The NBA Cup pool play continues this week. After last year’s inaugural season was a success, many fans have looked forward to this in-season tournament. It’s clear the players care about it and want a chance to hoist the trophy. After the first week of play, here is where each of the six groups stands.
NBA Cup Standings East Group A
- Orlando Magic 2-0
- New York Knicks 2-o
- Brooklyn Nets 0-1
- Charlotte Hornets 0-1
- Philadelphia 76ers 0-2
This is the group that had two clear favorites, and those teams started out strong. The Knicks and the Magic were the favorites before pool play started because of the injuries to the Philadelphia 76ers. So far, each team has taken care of business in the NBA Cup games. Both sit at 2-0, vying for the top spot in the group. These two teams play each other in the last game of pool play, and that could be a winner-take-all matchup early in the season. Orlando currently holds the edge in point differential, which is the second tiebreaker behind the head-to-head matchup.
Who could play spoiler in the group? Both Charlotte and Brooklyn have only played once in pool play and they play each other on Tuesday. Whoever wins that match up has the best chance to play spoiler. The Nets lost to the Knicks but if they can run the table on the rest of the group, they could sneak in if New York drops one.
East Group B
- Detroit Pistons 2-0
- Milwaukee Bucks 1-0
- Miami Heat 1-1
- Indiana Pacers 0-1
- Toronto Raptors 0-2
This group is what is great about the NBA Cup. The Detroit Pistons, a team that lost 27 straight games last year, is in the lead after the first week. They had a thrilling overtime victory over the Heat last Tuesday and followed it up by beating a shorthanded Toronto team on Friday. Miami was able to rebound and beat the Pacers last Friday to move to 1-1, but Detroit will have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Despite Milwaukee’s early season struggles, they were able to beat the Raptors in their lone NBA Cup game last week. They will face the Pacers this week hoping to move to 2-0. That game might be tough because Indiana is in a must-win situation. With how the NBA Cup pool play works, losing two games makes it nearly impossible to make the knockout rounds. This group could come down to the final game between the Pistons and Bucks.
East Group C
- Atlanta Hawks 2-0
- Cleveland Cavaliers 1-0
- Boston Celtics 0-1
- Washington Wizards 0-1
- Chicago Bulls 0-1
This group will be the most fun to watch in the East. Washington and Chicago will look to play spoiler, as it is unlikely they will be able to run the table in this tough group. Atlanta pulled off a massive upset last Tuesday, taking down the Boston Celtics. The defending champs now have a date with the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday for their tournament lives. While they would likely end up 2-2 with a loss, the math says two losses are hard to overcome.
The Hawks are the most interesting team in this NBA Cup group. They have been inconsistent but won both games last week. Their final game against Cleveland could determine the group. The Cavs have to lose at some point, right? There will be immense pressure on the top three to beat the Wizards and Bulls. If another upset happens, they can kiss the knockout round goodbye.
East Wild Card Contenders
Only one additional team from each conference besides the group winners makes the knockout round for the NBA Cup. There could be a few groups that may come down to the final game. Both Orlando vs. New York and Detroit vs. Milwaukee in the final game of pool play could be for the group crown. The losing teams would then have to make sure they had a good enough point differential to move on.
This is where the Pistons might get into trouble. They won both their games, but they were close. Their point differential only sits at +4. Furthermore, the Hawks, Cavs, and Celtics could all be in the hunt for that wild card spot. This week will give us a clearer picture, but it looks crowded at the top in the East.
West Group A
- Houston Rockets 1-0
- Portland Trail Blazers 1-0
- Minnesota Timberwolves 1-1
- Sacramento Kings 0-1
- Los Angeles Clippers 0-1
If you were looking for chaos in the NBA Cup, this is the group for you. Portland stunned the Timberwolves, and the Rockets were able to beat the Clippers last week, putting both teams at 1-0. Minnesota was able to recover and beat the Kings to move to 1-1. Portland and Houston meet on Friday, which is a huge matchup for this group. The winner will take control of the group at 2-0. However, chaos looks to be just beginning.
This is one of the few groups where any team could win right now. Part of it is the lack of games from this group as Minnesota is the only team to have played two games. However, the Trail Blazers victory through a wrench in what many thought would happen. If Minnesota had won both their games, they would be in the drivers seat and the clear favorite. That didn’t happen and now this becomes the most chaotic group.
West Group B
- Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0
- Los Angeles Lakers 1-0
- Phoenix Suns 1-1
- San Antonio Spurs 0-1
- Utah Jazz 0-1
The defending NBA Cup champs started their title defense with a win but taking down the Thunder. Oklahoma City has their third game this week against the Spurs and then do not play again until November 29th, the final day of pool play against the Lakers. That could very well decide the group. There are some concerns with the Thunder on the injury front but they have one of the deepest rosters in the league.
Phoenix is the interesting one in this group. They lost to Oklahoma City, which made their quest to win the group very difficult. However, if they can win their final two games against the Lakers and Spurs, they could have a great wild card case. LeBron will be eager to take this tournament for a second year in a row and further cement his legacy.
West Group C
- Golden State Warriors 2-0
- New Orleans Pelicans 1-0
- Dallas Mavericks 0-1
- Memphis Grizzlies 0-1
- Denver Nuggets 0-1
This is a tough group to figure out right now, as only the Golden State Warriors have played two games. However, sitting at 2-0 puts them in full control of the group for the NBA Cup. The only other undefeated team is New Orleans who are dealing with a laundry list of injuries. Denver dropped their opening game with Nikola Jokic out, and Memphis is making do without Ja Morant.
Dallas is the one who could crash the party, but they have already lost to the Warriors, meaning they would have to run the table, and Golden State would have to lose the final two games in order for the Mavericks to advance automatically. Steve Kerr has the Warriors playing well, and they are one of the deepest teams in the league. It is there’s to lose.
West Wild Card Contenders
The West hasn’t played as many games in the NBA Cup slate making the wild card contenders harder to decipher. Right now, Dallas and Phoenix are the ones who should be focusing on their point differential as their path to winning the group is near impossible. After this week, we should have a better idea of the NBA Cup standings in the West.
It’s been an eventful first week and the picture will start to become clearer after this week. Who will rise in the NBA Cup standings, and who will see their in-season tournament dreams end?
