For the first time ever, the 2023-24 NBA schedule will feature the inaugural in-season tournament, an event that begins on Friday with the start of group play. All 30 teams in the league will be participating in the very first NBA In-Season Tournament, and they have been broken down into six groups of five teams, with three groups from both conferences.
From special uniform designs to new courts that will be used specifically for in-season tournament games, the NBA has gone all-out in hopes of this tournament sparking interest with fans and players through the early portion of the season's schedule. What makes the NBA's new in-season tournament so intriguing is the fact that very little separates every team in the league.
So far this season, we have seen 20-point comebacks and plenty of “upsets” based on where teams finished in the standings last year. There is so much talent in the NBA right now, which is why the new NBA Cup is up for grabs. The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are the two last undefeated teams in the league, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have what it takes to win their group. On the flip side of things, struggling teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat could use the upcoming group play as extra motivation to kick things into a higher gear.
The format for this tournament is simple. The six winners from the six groups will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament, with one wild-card team per conference advancing as well to make a total of eight teams in the quarterfinals. From there, teams will fight for a spot in the semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas.
On Friday night, 14 total teams will begin the group stage of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. As a result, here's a breakdown of all the groups and what we should expect to see, including group winner predictions and key details to pay attention to.
Eastern Conference: Group A
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
Out of the three Eastern Conference groups for the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, this one has a chance to be the most intriguing. The Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons all have various questions surrounding them, and there really is no clear-cut favorite out of these five teams.
Health is going to be the ultimate factor in this group, as the Cavs have been very banged up to begin the new year. All-Star point guard Darius Garland has played in just one game due to a hamstring injury, All-Star center Jarrett Allen has not played in any games this season due to an ankle injury, and All-NBA performer Donovan Mitchell has been playing through a nagging hamstring injury. Cleveland can definitely be a strong team in the East this season, but the fact of the matter is they have not had their full team available. Until Garland and Allen are back, the Cavs will be a very inconsistent group.
The same can be said for the Hawks, as inconsistency has seemed to be a word associated with this franchise for quite some time now. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray power one of the better backcourts in the league, yet Atlanta still has problems defending and keeping their opponents out of the paint. In fact, teams are averaging 52.4 points per game in the paint against the Hawks, the ninth-most in the league so far this season.
The Hawks are one of those teams that could shock a lot of people in 2023-24, especially since they have plenty of scoring depth on their roster. It will be interesting to see what their approach to the play-in tournament games is.
The Pacers and Pistons are two teams that missed the playoffs last season and have already shown a lot of growth during the 2023-24 season. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton leads the Pacers, a team that relies on their ball movement and ability to speed up the game, forcing mistakes from their opponents. For the Pistons, they are a young, lengthy team that is only going to get better as they gain more experience. Cade Cunningham is a handful to deal with and second-year big man Jalen Duren is already looking like one of the better centers in the league this season.
Circling back to the Sixers, they recently traded away James Harden, making Tyrese Maxey the face of their backcourt. Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a great secondary scoring addition for the Sixers, who are a much better defensive team than many would think. They are not that deep, but the Sixers have two terrific scorers in Joel Embiid and Maxey, giving them a chance to win any game.
The thing about Group A in the Eastern Conference is they really do not have a true championship contender. There are so many questions surrounding all five of these teams, which is why a tiebreaker may be needed in order to determine which squad actually wins the group. Keep an eye on the Hawks, as they certainly have what it takes to beat all four of their competitors here.
Predicted Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
Eastern Conference: Group B
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
When you look at Group B in the Eastern Conference, the first team that sticks out is the Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. While they looked good in their first game of the season, defeating the Sixers in Milwaukee, the Bucks have struggled to find their footing on both sides of the floor. The defense has been a total disaster so far with Dame in place of Jrue Holiday, and it looks like it will take some time for them to figure things out with this new group.
Although many are still pointing toward Milwaukee as the favorite here, the New York Knicks and Miami Heat seem to have a better chance at actually competing in this tournament. They are both two established teams with cores that have been with one another for a while now. Not to mention, the Heat defeated the Bucks in five games during the playoffs last season, though Miami is off to a sluggish start this season.
The Knicks don't have a lot of offensive firepower, but they are once again one of the better defensive teams in the NBA. Their length can also be a factor in this group, especially since the Bucks and Charlotte Hornets both have athletic rebounders on their roster.
The Hornets and Washington Wizards are two rebuilding franchises that may win one or two games during group play. Quite honestly, they are just here because they have to be, as neither of these teams is really competing for anything this season.
Maybe stars will prevail and either the Bucks or Heat will come out on top, but the Knicks are a dangerous team this season.
Predicted Winner: New York Knicks
Eastern Conference: Group C
Teams: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
Group C in the East is going to be the most intriguing, not necessarily because of who will come out on top, but because of all the other teams competing. Let's just get this out of the way for starters: the Celtics aren't losing this group. Boston is the best team in the NBA right now and out of the four other teams in the group, maybe the Toronto Raptors have what it takes to limit the Celtics' offensive opportunities.
