The Miami Heat drew one of the toughest possible paths in NBA Cup group play.
Eastern Conference Group B is loaded with teams that have reshaped themselves and, in some cases, arrive with real title expectations. Miami has held its own in the event since the NBA Cup debuted in 2023, going 7-6 in group and tournament play, but this year’s slate asks for a lot more. The Heat will have to get through the defending champions, a revamped Philadelphia roster, a strong Cleveland group and an Indiana team trying to get back on track.
The headliner is the New York Knicks. They enter as the defending NBA champions and NBA Cup champions, and they’re still the East’s team to beat after a run led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.
New York beat the Spurs in both the NBA Finals and the NBA Cup Finals, then made just one major offseason move, swapping out Mitchell Robinson, who left for the Boston Celtics, and bringing in veteran Andre Drummond as the backup center. Since the NBA Cup began, the Knicks have been flat-out dominant, piling up an all-time 13-4 record.
Cleveland is next, and the Cavaliers are hardly a soft landing spot. Their season ended with a sweep at the hands of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they still extended Donovan Mitchell and continue to negotiate a contract with James Harden.
Even with that rough playoff finish, Cleveland remains one of the East’s better teams. The Cavs are 7-5 all-time in NBA Cup play.
Philadelphia may be the most fascinating team in the group. The 76ers had the loudest offseason, flipping Paul George for Jaylen Brown and bringing in LeBron James to close out his career.
They also upgraded the bench with Dean Wade, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons. On paper, that’s a major talent boost and puts them in the mix with anyone in the conference.
The concern, as always, is health, with Joel Embiid’s knees a lingering issue over the last couple of seasons. Philadelphia is 5-7 all-time in NBA Cup games.
Indiana rounds out the group, and the Pacers are trying to climb back after a brutal drop-off. They were the league’s playoff darlings a year ago, but Tyrese Haliburton’s injury changed everything.
He missed all of last season, and Indiana finished near the bottom of the East. Now Haliburton is back, and the team also gets a full season with trade deadline addition Ivica Zubac as it looks to get back into the upper tier of the conference.
The Pacers are 7-8 all-time in NBA Cup play.
For Miami, there’s no easy night here. Group B is the kind of draw that forces a team to be sharp from the jump.
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Giannis Puts More Pressure On Heat To Click Fast In Brutal Cup Group
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Norman Powells recent comments only added another layer to the backdrop around the team. He said he had expected to be back in Miami before free agency, but wound up leaving for the Chicago Bulls instead, and his decision fit into a broader summer of moving pieces around the Heat. Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo is keeping his focus on the season ahead by skipping FIBA competition with Greece so he can stay on track for training camp, a reminder that Miamis competition is already planning to be sharp from the start. [Read more 🡒]