First and foremost, the NBA is back! Tip-Off Week 2024 brought us a record-setting performance on opening night in Boston, and LeBron and his newest teammate Bronny James shared the floor in a win. The following night we got a thriller between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers in the brand new Intuit Dome. Other notables from the first couple weeks include the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 7-0 start, Anthony Edwards’s 24-point first quarter against the Mavericks, and former first overall pick Paolo Banchero pouring a career-high 50 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers.  

Last year, the first NBA In-Season Tournament made a successful debut, with the Los Angeles Lakers bringing home the trophy. This year, the tournament has been rebranded into the Emirates NBA Cup, but the rules stay the same. Teams have been divided into 6 groups, 3 per conference. Throughout November 12 and December 3, each team will play 4 games on select “Cup Nights” where games will count towards knockout round qualification. It sounds confusing to determine which games count for the NBA Cup and which don’t, but an easy way of finding out is by looking at the paint on the court. Last year, the NBA instituted special In-Season Tournament court designs that were featured in all tournament games. After group play, each team that has the most wins in the group stage, along with one wild card team(team with the most group stage wins among second-place teams) per conference, an 8-team knockout round will follow. Last year, it was the Lakers, Kings, and Pelicans winning their groups in the West with the Suns getting in as the wild card. In the East, it was the Bucks, Pacers, and Celtics winning their groups, with the Knicks claiming the wildcard spot. To begin the knockout stage, teams will play in the quarterfinals in their stadiums, with the higher-seeded team hosting the latter. However, the 4 teams win their quarterfinal games, take a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals, and then the Championship. Last year, it ended with the Lakers defeating the Indianapolis Pacers 123-109.

This year, the group play draw was held on July 12, and released 6 very competitive groups, in my opinion. Starting in the West, Group A consists of three playoff teams, the Timberwolves, Clippers, and Kings, along with the Trail Blazers and the Rockets. Group B features last year’s No. 1 seed in the West, along with last year’s NBA Cup champion, the Los Angeles Lakers. Also featured are the Suns, Jazz, and the Spurs. In group C, MVP candidates Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic lead the Mavericks and the Nuggets into a competitive group that also features the Pelicans, Warriors, and Grizzlies. In the East, Group A consists of the competitive Sixers and Knicks squads, along with a surging Hornets squad, the Magic, and the Nets. Group B holds the two teams that went to Vegas last year, the Bucks and the Pacers, along with the Heat, Raptors, and Pistons. Group C has the reigning NBA-champion Boston Celtics, along with a Cavaliers squad that is out to a fast start

So, a lot is at stake in this young and exciting tournament. With teams like Cleveland and Oklahoma City surging, and surprising slow starts from teams like Milwaukee and Philadelphia, the NBA Cup is a chance for a fresh start for everyone. In the West, I think the Nuggets and Thunder will win groups B and C, and in a shocking run, I have the Blazers coming out of group A. Additionally, the T-Wolves will earn the wildcard spot in the conference. In the East, the Knicks should have Group A easily, the Cavs will keep rolling and take Group C, and I think the Bucks will bounce back, go on a run, and take Group B. Additionally, the always-competitive Magic will sneak into the East wildcard spot. I think the Blazers will run into a wall against the Thunder in the knockout rounds, and OKC will advance. In the other game, the Thunder should outduel the less consistent T-Wolves and advance. In the East, the Cavaliers will easily beat the Paolo Banchero-less Magic, and they will move on. Then, the Bucks will upset the Knicks to move on. In the semifinals, I think the Thunder will outplay the Nuggets in a great game, and the Bucks will upset the Cavaliers in a shocker to move to the Championship. In the big one, I think the Thunder come out on top, ending the Bucks’ strong run.