The Final Four Teams That Punched Their Ticket To Vegas Is What The NBA Cup Is All About
And then there were four!
At the start of Group Play of this year's NBA Cup, how many out there thought this would be the group heading to Vegas? No Celtics, no Cavs, no defending Cup champion Lakers, no Steph, no Luka, no Ant, no Suns, no Knicks, no Nuggets, no Grizzlies, no Clippers, no Heat, no Pacers etc. My guess is not many.
And you know what? To me, that's what has made this year's NBA Cup a success. This is what it should be all about no? If the league wants to have this be something people care about, this is the way. Young teams that may not win the title this season but can use this tournament as a great stepping stone in their development (think Pacers last year). Then you have a title contender in OKC looking to be the first-ever NBA Cup/Larry O'Brien winner, and finally, the Bucks who for all we know this could be their last run at any sort of trophy until they can prove they're capable of winning a first round playoff series.
My point is while Adam Silver and the league office may be raging that they can't market all big names and big market teams, I feel like this is a better result. We'll see all those teams I mentioned above in the playoffs (probably not the Lakers, but you get the point). Let the NBA Cup be for everyone else. If those other teams were good enough, they'd be heading to Vegas.
I'm sure there will be some hardos out there who talk about ratings and all that bullshit like any of us actually give a shit about TV ratings, but from top to bottom all the knockout games were awesome, so why would things be any different now that we shift to Vegas?
Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks
Welcome to a rematch of the 2021 ECF! Depending on who you root for, you remember that series as either a stepping stone for the Bucks on the way to their title, or a series the Hawks probably win if Trae Young doesn't get hurt. It's also a rematch of a game that took place earlier this month, with the Hawks winning 119-104 on the Bucks' home floor.
What I find interesting in this matchup is it's against two teams that we still have no idea who each actually is. Do they stink? Are they good? The results are all over the place.
For example, the Hawks are 14-12, which on the surface kind of stinks. They have a -2.4 point differential and are just 7-6 at home. And yet, they're 7-3 over their last 10, and when you look at their win profile this season it's about as legit as any team in the entire league. In those 14 wins, you'll see triumphs over BOS, CLE (2x), MIL, and NYK (2x). But they're also a team that has lost to DET, WSH (2x), and POR. Just a very, very strange team.
But make no mistake, they've been pretty dominant in the NBA Cup. It does feel like when this team plays someone good (7-5 vs teams .500 or better), they become a different team, which is why there's reason to be excited for this matchup.
When I think of the NBA Cup and who it's for, the Hawks are a great example. Sure they may not win the title this year, but they are playing great basketball right now and a run like this will always help a young rebuilding team take that next step. When it comes to limiting the Bucks, Dyson Daniels I imagine is going to use his length and get the Dame matchup, and in terms of bigs to limit Giannis, Onyeka Okongwu has shown to be competent in stretches.
And if the game is close? Dame vs Trae in clutch time should be fun as hell as both guys have limitless range and a knack for making big time shots in big time moments.
On the Bucks side, they're just as weird. Their record has recovered so many are quick to declare them back, but it's hard to get past who they've played during this turnaround
you never apologize for who you beat on your schedule, but the fact that they struggled mightily against a Magic team missing its 2 best players was a bit concerning. They're now just 3-8 on the seasons against teams .500 or better, so when it comes to playing the best of the best it's not exactly like they've shown to be as dominant as you'd think. This is the round the Bucks lost in last year when Tyrese Haliburton danced on their grave, and all I know is if they don't come ready the Hawks can absolutely beat them. Shit, they already have this season!
It might honestly come down to what type of defensive team the Bucks end up facing. Is it going to be the Hawks team that gives up nearly 120 a night and is mostly dogshit? Or is it going to be the one that weirdly straps in against the best teams and makes life hell? Will the Bucks be able to limit the Hawks on the offensive glass seeing as how they're a top 5 defensive rebounding team? That's sneaky a huge part of why the Hawks win these games against good teams. They feast on the offensive glass (15 in their first meeting, W).
Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Steve Kerr can cry all he wants about the ending of the HOU/GS game and that loose ball foul call
This is always so funny to me to hear Kerr and the Warriors complain about the refs as if we all haven't had to live through YEARS of the Warriors benefitting from calls and non-calls from the officials. But the second it happens against them, they cry. Grow up. You went 3 minutes in the 4th without scoring, perhaps THAT played a role in the outcome?
Anyway, this is another fantastic matchup. Two of the best defenses in the NBA, two of the youngest cores in the NBA, for all we know this is a preview of an upcoming playoff series between the two.
For the Rockets, just like the Hawks this is exactly what you want to see from a young team continuing their journey up the NBA mountain. These types of reps and situations matter. Given they've been one of the best teams in the West all year, it's cool to see a newcomer break through and make the Final 4, and I expect this to be another war. Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort are most definitely going to get into it. You can take that to the bank.
The only downside to this for HOU would of course be the Ime horny factor. Giving that guy an all expense paid trip to Vegas is a dangerous game. As someone who knows how this could end, there's really only 2 options
1. This is going to help propel the Rockets to a great second half of the season
2. Ime is going to lay the groundwork for the Rockets to win the title in 2 years with their new coach
Make no mistake, that dude is about to get FREAKY in Vegas. I'm a firm believer in that's partly why the Rockets played so well last night. Would you want to be responsible for preventing Ime from getting his freak on in Vegas? I sure wouldn't.
For OKC, they're the rightful clear favorites for this thing, and what is there to say about them that hasn't been said already? They're a wagon. No Chet no problem, they're elite on both ends of the floor, have an MVP candidate and are the best team in the conference. It would have been a shock had they not made it this far, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle a much tougher defense compared to DAL. There's a bit of a difference going from Luka/Kyrie on the perimeter compared to what the Rockets can throw at you. They gave toughness, they have length, and they have a scheme that has given the best teams in the league problems all year.
I'm sure the NBA is praying the Final ends up Giannis vs SGA, but there's a part of me that would love to see the Rockets and Hawks make it through. I know those other teams are good, and I think long term the impact of a surprise team like HOU or ATL winning the whole thing would bring more intrigue to this whole tournament moving forward because it'll show that if you give a shit, it doesn't matter who you are. If you come ready to play and execute, you too can be an NBA Cup champion.
But who are we kidding, OKC is probably going to be the last team standing.