Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Lakers won the first-ever iteration of the NBA Cup, back when it was still called the NBA In-Season Tournament, but their journey in the second year of the tournament did not go as swimmingly. Their run in the competition coincided with a bit of a slump for the team last year, with LeBron James not exactly being at his best.
In the end, the Lakers followed up their In-Season Tournament championship run with a 2-2 record last year. They weren't even in contention for a wild card berth to the elimination rounds, especially when their middling record came with a negative point differential of -24 — putting them in third place in the group behind eventual competition runner-up Oklahoma City Thunder and a Phoenix Suns team that missed the playoffs entirely.
Of course, that Lakers team that competed in the 2024 NBA Cup still was the Anthony Davis variant, not the Luka Doncic one. Since that time, the Lakers roster has gone a massive change — whether that bodes well for their chances of winning the 2025 NBA Cup remains to be seen, however.
At the very least, the Lakers managed to rectify their biggest problem heading into the offseason by signing Deandre Ayton — curing their need for a big man to patrol the paint.
Will this new-look Lakers squad coalesce in time to make some noise for the upcoming NBA Cup? Here we will take a look at how the Lakers would fare in Group B of the Western Conference in the 2025 iteration of the competition.
Lakers renew rivalry with Clippers, Luka Doncic faces Mavs in NBA Cup West Group B
There is certainly a pathway for the Lakers to go 4-0 with the group they've been assigned to in the 2025 NBA Cup. Last year, it was always going to be an uphill battle since they were grouped with the Thunder, but this year, they should be one of the favorites to win the group.
This is not to say that their group stage journey is going to be a cakewalk. In fact, the truth couldn't be any further from that. Joining the Lakers in Group B are the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks — two teams that are always going to ignite plenty of headlines when they face the Lakers — and the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans, two teams that, on the right day, could give any opponent plenty of trouble.
There is a chance that every game the Lakers have in the group stage ends up being competitive; here are game by game predictions for how the Purple and Gold's run in the 2025 NBA Cup will end up being.
Lakers game-by-game predictions for 2025 NBA Cup
Game 1: Lakers @ Grizzlies, October 31 at 9:30 PM E.T.
The Grizzlies did undergo many changes to their roster this offseason, most notably trading away Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope presumably taking over his spot as the team's starting shooting guard. While Memphis doesn't evoke much excitement these days, this team still has considerable depth, notable star power with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and they were residing within the top four of the conference before tapering off late in the season amid internal turmoil.
However, with the NBA Cup games being early in the season, the Grizzlies will be heading into their matchup against the Lakers on the 31st of October with a massive disadvantage — they'll be without the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, with Jackson still rehabbing from the turf toe injury he sustained this offseason right after he signed his massive contract extension with the team.
While Jackson is expected to be back in the middle of the season, he will be absent for the early part of the season for the Grizzlies. Santi Aldama is a good enough placeholder for the time being, but the Grizzlies were four points worse per 100 possessions on defense whenever Jackson was off the court last season.
Simply put, Doncic and James may end up having a field day against this shorthanded Grizzlies team, even on the road.
Prediction: Lakers win by double digits
Game 2: Lakers at Pelicans, November 14 at 8:00 PM E.T.
The Lakers' final road game of the group stage will be coming against the Pelicans, which, without a doubt, is entering the season as the worst team in Group B. As is the case for New Orleans over the past few seasons, health will be the main determining factor for how they'll be performing in the NBA Cup.
There's no secret that the Lakers should enter this matchup against the Pelicans being the heavily-favored team, provided, of course, that their big guns are healthy for the matchup. New Orleans should also be without Dejounte Murray to begin the year, and Zion Williamson's injury status is always up in the air.
Even on the road, the Lakers will turn up; James always seems to find a way to turn it on in games of importance, and this dominant win they'll be earning in Smoothie King Center puts them in prime position to win the group with two of the most highly-anticipated games of the group stage still on the docket.
Prediction: Lakers win by double digits
Game 3: Lakers vs. Clippers, November 25 at 11:00 PM E.T.
Games between the Lakers and Clippers always draw the attention of millions, with the Purple and Gold always looking to flex their superiority over their little brothers in the city. And this is about to be very important early regular-season matchup, as the two best teams in Group B will be in for a contest that could decide which team wins the group.
The Clippers have had the Lakers' number for most of the past decade, although the Purple and Gold have punched back in recent years; last year, the Lakers won the season series 3-1 — with two of those wins coming after the blockbuster Doncic trade.
This season, however, the Lakers may not find the Clippers matchup to be that easy. The Clippers reloaded with the additions of Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, and they still have the core trio of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac leading the way. And then there's the addition of John Collins, making it possible for them to trot out a supersized lineup to try and bludgeon the Lakers on the boards.
The game being at Crypto.com Arena, however, tilts the game in the Lakers' favor, and if LA manages to play at a faster pace, that could be enough to put the Clippers on the backfoot. Moreover, this game is the third in four nights for the Clippers, while the Lakers will be playing just their third game in a week.
The circumstances favor the Lakers, and if they're healthy, it's not going to be wise to bet against them — especially when they have noted Clipper killer Doncic now on the roster.
Prediction: Lakers win a close game
Game 4: Lakers vs. Mavericks, November 25 at 10:00 PM E.T.
Games against the Mavs will always be personal to Doncic from here on out. For the franchise he loved to just discard him like he was a piece of trash just because he didn't fit the front office's mold of what a superstar should be? That has to sting on such a deep level for Doncic, especially when he had just recently led the team to the NBA Finals in 2024.
But all of that is in the past now, and all Doncic could do is to make the Mavericks regret their decision to not just trade him, but to trade him away to the Lakers in a deal that still ranks as one of the most ill-advised, if not outright the worst, in the history of professional sports.
With Kyrie Irving slated to be out until January, the Lakers will yet again take advantage of another shorthanded squad with Doncic dropping a 40-point triple-double to secure the victory.
Prediction: Lakers win by double digits, advance to knockout stage with 4-0 record
Lakers go all the way to Vegas
In the quarterfinals of the 2025 NBA Cup, the Lakers will be facing the Minnesota Timberwolves — the wild card team from Group A. (This means that the Lakers will finish the group stage with the best point differential among 4-0 teams.) And revenge cannot be any sweeter, with Ayton proving to be a crucial addition to help make the battle in the paint more balanced.
But in the semifinals, the Lakers will be running into the Thunder, the reigning NBA champion, in Las Vegas. That's when the proceedings will get dicey for LA. OKC has the swarming perimeter defense and the size to make life a living hell for the Lakers; they can throw out Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace at the Lakers' star duo as well as Austin Reaves.
It's always going to be difficult to bet against the Thunder, a team that's proven itself in the grandest stage. The Lakers will make it close, but in the end, their run in the 2025 NBA Cup will come to a close in the semifinals of the competition.
Prediction: Lakers lose to Thunder in semifinals of the 2025 NBA Cup