Quite frankly, if the Celtics aren't the team to win this group, we are going to start having serious doubts about their ability to win a championship this season. Perhaps they just get unlucky, but they are the obvious favorite and should cruise here.
Going back to the Raptors, first-year Darko Rajakovic has done a nice job of getting his team to buy in defensively. Toronto ranks ninth in the league in defensive rating, but on offense, it has been a real struggle for this group outside of an explosion against Milwaukee's struggling defense.
The Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic are three teams with playoff aspirations, yet they all are still sorting through their rosters looking for answers. Perhaps the Magic can make a little bit of a splash here seeing as the youthful talents on their roster are beginning to show signs of maturity. For the Bulls, the in-season tournament may be their last chance to prove they can compete, otherwise, management may decide to blow things up before the trade deadline.
Predicted Winner: Boston Celtics
Western Conference: Group A
Teams: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
LeBron James and Kevin Durant being in the same group should be enough to make you want to watch the Western Conference's Group A during the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. Two legends in their own right, James and Durant already faced off once this year, with the Phoenix Suns losing by five points on the road to the Los Angeles Lakers.
While more flare could have been added to the group stages with Ja Morant being available instead of serving his suspension, there is no better time for the Memphis Grizzlies to turn things around than against some of the teams listed above. Memphis has started the 2023-24 season 0-5 and desperately needs to turn things around, otherwise, they will be in danger of missing the playoffs due to how packed the West is.
Even though they no longer have Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers have still proven to be a tough team to beat due to the veterans on their roster. Malcolm Brogdon is this team's closer and Deandre Ayton has been one of the best rebounders in the league. Portland can go on scoring lapses at times, but overall, this team definitely has the ability to cause headaches for some of the top-tier teams in the West.
One key factor to watch in this group will be the health of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal for the Suns. Beal has yet to make his debut with Phoenix, while Booker just returned from an injury. Assuming all three stars are available for the Suns, there is no reason why this team shouldn't advance.
However, the Suns have been banged up and have major defensive question marks right now, which is why the LeBron-led Lakers are the frontrunners to come out of Group A.
Predicted Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
Western Conference: Group B
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
Now this has a chance to be the best group in the entire in-season tournament. The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are two title-contending teams this season, but don't overlook the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks either.
With Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum, the Pelicans can hang with any team in this league offensively. Looking at the Mavs, Luka Doncic is the early-season MVP favorite and has carried Dallas to a perfect 4-0 record. As long as Luka is on the court, the Mavs can win any game they play.
Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets were dealt a really bad draw here, as this is a young team with a new head coach in Ime Udoka that just doesn't seem to have a clear path set out for them. Is this Fred VanVleet's team or is it Jalen Green's? Will Jabari Smith Jr. step up in his second season? The Rockets look very incomplete right now, which is why they will probably lose all of the games they play during the in-season tournament.
Between the Clippers and Nuggets, the key question revolves around James Harden and what his arrival means to Los Angeles. Harden has not been known for helping his team find success in the postseason in recent years. While this is not necessarily the playoffs, the in-season tournament is a bigger stage than a normal regular-season game. Can Harden prove to be the difference for the Clippers and truly elevate them over the defending champions?
Maybe the former MVP can, but we just can't pick against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, especially since they are built to win in moments like this.
Predicted Winner: Denver Nuggets
Western Conference: Group C
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
Group B in the Western Conference may have a chance to be the best group, but everyone has labeled Group C in the West as the “Group of Death” because any one of these five teams could end up advancing. What stands out the most about this grouping of teams is the fact that they are all talented offensive groups.
We all know what the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings are capable of doing, plus we saw both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards elevate their games to new heights during the 2022-23 season. Of course, how could we forget to mention Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs as well?
A young team that has missed the playoffs the last couple of seasons, Wemby's Spurs have a lot of fight in them and do not give up when they are trailing in a game. Just look at what they did against the Suns the other night, coming back on the road down as many as 20 points in the second half. Then, after blowing a 27-point lead against the same Suns, Wemby and the Spurs came up big down the stretch to win again.
There are two key factors that exist in this group. The first is the health of Fox and SGA. Fox recently suffered an ankle injury that could keep him on the sideline for a few weeks. Without Fox, the Kings will have a hard time winning Group C. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has a knee injury and will miss the first game of group play against Golden State.
The other factor revolves around the Minnesota Timberwolves and whether they can finally find their footing with everyone healthy. We know what Edwards can do, but can a frontcourt of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert actually work, especially against smaller teams like the Kings, Warriors, and Thunder?
Minnesota is absolutely a dark horse to win this group. If things begin to click for them, the T-Wolves can go on a run to rise up the Western Conference standings. The Warriors have been too good, though, and Golden State made it clear before the season began that they want to win this new NBA In-Season Tournament.
If there is one thing we've learned through the years, it's to never doubt Steph Curry and the Warriors, as championship DNA runs up and down their roster once again.
Predicted Winner: Golden State Warriors
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