Cup that it impacts their efficiency later within the season within the quest to seize an arguably extra essential Larry O’Brien Trophy.

MacMahon: How a couple of rematch of final season’s NBA Finals with the Celtics beating the Mavericks once more? The Celtics reminded us that they are the most effective group within the league once more after not too long ago ending the Cavaliers’ 15-0 begin. The Mavs have sputtered a bit early within the season, however Dallas is in pole place to get the West’s wild card bid. Luka Doncic hasn’t performed as much as his MVP-candidate requirements but this season, however the odds seem that may change quickly.

McMenamin: We might get a coast-to-coast matchup with the Knicks taking up the Warriors within the NBA Cup closing. The Warriors have already claimed a spot within the knockout spherical, and the Knicks are tied with the Magic (2-0) in East Group A with a matchup between these two groups coming subsequent Tuesday within the final week of group play.

Which group with not less than two losses has been essentially the most disappointing?

MacMahon: The Timberwolves didn’t make the most of what gave the impression to be a good group, opening NBA Cup play with an unsightly highway loss to the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers and having any reasonable hope of advancing halted with an time beyond regulation loss to the Rockets at house. The league actually would not have minded having ascending famous person Anthony Edwards to be a part of the Las Vegas festivities, however the Wolves weren’t as much as the duty. Minnesota has been one of many greatest disappointments within the first quarter of the common season, as properly, shedding seven of its previous 9 video games to dip underneath .500.

Herring: It’s too quickly within the NBA Cup’s life cycle to know whether or not we should always anticipate any type of year-to-year carryover from groups by way of efficiency. Still, it might’ve been truthful to anticipate extra of the Pacers, who’ve misplaced their first two NBA Cup video games by double digits after making it to final season’s closing. Even when you throw out their electrical play throughout final season’s match, they had been additionally coming off a visit to the Eastern Conference finals.

McMenamin: The Timberwolves. The Wolves beat the Trail Blazers by 25 on Nov. 8 in a regular-season recreation, however when it got here to enjoying the Blazers of their group-play opener Nov. 12, they misplaced by a disappointing 14 factors. Not to say their time beyond regulation loss to the Rockets on Tuesday, a blow to their West Group A standings. In each the common season and in-season match, they have not come near recapturing the magic from their Western Conference finals run but this season.

Wright: The Nuggets. NBA Cup losses to the depleted Pelicans and Luka Doncic-less Mavericks solely bolster coach Michael Malone’s recent harsh words for his team. Malone known as out his squad Monday after it gave up 145 factors in a non-Cup loss to the Knicks at Ball Arena. The shocking a part of Malone’s criticism was that he known as for extra vocal management. Let’s not neglect Denver captured an NBA title in 2023 and the core of the group stays. So, Malone should not really feel the necessity to problem vets similar to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (in his eighth season).

Youngmisuk: There are a number of candidates for this, however Minnesota ought to be higher. Yes, the Wolves are nonetheless getting adjusted to the Karl-Anthony Towns–Julius Randle commerce, however shedding to a rebuilding Portland by 14 is disappointing for a group that has playoff aspirations. For a group that was one step away from reaching the NBA Finals final postseason, the Wolves must be in a a lot better spot this early within the season.

Who is your group-play MVP?

Wright: The Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox was on hearth in his first two video games of group play, averaging 44.5 factors, 7 assists and a pair of steals whereas capturing 58.2% from the ground and 41.2% from deep. But these contests led to losses for a Kings group nonetheless searching for its first Cup victory and sitting on the backside of West Group A. However, Bucks lead guard Damian Lillard’s efficiency in opposition to the Heat on Tuesday with out Giannis Antetokounmpo sealed the deal for him to take group-play MVP. He has averaged 30.5 factors and 12.5 assists, capturing 52.4% from deep on excessive quantity (10.5 makes an attempt per recreation).

MacMahon: The Magic are solely midway accomplished with group play, however Franz Wagner is placing collectively a fairly sturdy case for this legendary MVP award. Wagner averaged 31.5 factors, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and a pair of.5 steals throughout Orlando’s two NBA Cup wins. It’s a part of what’s been an All-Star-caliber marketing campaign for the 22-year-old Wagner, who’s averaging profession highs in scoring (23.4), rebounds (5.5), assists (5.6) and steals (1.8), keying the Magic’s success whereas Paolo Banchero recovers from his indirect damage.

McMenamin: Dillon Brooks. The Rockets are 3-0 with the most effective level differential out of any group (plus-49) and Brooks has been spectacular thus far. He averaged 23.3 factors in group play on 58.5% capturing (62.5% from 3) and three.3 rebounds per recreation — greater than 10 factors above his season common — whereas his defensive prowess has helped Houston to the No. 2 defensive ranking within the league.

Youngmisuk: Anthony Davis is off to an unbelievable begin. In the NBA Cup, the Lakers large man is averaging 30.3 factors, 13.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals. While the Lakers dropped a disappointing recreation to the Suns by 27, AD nonetheless had 25 factors, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. He can be a tricky matchup for anybody if Los Angeles makes it again to Vegas.

Herring: Poor De’Aaron Fox, who’s averaging nearly 45 factors and 7 assists, and will not even sniff the award, given his group’s 0-2 begin in group play. But how about Orlando’s Franz Wagner? With Paulo Banchero out, he has had an All-Star-caliber marketing campaign, which incorporates averages of 31.5 factors, 9.5 boards and 5.5 assists in 50% capturing in NBA Cup play thus far.