Predicting Suns' NBA Cup Fate

The Suns got a reasonably favorable group stage draw in the tournament

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) against the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- Tonight is the opening night of the second annual Emirates NBA Cup across the NBA - the Phoenix Suns will play four group contests between now and December 3 in an attempt to make the knockout stage once again.

The Suns will be without star F Kevin Durant for at least two of the four matches that are set to take place on Tuesday and Friday nights, which should be taken into account when looking to predict how the results will fall.

Without further ado - a prediction of how group play will unfold below:

@Utah Jazz - Win by 12

This contest could feel like a trap game to many - the opening game of group play on a back-to-back. Being pitted against a squad that has specifically been a tough out for the Suns in recent history. There are also questions surrounding how the depth will step up/be utilized - as Royce O'Neale is coming off of his first inefficient game from the field all season, and Tyus Jones put forth a hurculean effort on Sunday night just for the team to fall short in overtime.

Phoenix is still sitting at 8-2 despite all the points of concern. Expect O'Neale and Ryan Dunn to do a better job of bottling up Utah's shot creators such as Jordan Clarkson - that simply wasn't a possibility for Phoenix in more than small spouts prior to this season.

Expect Devin Booker to have a get right game as a scorer on top of all the aforementioned factors - and expect Phoenix to secure a resounding victory before traveling to Sacramento for a Wednesday night rematch with the Kings.

@Oklahoma City Thunder - Win by 5

This is a tricky one to predict.

As mentioned in the preview of the week ahead, OKC is quite compromised in the frontcourt. Isaiah Hartenstein has yet to suit up in the regular season. Star F/C Chet Holmgren will be sidelined for approximately two months. Jaylin Williams is out of commission.

This will lead to the Thunder rolling out many small-ball lineups - which could be exploited by the Suns' trio of Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee, and Oso Ighodaro.

While that seems like a great horizontal matchup on paper, the Mark Dagneault's innovative system could lead to the plethora of guards and wings using the size as an advantage to take advantage of the athleticism trade-off. Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, and even Cason Wallace could be handed mismatches that could act as a great equalizer here.

Still, the Suns should be locked into a tight game here regardless - and it is reasonable to trust the team that has been the better offense in the half-court so far.

Los Angeles Lakers - Loss by 4

Los Angeles and Phoenix have been caught in a pair of down-to-the-wire games so far this season, so this is sure to be another contest that comes down to the final minute of action.

L.A. has been up-and-down since a 3-0 start to the season, but it's also difficult to ignore the innate advantage they have against the Suns with the presence of Anthony Davis.

That mismatch can be flipped around for Phoenix with the unmistakable depth and backcourt advantages - but it just feels like Davis can once again power the Lakers over the finish line.

San Antonio Spurs - Win by 14

The Spurs pose yet another interesting challenge for the Suns - San Antonio notably stole three of four games between the two last season while also adding significant talent around star C/F Victor Wembanyama in his second season in the league.

While San Antonio is more talented compared to last year, the Suns stack up better as well.

San Antonio was able to exploit Phoenix's lack of depth, while also playing an aggressive brand of defense that tore up the Suns' lack of floor generals in place.

The addition of Tyus Jones along with a fortified bench have made the Suns a much deeper, much more well-organized team that can typically overcome a game changer such as Wembanyama - and that will happen here.

These results would land the Suns at a 3-1 record with a +27 point differential. They would be in strong position to advance to the knockout stage as either the group winner or the lone wild card representative from the West while also continuing to pile up crucial regular season victories.