Star Power Abounds Leads Warriors in “NBA Cup” West Group C…
For the second consecutive year, the Warriors have been placed in ‘West Group C’ for the NBA’s in-season tournament, known this season as the ‘Emirates NBA Cup.’ Like their 2023 group, which featured stars such as Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the 2024 West Group C is stacked with elite talent. This year’s group features the reigning Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks, the 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets and the 2022 NBA Champion Warriors, joined by the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies. Among the star power in West Group C are 2023-24 scoring champion Luka Doncic, 2023-24 MVP Nikola Jokic, 2023-24 Clutch Player of the Year Stephen Curry and athletic rising stars Ja Morant and Zion Williamson.
The Emirates NBA Cup will open on Nov. 12 with Warriors legend Klay Thompson’s first game at Chase Center as an opponent after joining the Mavericks this offseason. Read below for a detailed breakdown of West Group C.
‘CUP NIGHT’ SCHEDULE
11/12 vs. DAL
11/15 vs. MEM
11/22 at NOP
12/3 at DEN
DALLAS MAVERICKS
The reigning Western Conference Champion Mavericks will visit Chase Center on Nov. 12, featuring an elite Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson trio. Doncic averaged a league-best 33.9 points per game in the 2023-24 season, becoming the only player in NBA history to average at least 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a season. Irving was one of three players to average at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting over 40 percent from three in the 2023-24 campaign, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Doncic and Irving led the fifth-seed Mavericks to the NBA Finals, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves before losing to the eventual champion Boston Celtics. During that Finals series, Dallas struggled to find consistent perimeter shooting to complement their star tandem, so they added an elite sharpshooting weapon in Klay Thompson. Thompson finished fourth in made 3-pointers last season (268), only trailing 13-year teammate Stephen Curry (357), new teammate Luka Doncic (284) and former teammate Donte DiVincenzo (283).
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
One year removed from being the second seed in the Western Conference, the Grizzlies are expected to be healthy and reloaded heading into their Nov. 15 appearance at Chase Center. The Grizzlies were decimated by injuries and a 25-game suspension to star guard Ja Morant in the 2023-24 season. Morant played nine total games last season, with the Grizzlies going 6-3 when he played versus just 21-52 without. Sharpshooting wing Desmond Bane also missed 40 games in 2023-24, averaging 23.7 points, 5.5 assists and shooting 38.1 percent from behind the arc in games he played. The Grizzlies selected center Zach Edey ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Edey was a back-to-back National College Basketball Player of the Year at Purdue and can provide Morant another pick-and-roll partner. Memphis has several years of head-to-head history with the Dubs, facing them in the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals and 2021 Play-In Tournament. Morant averaged 38.3 points, 8.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds over three playoff games against the Warriors in a Western Conference Semifinals series Memphis lost in six games and scored 35 points with six rebounds and six assists in a Play-In win.
DENVER NUGGETS
The Nuggets followed up their 2023 championship by winning 57 games in the 2023-24 regular season — tied for the best record in the conference — before falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a competitive seven-game Western Conference Semifinals series. Nikola Jokic captured his third MVP last season, becoming one of nine players in NBA history to accomplish that feat, with LeBron James being the only other active player. Jokic also joined Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for a season. Speaking of Westbrook, the all-time leader in triple-doubles joined the Nuggets this offseason, joining shot-creating guard Jamal Murray, sharpshooting wing Michael Porter Jr. and versatile two-way big Aaron Gordon to complement their multi-time MVP. Denver did lose their starting shooting guard from the past few seasons — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — to the Orlando Magic and added former Warrior Dario Saric to boost their frontcourt depth.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The Pelicans have made the postseason in two of the past three seasons, including an eighth-seed finish in 2023-24. Star forward Zion Williamson scored 40 points in the Pelicans’ first Play-In game, trying to will New Orleans to the seventh seed before suffering a season-ending injury. Williamson joins Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points and shoot 57 percent or better from the field for their careers. This offseason, the Pelicans acquired a two-way playmaking point guard in Dejounte Murray, who added to Williamson, wing shot creator Brandon Ingram and combo guard CJ McCollum gives them four players who averaged over 20 points per game last season.
Beginning on Dec. 4, the top four teams from each conference during group play will begin a single elimination knockout round. The top finisher in each group will receive a guaranteed spot in the knockout round, along with two wild cards (one from each conference).
TIEBREAKERS
In the case of a tiebreaker, here’s how spots will be determined.
- Head-to-head record in Group Play
- Point differential in Group Play
- Total points scored in Group Play
- Regular season record from the 2023-24 NBA regular season
- Random drawing (in the unlikely scenario that two or more teams are still tied following the previous tiebreakers)
Following Group Play, single-elimination Knockout Rounds will begin with the Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Wednesday, Dec. 11, followed by the Semifinals and Championship in a neutral site in Las Vegas. The 22 teams that do not qualify for the Quarterfinals will each be assigned two regular-season games (one home game and one road game) that will be played on Thursday, Dec. 12 or Friday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 15, or Monday, Dec. 16. The losing teams in the Quarterfinals in each conference will play each other in a regular-season game on Dec. 12, 13, 15 or 16.
At the conclusion of the tournament, a media panel will select the Emirates NBA Cup’s Most Valuable Player and the All-Tournament Team. Selection will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.
