With the 2024-25 NBA season a couple of weeks in, fans are anticipating their team's performances in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.
The league will host the second annual NBA in-season tournament starting on Nov. 12, according to an NBA.com press release.
The tournament features all 30 teams divided and randomly drawn into six groups based on the 2023-24 NBA regular season records, according to the same press release.
Each group has five teams within their respective conferences, with the Western and Eastern conferences are each assorted into Groups A, B and C, according to a Jul. 23 NBA.com article.
The NBA kicks the tournament off in Group Stage games known as “Cup Nights” where teams will face their opponents,according to a Nov. 8 ESPN article.
The Western Conference groups feature a handful of well-rounded teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors, making basketball fans ecstatic for the competitive games.
The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and current MVP candidate Anthony Davis, hope to reclaim their NBA Cup title.
The Lakers won the 2023 Emirates NBA Cup after defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the championship game, according to a Dec. 11, 2023 NBA.com article.
However, the team is gearing up for tough competition as they are scheduled to face the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns in group play.
The Thunder is off to a great start, sitting at the top of the Western Conference with a 9-2 record, according to FOX Sports 2024-25 NBA Standings statistics.
The main winning factor of the team is guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the Top 10 in scoring and averaging 27.8 points per game, according to ESPN player statistics.
Oklahoma City is an overall deep team filled with talented players including center Chet Holmgren, forward Jalen Williams and guard Luguentz Dort.
However, questions now loom for the Thunder after Holmgren suffered a right iliac hip fracture and is expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks, according to ESPN.
The young center and power forward is one of the Thunder’s core pieces and the defense will look different without him.
Holmgren is averaging 2.6 blocks per game which is third in the league, according to an NBA 2024-25 statistic page.
He is a primary factor to the Thunder’s defense and now the team will turn to Dort and guard Alex Caruso.
Oklahoma’s run for the NBA Cup Title will remain a mystery as they have to play without one of their main role players.
In comparison, the Phoenix Suns also recently lost its 14-time and two-time NBA champion All-Star forward Kevin Durant who is expected to be out around two weeks with a left calf strain, according to ESPN player statistics.
Now, the Suns must rely heavily on All-Star guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal which means most of the offense will be powered through them.
The absence of Durant hurts the team since he is leading the team in scoring with averaging 27.6 points per game, according to the same ESPN player statistics.
Meanwhile, Group C is seen as the toughest group and can premier matchups between the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors are expected to host the Mavericks on the first day of the tournament with a familiar face returning to the Bay Area, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson .
The Warriors have made a surprising start to the season so far and are currently standing at third in the West with an 8-2, according to FOX Sports 2024-25 team statistics.
Point guard Stephen Curry is having a spectacular season and the Warriors newest addition of shooting guard Buddy Hield.
Hield has been an excellent partner in shooting 3-pointers and providing scoring contributions for the Warriors.
Golden State has a complementary bench that includes forwards Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga and guard Brandin Podziemski.
Despite their rough 5-5 start, Mavericks are not a team to ignore featuring All-Star guards Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have MVP candidate Nikola Jokić who is the Nuggets’ main offense.
Jokić is leading the league in rebounds and assists, averaging 13.7 rebounds per game, 11.7 assists per game and 29.7 points per game according to ESPN player statistics.
Denver also has guards Russell Westrook, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun as a supporting cast, but will unfortunately feel the absence of forward Aaron Gordon going forward into the tournament.
The main teams that intrigue me in the Eastern Conference are the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Donovan Mitchell and the Boston Celtics featuring All-Star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Cavaliers are off to a historic start with a 12-0 record, the best start in the league since the Warriors historic 73-9 season, according to a Nov. 12 ESPN article.
The Eastern conference also features teams such as the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks that are teams that can make a run in the tournament.
The Knicks feature All-Star guard Jalen Brunson and four-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns while the Atlanta Hawks have three-time All-Star guard Trae Young.
The Group Stage games will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays between the dates of Nov. 12 to Dec. 3 while knockout rounds will take place from Dec. 10 until Dec. 17, according to the same Nov. 8 ESPN article.
The tournament sets for high-stacked competition and is also an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves.
