The in-season tournament has a new name, but the stakes are still just as high. During the annual Las Vegas NBA Summer League, the league revealed the six groups for the Emirates NBA Cup, with the Cleveland Cavaliers placed into East Group C alongside the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards.
The renamed tourney, featuring spirited play and eye-catching courts, will begin on November 12. All 30 teams will compete for the NBA Cup. The group play games will be held every Tuesday and Friday in November, and the team with the best record in the group following those four matchups will advance to the knockout rounds. In all, eight teams move on, the six group play winners and two wild card teams, one from the East and one from the West.
Last season, the Cavs finished 3-1 during the NBA Cup's group format, losing an opportunity to claim glory to the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. But even with the Pacers reaching the championship game, the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup.
Thankfully, Cleveland doesn't have to deal with Indiana, New York and Los Angeles during the group format, helping their chances of making the knockout portion of the tournament. However, with the reigning champion Celtics in their group, the Cavs could be facing an uphill battle to have a chance to win the second-ever NBA Cup.
Cavs 2024 NBA Cup predictions
When considering the field, Boston is the biggest threat to keep Cleveland from winning a championship, regardless if it's during the regular season or postseason.
During the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Cavs in five games, keeping Cleveland arm's length away throughout the series other than a Game 2 stunner led by Donovan Mitchell. Considering that the Cavs and Celtics are largely bringing back the same squads from last season, it could be hard for Cleveland to find footing against Boston.
Overall, the Cavs went 1-2 against the Celtics in the regular season last year. If you couple that with Cleveland going 1-4 in the playoffs, a 2-6 record against Boston doesn't bring up much optimism. That's where the remainder of the field between the Bulls, Hawks and Wizards will be important for the Cavs, especially if they're unable to take a lead against the Celtics.
Between all three opponents, Cleveland went 10-2 against Atlanta (3-1), Chicago (3-1) and Washington (4-0) last season. Considering that the Bulls and the Wizards are among the Eastern Conference's bottom feeders, along with the Hawks only having Trae Young to lean on, the vision of the Cavs having a legitimate shot at sneaking into the knockout portion of the 2024 NBA Cup becomes even more possible.
Like Boston and Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington are all more or less bringing back the same teams from last year. Sure, the Hawks and Wizards have two cornerstone pieces through the 2024 NBA Draft added to the mix while the Bulls are trying to improve with Josh Giddey running point; but none are on the same level as the Cavs. All three teams are in a pseudo-rebuild, trying to hit the same level as Cleveland and, in turn, will likely lead to the Cavs picking a few valuable wins during the Group format of the NBA Cup.
From there, it will all hinge on how the rest of the Eastern Conference shakes out during the Group format. Thankfully, with the Cavs landing in the easiest group in the Eastern Conference, their chance of chasing an NBA Cup becomes even more realistic.
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