Nothing really came out of the Los Angeles Lakers' In-Season Tournament victory last year. It did not give them a big burst of momentum. They were still forced to fight their way out of the Play-In Tournament before once again being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. But what the pursuit of the inaugural NBA Cup did do was highlight teams and players that would otherwise be overlooked while also injecting a little more flare in the early portion of the campaign.
The 2024 iteration will ideally accomplish something similar. Now that the groups have been set in each conference, we can start visualizing the potential breakout stars and champion to emerge from this competition. Bringing home the gold will carry varying degrees of significance depending on the franchise, but it should mean a great deal to many of the teams that make up East Group C.
Besides the Boston Celtics, every other squad in this section has gone decades without holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Heck, one of them cannot even claim to have done that, since their last title came before that specific piece of hardware was introduced. The desire to win something should be extremely high in this group, but the capabilities of doing so will likely be hopelessly low for a majority of the competitors.
Let's dive a bit deeper into the NBA Cup as we make our predictions and specifically try to sort out all the storylines that are lurking within Group C of the Eastern Conference.
Group C has a massive gap between the top and bottom
In addition to the defending champion Celtics, Group C consists of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards. On the surface this is the least sizzling assortment of teams by far, with there being no real rivalry for fans to emotionally invest in like there is in the rest of the East.
That is of course, unless you count the tense Cooper Flagg sweepstakes that will probably be contested between Washington and Chicago (will give Atlanta a pass for now since Trae Young is still on the roster). The flip side of the aimlessness that resides in this group is the aforementioned desperate need to give fans something worth celebrating amid an arduous rebuilding phase.
This will be the peak of the season for more than half of these teams. Effort and emotions should therefore be at a maximum, even if the quality of play is lower.
Hawks are in limbo
On the surface, it seems like the Hawks are going through a severe identity crisis. Do they want to compete or rebuild? A cold Trae Young trade market could force them to strive for the former, and that might not be as outrageous as people think. Atlanta is ions away from the contender conversation, but there is a chance that freeing up the backcourt for their franchise pillar puts this squad on an upward trajectory.
Although Dejounte Murray is an impressive two-way guard who has the potential to elevate the New Orleans Pelicans to the next level, he and Young did not mesh well together on the court. Building the offense around one All-Star talent could open things up and accelerate the development of No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. I am dubious about Young's long-term compatibility with this organization, but it is worth seeing if he can lead the Hawks to unforeseen heights once again.
Bulls stuck in a spot where no team wants to be
Like Atlanta, Chicago is also technically in a state of limbo. It is difficult to envision Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic or Lonzo Ball factoring into the team's vision, though, so I expect the Bulls to inevitably put on their hard hats and initiate a full rebuild some time soon. They have the bulldozers but are lacking the means to clear these expensive assets.
Either way, this feels like rock bottom. While Coby White is primed to take another leap towards possible All-Star candidacy, an injury-prone roster will plunge fans even deeper into a cold abyss that might as well be their second home. But maybe, just maybe the Bulls can give them a product worth watching before calamity inevitably strikes.
Can Wizards get on the right track in 2024-25?
Wizards fans arguably have even less to be enthused about, at least going into next season. The front office is still trying to walk the line between building for the future and not being completely inept, as evidenced by their offseason moves.
That philosophy failed miserably last year, but if Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon can be effective mentors to guys like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington, then Washington will deserve plenty of credit.
The long-term benefit that veteran leadership can provide is substantial. Just look at the Houston Rockets. This Wizards team is a much different case, though. The lessons learned during the 2024-25 season are unlikely to be reflected in the standings next year.
Celtics and Cavs tower above the rest of this NBA Cup group
I saved the Celtics and Cavs for last because they are the only two teams I can possibly fathom winning Group C. Assuming their rosters are not terribly depleted, they should feast on the other three squads. Who has the edge between them, though?
No, that is not a rhetorical question. We are discussing the NBA Cup, not the playoffs, which saw Boston roll past Cleveland in five games. There is a different feel to these early-season games. We have already established that the best team for a stretch in December is not guaranteed anything in April.
While I am confident in the positive effect that new head coach Kenny Atkinson will have on the locker room, I do not see the Cavaliers representing the East in June. The Celtics are my extremely boring pick to win the 2025 NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finally reached the top of the mountain and will again be backed up by the most complete starting five in the game today. Experience and continuity often reign supreme in this league, and the C's are ready to remind people of that fact after a parity-filled last few seasons.
But…I do not believe they will hoist the 2025 NBA Cup. Or even win their group.
NBA Cup East Group C predictions
This tournament is just too important for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell signed a big contract extension in large part because he still wants to see if this team can reach its lofty potential.
A star backcourt with him and Darius Garland can torpedo defenses, while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley impose their will inside. Caris LeVert and Max Strus are capable supporting cast members who can get hot from the field. The X-factor is Atkinson, though. If the HC can instill the same grit in the Cavs that he did after taking over an embattled Brooklyn Nets squad, then I believe this franchise will firmly be in the mix for a conference finals appearance.
And remember, Cleveland was red-hot earlier last season before cooling off in the final stretch (Mitchell did miss some time). The team should enter next season with a super-sized chip on its shoulder, ready to show what it can do in a high-stakes environment. The NBA Cup is obviously a different animal, but it still features something the organization has never seen without the help of LeBron James– a championship prize.
Last season, the Cavaliers took a critical step forward by winning a playoff series. Definitive progress must be achieved in 2024-25, otherwise they may no longer be able to keep this core together. The belief needed to spark that growth could, oddly enough, come from a successful showing in the NBA Cup. Just look at what it did for the Indiana Pacers' confidence.
Final Group C predictions
1. Cavs
2. Celtics (advance to quarterfinals)
3. Bulls (health may not be an issue until later in season)
4. Hawks
5. Wizards
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