The In Season Tournament is super competitive in the west! I’m not sure how the scheduling works but the Western Conference has played more Tournament games than the east so while some of the east groups won’t be decided until the last day of group play some of these western groups could be decided as soon as tomorrow. Here’s how it’s played out so far.
GROUP A
Grizzlies – Jazz – Lakers – Suns – Trail Blazers
Standings W L
Lakers 2 0
Jazz 2 0
Trail Blazers 1 1
Suns 0 1
Grizzlies 0 3
Group Summary
This group was billed as the battle of the big 3s between the Suns with their new trio of stars and the Lakers and their biggish 3. The Lakers held up their end of the bargain and won their first 2 games but the Jazz had other plans and jumped out to a 2-0 start to their tournament while the Suns got off to a slow 0-1 start and will have to run the table through their remaining tournament games. At the same time the lowly Blazer who might be the worst team in the league got a tournament win and are still technically in contention and the Grizzlies are the first team in the history of the NBA to lose 3 straight In Season Tournament games and are officially eliminated.
Each Team’s Path To Vegas
The Lakers
The Lakers started off their tournament with an important win over the Suns and then took care of their game against the stumbling Grizzlies. Now at 2-0 their next game will be against the Blazers who are the kind of team that I believe Lebron James even in year 21 can just decide not to lose to and their most important remaining game will be against the also so far undefeated Jazz next Tuesday on the 21st. The Jazz face the Suns this Friday so they will either be 3-0 or 2-1 so the winner of that game will most likely win the group.
The Jazz
The Jazz have taken care of business against the 2 cupcakes in the group which is impressive because a lot of people probably thought that the Jazz were a third cupcake in the group but so far they’ve separated themselves and are in the driver’s seat in this group. Unfortunately for the them the road they are driving on goes straight through Phoenix and LA. Against the Suns this Friday the Jazz will hope that the already 0-1 Suns opt to rest their beat up stars. Win or lose against the Suns the following game against the Lakers will likely decide the group.
The Trail Blazers
The Blzaers might actually finish this season with the worst record in the NBA but that doesn’t matter in the NBA In Season Tournament. The Blazers are alive in their group after a win against the Grizzlies and a loss to the Jazz. It’s a long shot but if the Blazers can upset the Lakers this Friday they’ll have a shot to go 3-1 with a victory over the Suns on the 21st. Now I know I just said that the Blazers are the kind of team that Lebron can just choose not to lose to but the thing about the Lakers is that they also play D’angelo Russell and Cam Reddish big minutes and I wouldn’t put it past them and some of the other Laker role players and even Anthony Davis to play so poorly it makes a Blazers win possible and blow this whole group wide open. I don’t think it will happen but anything can happen in the In Season Tournament.
The Suns
The Suns got off to a disappointing start of the Tournament with a close loss to the Lakers. The Suns have gotten off to a weird season in general with a not too concerning injury to Devin Booker and a much more concerning injury to Bradley Beal. Now they stand at 0-1 and have to make a decision, go all out and try to win the rest of their tournament games and win the group or pack it in and rest their guys. Personally I hope they go for it, they have the talent that they will likely be favored in all their remaining group stage games it’s just a matter of getting their best guys on the court and giving a full effort. It’s up to the Suns if they want to get back into this.
The Grizzlies
Oof better luck next year.
Tournament MVP Watch
Lebron James
24 pts – 6 ast – 10 rbs
Jordan Clarkson
28 pts – 3.5 ast – 2.5 rbs
Jerami Grant
26 pts – 2 ast – 5 rbs
Best Remaining Games
Friday November 17th
Lakers @ Blazers
Suns @ Jazz
Tuesday November 21st
Jazz @ Lakers Tuesday
GROUP B
Clippers – Mavericks – Nuggets – Pelicans – Rockets
Standings W L
Nuggets 2 0
Rockets 1 0
Pelicans 1 1
Mavericks 1 2
Clippers 0 2
Group Summary
This group is going to be hotly contested down the stretch here but not by the teams that people thought would be contending. The Mavericks and Clippers have both already lost 2 games and are pretty much eliminated, leaving the Nuggets, Rockets and Pelicans left duking it out for Group B. Most people would pick the champs and I think that most people would be right but the Nuggets already lost to the Rockets once this year so anything could happen.
Each Team’s Path to Vegas
The Nuggets
The Nuggets were the obvious favorites for this group and now that they beat the Clippers and Mavs and contributed to those teams being basically eliminated it looks like the Nuggets are home free but they can’t take their feet off the gas. They are without Jamal Murray and will have to face a very feisty Houston Rockets team that is determined to prove people wrong about them, are being aggressively coached and have the confidence of already haven beaten the Nuggets once. The Nuggets will face the Rockets on Friday the 24th in a match up that will likely decide the group.
The Rockets
The Rockets have played just 1 tournament game against the Pelicans which they won. Other than that they just sit back and let the rest of the group crumble around them and left them as the Nuggets biggest competition. The Rockets have surprised me this year and have looked like a legitimate playoff team. They’ve surprised me so much I’m still not sure if I believe that they are any good but I feel like I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. It seems like Ime Udoka has gotten through to them, Sengun has take a step forward, Jaylen Green is playing a better brand of basketball and Brooks and Van Fleet have looked like good additions. They have a lot of work to do if they want to win this group starting this Friday against a desperate Clippers team.
