The NBA's in-season tournament has been the subject of mockery by critics who dismiss its relevance. Fans of international sports leagues may care about trophies that aren't for league championships. Skeptics say the Larry O'Brien Trophy is the only one that matters in the NBA.
I've never been one to dismiss the in-season tournament, rebranded as the NBA Cup for this season. For one thing, those players who could use a cut of the prize pool money and their teammates certainly care. Also, the Cup is something to aspire to for developing teams that are less-than championship caliber.
That's why winning it would be a big deal for the Hawks. They've got a good thing going lately and winning the Cup would be a big deal.
"Guys want to win that," Hawks center Clint Capela said before the team left for Wednesday's Cup quarterfinal game at the Knicks. "Definitely (we do). I don't know about other teams, but we are really excited to get a chance to go to Vegas (for the Cup semifinals)."
Their recent form suggests the Hawks (13-12) have a chance to win the Cup. Injuries made it difficult for them to find a rhythm early in the season, but they were still competing. Now they are healthy and winning. The Hawks earned their way into the Cup's knockout rounds with impressive victories in pool play against defending NBA champion Boston and Eastern Conference leader Cleveland.
Those victories were part of a 9-5 record over the past month after the Hawks started 4-7. Their seven-game winning streak ended when three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic lit them up on Sunday at State Farm Arena. It happens. Hawks wing Jalen Johnson and guard Bogdan Bogdanovic sat out that game with injuries but are expected to play on Wednesday.
The Bucks and Magic are the other teams in the East side of the Cup bracket (they were set to play their quarterfinal Tuesday night). The West bracket includes the Thunder, Rockets, Warriors and Mavericks. All those teams began the season with higher external expectations than the Hawks, who now get a chance to top them for the Cup.
"You want to win every game, obviously," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. "But there are things about (the Cup) that are unique, that can give your team experience."
The Hawks could use that. Snyder's regular rotation includes three players who are 23-years old or younger. One of the most encouraging developments for the Hawks is that Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zacharie Risacher have been a big part of the team's resurgence because of their defensive contributions.
The Hawks are playing better at that end than they have in years. They rank 16th among NBA teams in defensive efficiency, per Cleaning the Glass (garbage time excluded). Over the past three seasons they ranked 26th, 21st, and 26th. From Nov. 12 through Monday, the Hawks ranked 10th in defensive efficiency while playing five games against top 10 offensive teams and winning four.
Johnson has the best defensive rating (points allowed per possession on floor vs. off) among Hawks forwards. Daniels, a trade acquisition last offseason, is a disruptive wing defender who draws the tough assignments. His seven deflections per 36 minutes are the most among league players with at least 200 minutes player. Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is a surprisingly strong defender for a rookie.
The Hawks will face another test of their defense in New York. The Knicks rank No. 1 in offensive efficiency. They make a high percentage of their shots and rarely turn the ball over. Point guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns are elite offensive players. Madison Square Garden is sure to be electric.
"They are going to bring it, but we are going to bring it too," Capela said. "We want to go out there to get this win. It's going to be big. I know they are going to be ready, and this is a team that has been playing well lately. It's going to be a fight."
There's extra money at stake. Each player on the Cup championship team will receive $515,000 and the runners-up will get $206,000. Players on losing semifinal teams receive $103,00, while quarterfinal losers earn $51,000.
The highest-paid NBA players make tens of millions of dollars. Hawks star Trae Young's salary this year is $43 million and six of his teammates are paid more than $10 million. But Capela ($22 million) said there's been talk among the higher-paid Hawks players about winning the money for players "who it would be big to get this amount."
That dynamic is one reason why I knew players would take the in-tournament seriously when the league created it. There's also the professional pride of ultra-competitive, elite athletes. Give them a title to play for and they'll try to capture it.
The Hawks have real chance of winning the NBA Cup. That would be a big deal.
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This story was originally published December 10, 2024, 3:15 PM.