Emirates NBA Cup:
First Round Preview and (Probably Wrong) Predictions
Time to get buckled up dear reader! The NBA is about to tip-off in Vegas for the second in-season tournament, which has been rebranded as the Emirates NBA Cup. The group stage is over and the knockout bracket is set.
I love the in-season tournament, it adds a little bit more meaning to a long regular season. The players have seemed to love it too, the group play games have been intense and hard fought.
If you don’t know how the in-season tournament works, it’s simple:
- The NBA randomly draws 6 groups consisting of 5 teams - three groups in each conference.
- The 5 teams in each group play each other on designated ‘Cup Nights’ - These group games count as regular season games.
- 4 teams from each conference advance to the knockout round - 3 division winners and a ‘Wild Card’, the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group.
- The top 2 teams from group play in each conference will host the first game of the knockout at their home stadium - the winners advance to the semifinal games in Las Vegas - The first two rounds of the knockout stage also count towards the team’s regular season records. The rest of the NBA not in the knockout rounds will be scheduled to play 2 regular season games in between knockout round games.
- The Championship Game will be played in Las Vegas on December 17th - this game does not count as a regular season game.
Now, it’s time for Walker’s Wrantings’ preview of the first round and some (probably wrong) predictions:
East Group B Champion Milwaukee Bucks hosting
East Group A Wild Card Orlando Magic
Tuesday December 10th | 7 ET/6 CT | TNT
The matchup between the young, upstart Orlando Magic and the veteran loaded Milwaukee Bucks will be the first time these two teams play each other this year. Orlando is the sixth youngest team in the league, led by third year player Paolo Banchero and fourth year player Jalen Suggs, while the Bucks are the third oldest team in the league, with eleven and twelve year vets Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The future stars of the Association will be going head to head with the current legends of the game in the opening match of the tournament.
Orlando had a rough start to the season, starting 3-6. Despite losing Paolo Banchero, the Magic have bounced back to a 17-9 record and are the third overall team in the East. The Orlando Magic are the best defensive team in the league in terms of opponents points per game, only allowing opponents to score 103. They average 7 blocks and 9.5 steals as a team, first and third best in the league respectively, and are top ten in opponent field goal percentage.
Similar to Orlando, Milwaukee had a bumpy start to the season, going 2-8, but have gone 10-3 in their last 13 games and have an 12-11 overall record, good for seventh in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is leading the league in scoring at 32.5 points per game, while Damian Lillard adds 26 of his own. However, no one else on the team averages above 12 points per game and Giannis is making a case for a second MVP by carrying this Milwaukee team as they attempt to turn around their season.
I think Giannis will show up and score big in this opening NBA Cup game, but ultimately Orlando’s combination of youth and defense may prove to be too much for the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando will win an ugly contest. I have a feeling the Magic will feel right at home in Las Vegas with Penn and Teller.
West Group B Champion Oklahoma City Thunder hosting
West Group C Wild Card Dallas Mavericks
Tuesday December 10th | 9:30 ET/8:30 CT | TNT
The Mavericks and the Thunder met last year in the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Dallas sent the Thunder home in 6 games in an extremely close series - both teams averaging 106 points per game, with the largest point differential being a 12 point Maverick win in Game 5.
This game is a revenge game for the Thunder, but it is an important game for both teams. The Thunder are currently the first overall team in the Western Conference, while Dallas is second. The Mavericks have a close two point win over OKC already this year, making this an important game for the Thunder. A win for Dallas would give the Mavericks a 2-0 season advantage and, with only two more matchups between these teams left, would put Dallas in the driver’s seat for potential tie breakers at the end of the season.
Chet Holmgren is still out for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Isaiah Hartenstein will be available for this game, and he could be the difference for the Thunder, after missing the two point loss in the first meeting. The Mavericks come into the game on a seven game win streak with Luka Doncic averaging 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists.
This game will come down to the wire and will depend on who can make more defensive stops in the fourth quarter. I believe the Mavericks will come into OKC and play a close game against the Thunder, with Kyrie Irving setting up Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson up for huge clutch shots in the fourth, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander answers on the other end for the Thunder. Although the Thunder are the better defensive team, you can play perfect defense on Luka and he will still hit his shots - just ask Rudy Gobert. As much as it pains me to say this, I think Dallas advances to Sin City from this first round game in a thriller that comes down to the last minute.
