For those still not in the know, the NBA Cup is a mini-tournament held within the ongoing NBA season. It is on its 2nd iteration, after a very successful 1st edition last year which was eventually won by the Los Angeles Lakers over the Indiana Pacers. That pioneer edition, then called the NBA In-Season Tournament, has since been renamed as the Emirates NBA Cup, after its top sponsor.
Let’s review how the tournament works within the limits of the regular season games. All 30 teams participate, each playing four regular season games that count towards the tournament’s group stage standings. Both the Eastern and Western Conferences are divided into 3 groups with 5 teams each. Each team then plays 4 games against the other teams in their group.
The top 4 teams in each conference move up to the knockout rounds. These are: the 3 group winners, plus the group runner-up with the best record as a wildcard. All games in the knockout rounds, except for the championship game, also count towards the regular season standings.
The 8 surviving teams after the group play now enter the knockout stage. The tournament’s semifinal games will be played in Las Vegas. Only the championship game – also to be played in Las Vegas – will not count as a regular season game. As stated earlier, the LA Lakers won the inaugural season of the NBA Cup, with Lebron James taking the inaugural MVP honors.
What makes the NBA Cup different? For most NBA fans, the excitement only starts when the tourney reaches the last quarter of the regular season. That’s when teams jockey for position to get the last bus to the playoffs. The creation of an in-season tourney in the NBA Cup is then intended to create more excitement in the early stages of the season, proclaiming a champion in a sprint-of-a-season mini-tournament.
Currently, the Orlando Magic is on top of East Grp A with a clear 2-0 slate, ahead of the New York Knicks (1-0) and the group’s top seed, the Philadelphia 76ers (0-2). In Grp B, the Detroit Pistons has surprised everyone, themselves included, by leading 2-0 over such contenders as the Milwaukee Bucks (1-0) and the Cup’s inaugural losing finalists, Indiana Pacers 0-1. In Grp C, it is the Atlanta Hawks (2-0) jumping the gun, lording it over the red-hot Cleveland Cavs (1-0) and regular season titleholders Boston Celtics 0-1.
For the west, it’s the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers ahead temporarily with identical 1-0 slates. But the competition in the west is expected to be even tougher as the mini-tourney progresses.
What do I expect in the ongoing NBA Cup? I expect the east group winners to be the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavs; with the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic fighting for the wildcard slot. In the west, the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets are my picks, with the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns contesting the wildcard spot.
The NBA Cup will run from 12 Nov to the championship game in 17 Dec, with the semis and the final games in Las Vegas. Games are played every Tuesdays and Fridays. The champion team receives a trophy, while the players of the 8 teams that make it to he knockout rounds receive cash prizes depending on how far their team progress in the competition.
After a successful run with the women’s side, with WNBA attendance numbers going off the charts, it is now the NBA’s turn to dazzle the sports fans. The NBA season is once again upon us. Come with your cheers and your banners. Come with your team jerseys and all. Bring in the beer and the popcorn. It’s party-time once again with the NBA, folks!
Cover photo courtesy of The Playoffs.
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