Perhaps the awe of an erecting dynasty would give the Las Vegas portion of the NBA Cup some extra juice. The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder look as if history is their only competition. They’re chasing Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors from a decade ago. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls from 30 years ago. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, my goodness, he’s started chiseling his Hall of Fame bust.
Even better, the Thunder getting pressed would spark intrigue. They’ve been roaming the NBA in a flannel shirt on a beach cruiser. Getting punched in the mouth would make for great theater.
Or maybe the New York Knicks fans will rummage the scene, inject some hardcore hoodie-under-Jalen-Brunson-jersey energy. If only the Los Angeles Lakers had made it to the semifinals. That would’ve added electricity.
But as the NBA heads to Sin City, the ceiling of the NBA’s in-season tournament remains a question. This one seems to have some dud potential. Las Vegas can be lukewarm on the NBA Cup. That summer league energy the league enjoys is harder to regenerate in December. And the likelihood is high that the Thunder turn this weekend into a winter AAU tournament — and they’ve got all the doctored birth certificates.
Not to mention, going to Vegas with the gambling scandals hanging over the league will surely distract from the storylines. Or at least put the league at risk for new ones.
A more optimistic view sees Victor Wembanyama returning to action for San Antonio and give Oklahoma City a fight. And the Knicks showing some championship mettle.
Neither, however, answers the bigger question of whether this is a thing. Or trending toward something special. And what could potentially take it there.
The simple but complicated answer is to open up the Cup to the world.
Euroleague is in midseason as well. Getting them to participate somehow would turn this into something novel in basketball history. Imagine if the four teams from the NBA were joined by Euroleague’s AS Monaco from the French league, Valencia Basket from Spain, Melbourne United from Australia, and Fenerbahçe from the Turkish Basketball Super League. Even throw in the best G League team. Raptors 905 is currently 12-0.
And since the NBA’s already in bed with Emirates, put the final four in Dubai. Lean in.
For sure, the NBA Cup boasts some level of appeal. The players’ buy-in splashes a little hot sauce onto the early-season offerings. Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen got spicy Wednesday, running over Thunder big man Chet Holmgren like he had plans for that half a mil bonus that comes with winning the tournament.
It’s always a good thing when NBA players perform with some edge. But deeming the NBA Cup a success solely for that feels a bit like getting socks and briefs for Christmas. Yeah, you appreciate fresh undergarments. But it’s not an XBox.
More people watched group play this season than the first two years. The NBA announced more than 40 million people tuned in to games across Amazon, ESPN and NBC — which combined to air 15 of the 60 group-play games.
Maybe that’s enough — more eyes in the sunrise of the season. Fix the issue with the candy-coated courts and hope for some moments to keep it interesting. But those numbers also suggest it might be worth mustering more ingenuity to see how big it can get. It’s a safe bet in a league that habitually conjures scintillation.
Wemby could give us a show. A Paolo Banchero coming-out party this weekend would be something to see. Or a potential NBA Finals preview between the Thunder and Knicks could be satiating. It’s just not certain that any of that does the trick for the larger basketball audience, especially since most of the biggest NBA names are absent. But we diehards could feast on this final four.
It’s hard not to feel like something’s there with the NBA Cup. Like it’s one or two adjustments from becoming a staple, in the way the play-in tournament has been ingrained in our consciousness.
It’s going to take something more than players going hard to make this monumental. The league, and the National Basketball Players Association, will have to think long and hard how much they want to turn this into something game-changing.
The intentions are noble. Nostalgia and tradition aren’t as attractive to the rising generations. The league is smart to look for ways to recreate itself in an ever-changing landscape. Unlike the All-Star Game format, the NBA Cup feels more innovative than desperate.
The Oceans 11-esque commercials and specialty courts, and extra payday for players, that’s a good start. It was enough to lure Amazon. Enough to make us interested in what’s next.
Perhaps three years isn’t enough time for significant alterations. Maybe five years gives a better window of possibility. That’s acceptable.
But if it’s just this? Regular-season games with a touch of extra meaning, and a few gimmicks to make them feel different? Sure, it’s fine. Socks-and-briefs fine.