The Pelicans
The Pelicans had a great game against the Mavs on their Skellican court and evened their tournament record at 1-1. The Pelicans have a lot of injuries and have a weird situation with their star Zion Williamson but they are fighting to keep their heads above water in this young season and in the tournament. Unfortunately they face the Nuggets this Friday and will most have their tournament hopes ended BUT if they pull off an upset suddenly they are 2-1 with the tie breaker over the Nuggets making them the leaders in the group b clubhouse. So very suddenly WE”VE GOT A BIG GAME.
The Mavericks
The Mavs had to start their tournament against the Nuggets and so immediately started 0-1 and once you are 0-1 your tournament hopes are on life support and and the Mavs took the Pels lightly and got blown out of the tournament contention. They have one game left so they’ll look to play spoiler against the Rockets.
The Clippers
The Clippers are 0-2 in the tournament but they are more concerned with the fact they still haven’t won in the James Harden era. They will be desperate to win in their next game this Friday against the Rockets and need to start piling up wins in general if they want to make the playoffs this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start gelling and actually finish the group stage 2-2 but even that wouldn’t be enough.
Tournament MVP Watch
Nikola Jokic
32.5 pts – 9 ast – 15 rbs
Alperen Sengun
24 pts – 3 ast – 8 rbs
Brandon Ingram
28 pts – 6 ast – 7.5 rbs
Best Remaining Games
Friday November 17th
Nuggets @ Pelicans
Friday November 24th
Nuggets @ Rockets
GROUP C
Kings – Spurs – Thunder – Timberwolves – Warriors
Standings W L
Wolves 2 0
Kings 1 0
Warriors 1 1
Thunder 1 2
Spurs 0 2
Group Summary
This group will perhaps be most entertaining down the stretch as the Kings and Wolves are both currently undefeated and both fighting for the right to represent group c in Vegas. Sadly the Thunder who many people thought could be a dark horse contender in this tournament (similar to the Magic where they have a young team that has no real shot at the NBA championship that should really want to win something) have already been effectively eliminated. The Warriors are still in the fight and are fortunate to not have a tournament until next Friday so Steph will most likely be back to save the Warriors tournament hopes and it will all culminate in the last day of group play!
Each Team’s Path To Vegas
The Timberwolves
The Timberwolves took care of the Spurs and then after an exciting start to their tournament game against the Warriors took care of the short handed Dubs. The Wolves are a good team this year but just looking at their tournament games they have not really faced an equal opponent talent wise. That will change in their next tournament game next Friday against the Kings who will most likely also be 2-0 at that point. That battle of undefeated contenders late in the group stage maybe the remaining high point in the schedule. After that the Wolves will finish group play out vs the Thunder who should never be taken lightly.
The Kings
The Kings have played just one Tournament game so far so they have a lot of their work ahead of them. Fortunately for them their next matchup is against the Spurs and before they’re big matchup against the Wolves. Earlier I basically gave the Kings the win against the Spurs but as the Spurs showed against the Suns they can always show up and if the Spurs get a high end game from Wemby then suddenly they are not an easy out at all. Also the Kings last game of the tournament will be against the Warriors. There are a lot of possibilities but I would say it is most likely that those two teams meet with at least group winning stakes if not wild card stakes.
The Warriors
The Warriors get a well timed break from group play while their stars are hurt/suspended. Their next game is against the Spurs so it shouldn’t hurt too bad if Draymond is still suspended but it is important that they show up for that game because if they win it they then get to enter their final game against the Kings with a 2-1 record with a chance to maybe win the division and definitely be a wild card contender.
The Thunder
The Thunder have just 1 Tournament game left against the the Wolves it’s on the last day of group play so the Thunder will try to play spoiler to an either 3-0 or 2-1 Timberwolves team. I think this will be a good opportunity for the Thunder to feel some playoff type intensity because thanks to the Wolves early tournament success that game will definitely be important to them. So we will get and early look at how the Thunder young players hold up in a high leverage game.
The Spurs
The Spurs are 0-2 and basically done but they will also look to play spoiler vs the Kings and Warriors. Because of Wemby they have a distinct matchup advantage so they will be a handful but they also have the worst defense in the league so I expect the Kings to blow them out and for Steph to go nuclear and make sure the Warriors win that game. But in the In Season Tournament anything can happen.
Tournament MVP Watch
Karl Anthony Towns
31 pts – 2 ast – 11.5 rbs
Domantas Sabonis
17 pts – 13 ast – 13 rbs
Shai Gilgeous Alexander
30.5 pts – 5.5 ast – 6.5 rbs
Steph Curry
30 pts – 7 ast – 8 rbs
Best Remaining Games
Friday November 24th
Kings @ Timberwolves
Spurs @ Warriors
Tuesday November 28th
Thunder @ Timberwolves
Warriors @ Kings
The Dishwasher 
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