NBA Cup predictions! Who will win the single-elimination stage and be crowned champion?

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The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup has reached the knockout stage with eight teams set to battle in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. Who will survive the single-elimination bracket and be crowned this year’s champ? Our writers weigh in.

1. The NBA Cup is _________.

Kevin O’Connor: An upgrade over the standard regular season. While I understand the criticisms, they pale in comparison to the rather vapid nature of the season from October until Christmas. The NBA needs to do something to make all of these other games feel more important. Perhaps going even further and making the entire first quarter of the season about the NBA Cup is the key. Once expansion happens, why not have a 32-team, single-elimination tournament take place in the lead up to Christmas every year?

Dan Titus: Necessary. Viewership is down, so it’s a perfect time to spark some interest in watching the NBA on a random Tuesday or Wednesday night in early December. Bring on the loud courts with heightened competitiveness — especially in the Western Conference. We get all the star power brewing with the Mavericks facing the Thunder. Plus, some Rockets drama as Houston attempts to end its 15-game losing streak versus the Warriors. I won’t speak for the East, but these games will not disappoint.

Vincent Goodwill: A sign that players need to heed the perception of their effort not being enough through the 82-game marathon. There are a lot of positives, like an introduction to teams that aren’t household names (Orlando Magic), and perhaps it was a springboard for the Indiana Pacers’ run to the ECF last season. But more than anything, when the league goes out of its way to say only the playoffs matter, the players will begin to believe it. You don’t want fans believing the story of the regular season is meaningless, and while a trip to Vegas is exciting, I’m still concerned over the messaging.

Tom Haberstroh: A welcome addition. The NBA needed to inject some stakes to the needlessly long 82-game regular season. It makes sense to do it now. Statistically, we basically know who’s-good, who’s-not around the 20-game mark, so…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-10 15:40:00

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