East Group A Champion New York Knicks hosting
East Group C Champion Atlanta Hawks
Wednesday December 11th | 7 ET/6 CT | ESPN
The NBA is always better when New York is doing well and, with the offseason addition of Karl Anthony-Towns, the Knicks are 14-9 and fourth in the East. Trae Young will roll into NYC as a villain, having knocked the Knicks out of the playoffs in 2021 playoffs, a role he relishes. Young’s fifth place Hawks are looking to add another win over New York this season, looking to jump the Knicks in the standings. This is the absolute best recipe for an explosive and entertaining game and the legendary Madison Square Garden will be rocking on Wednesday night.
Atlanta’s Trae Young is averaging 21 points and 12 assists per game, while Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter add 19 points each and the Hawks are in the top ten in the NBA in points per game. That high powered offense is neutered by their bottom of the league defense, however, as the Hawks give up the third most points as a team in the league.
The ‘Nova’ Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikail Bridges play with fantastic chemistry, reminiscent of their college days at Villanova, and KAT has integrated with the team extremely well, providing rebounding and offensive spacing. The Knicks are top ten in both points per game scored and opponents points per game.
This will be a must watch game as Trae Young likes to turn his play up to the maximum when the lights are brightest. I think Trae will have a highlight reel game with a huge scoring output and fantastic playmaking. However, the overall team chemistry and defensive play of the New York Knicks will lead them to knock the Atlanta Hawks out the in season tournament and deny them a trip to the desert.
West Group A Champion Houston Rockets hosting
West Group C Champion Golden State Warriors
Wednesday December 11th | 9:30 ET/8:30 CT | TNT
The Warriors will come into this contest with a 15 game winning streak against the Houston Rockets. The teams have matched up twice already this season, Golden State winning both matchups by six points. Even the absence of Draymond Green and Steph Curry in their last meeting wasn’t enough for the Rockets to come out with a victory. Curry and Green will be available for the December 11th matchup, so the Rockets will have their work cut out for them if they want to beat the Warriors for the first time since February 20, 2020.
The Rockets are the fourth seed in the current Western Conference standings with the Warriors being the fifth. The Warriors are already up 2-0 in regular season matchups, a win for Golden State would give them the head to head tiebreaker against Houston in the standings. This is a must win game for the Houston Rockets, who are exceeding all expectations this season. The West is extremely tough this year, with the first seed separated from the tenth seed by only six games, and having a tiebreaker could mean the difference between playing in the playoffs or watching them from home at the end of the year.
The Rockets have beaten opponents this year with stifling defense, anchored by Dillon Brooks and supplemented by the ‘Terror Twins’ Tari Eason and Amen Thompson coming off the bench. They are third in the NBA in opponents points per game, and are top 10 in steals and blocks. The Warriors lost Klay Thompson to free agency this year, but Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins have stepped up to fill Klay’s shoes with huge games. Speaking of huge games, Jonathan Kuminga had a career high of 33 points against the Rockets, recently, on December 5th 2024.
If the previous matchups of this regular season series are any indication this will be a close game. If the Rockets are going to win against the Warriors for the first time in four years, they need to play their hard nosed defense from the tip-off to the final buzzer. If you let up on Golden State, even for a minute, Steph Curry will make you pay. I believe that coach Ime Udoka will have his team fired up and ready to play, and the Rockets will play their cards right in a win to get to the Vegas Strip.
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Next week, we’ll see if I am correct in my first round picks, and I’ll preview the second round of the Emirates NBA Cup.
Walker’s Weekly Wrecommendations
Each week I’m gonna review and recommend random things - TV shows, music, or a restaurant. IDK. Whatever I feel like. This is my blog.
This week's Triple W is the NetEase Games new title ‘Marvel Rivals’, a free to play third person hero-shooter that stars some of Marvel Comics most iconic heroes and villains. Most game modes are played with six players on a team, and each character has a unique skill set to help their teams complete their objective. I like to use Adam Warlock and play healer for my team and, if I feel like doing some damage, I’ll switch over to the reality bending Scarlet Witch. A fun game with a timeless lineup of characters and a variety of ways to play, Marvel Rivals is a comic book loving gamer’s dream.
NEXT WEEK: Walker’s Wranting’s presents “Emirates NBA Cup: Second Round Preview and (Probably Wrong) Prediction Updates”