Last year marked the NBA's inaugural NBA Cup. Many NBA fans were curious (and slightly confused) about how the tournament would play out. The Play-In Tournament that Commissioner Adam Silver introduced in 2022 was wildly successful. It created more meaningful basketball games for teams at the end of the season, who otherwise would have been out of playoff contention and likely worsening their record for a better draft position at that point.
However, there were more questions surrounding the NBA Cup and whether it would replicate a similar level of competition with no proper incentive for teams besides prize money. While nowhere near the excitement level of the Play-In Tournament, the experiment was a relative success, creating a playoff-like atmosphere in November.
The NBA Cup gives teams a glimpse of how they stack up early on in the season and provides players on rebuilding teams valuable experience playing in a hostile environment. Let's hope the Portland Trail Blazers can make a deep run in 2024 to give their rising stars experience playing in these games, as it could be a few years until they make the actual playoffs.
Portland Trail Blazers' 2024 NBA Cup schedule
The NBA recently released the NBA Cup schedule for the 2024-25 season. Here are the four Trail Blazers games on the slate:
Date | Opponent | Time (PT) |
|---|---|---|
Nov. 12 | vs Minnesota | 7:00 PM |
Nov. 22 | at Houston | 7:00 PM |
Nov. 29 | vs Sacramento | 7:00 PM |
Dec. 3 | at LA Clippers | 7:30 PM |
How did the Blazers fare in the 2023 NBA Cup?
Last year, the Blazers were also in West Group A for the first NBA Cup. They failed to advance to the knockout round, finishing with a 1-3 record in group play. Portland's only win came in their first matchup against the Grizzlies, falling short to the Jazz, Lakers, and Suns in their following games. Hopefully, they can have more success in the 2024 NBA Cup, but it's going to be challenging to come out of West Group A.
The 2023-24 season standings determine the groups. But the Clippers are the only team that likely has gotten worse in the Blazers' group after losing Paul George. The Timberwolves, Kings, and Rockets all made roster improvements this summer, especially Sacramento, who now has their own big three after acquiring DeMar DeRozan. Still, last year's championship matchup between the Pacers and Lakers was surprising. Anything can happen in a format with a small sample size of games.