We're in the second season of Commissioner Adam Silver's new Emirates NBA Cup era. The league has long needed a way to keep fans, teams, and players engaged throughout their grueling 82-game campaign. The sheer length of the schedule has made it difficult for both followers and participants to treat every outing like a marquee matchup.
The NBA and Commissioner Silver devised the NBA Cup, or In-Season Tournament, as a way to help retain interest in the regular season. This midseason event sees the league split its 30 teams into six different groups, three in each conference. Every team plays all of its group mates once over a three-week stretch in seeding games.
At the conclusion of the group stage, the first seed in each group automatically advances into the elimination stage. The last spot in each conference is given to the non-group winner with the best record. If there's a tie, the last seed is given to whichever tied team has the best point differential in the group games, ensuring that the four group games not only have dire importance for the tournament, but all 48 minutes of the group games are vital too, as running up the score in a blowout could turn out to be the difference-maker down the stretch.
The New Orleans Pelicans fared well in the inaugural NBA Cup, dominating Group C with a 3-1 record and a 33-point differential in the 2023 group stage. They made it to the semifinals by breezing past the Sacramento Kings in the first round but wound up getting crushed by the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers. This year, they have the opportunity to exact revenge on the Lakers and the league by improving on their first In-Season Tournament showing. Playing well throughout the NBA Cup would go a long way toward building confidence for a New Orleans Pelicans team that desperately needs it after a poor start to the regular season.
New Orleans Pelicans 2024 NBA Cup breakdown
Standings: Group C 2nd-seed, 1-0, +7 point differential
Last season, the Pelicans went 3-1 against an absolutely stacked Group B comprised of the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers. This year, their slate didn't get any easier, as they're now in Group C against the Mavericks and Nuggets again, along with the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies this time around. This is arguably a tougher gauntlet than last season.
Results: Game 1 vs DEN, W 101-94
Despite their immense struggles and injury-ridden roster in this early season, the Pelicans managed to get one of their few wins so far in an NBA Cup game against the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic was sidelined for the Nuggets while New Orleans was without CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins, and Herb Jones. Brandon Ingram led the way for the Pels with 29 points, while Trey Murphy III chipped in 17 and Brandon Boston Jr. added 19.
Schedule
The Pelicans have three games left in the group stage, including tonight's game against the Dallas Mavericks.
November 19 @ Dallas Mavericks
November 22 vs Golden State Warriors
November 29 @ Memphis Grizzlies