Trail Blazers’ 2024 NBA Cup Slate Announced – Can They Win A Game?

Portland will face off against four much better teams this fall.

Alex Kirschenbaum

Jul 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
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The Portland Trail Blazers will face off against four much better teams this fall during the freshly re-branded 2024 Emirates NBA Cup, formerly known as the NBA In-Season Tournament.

On Tuesday, the NBA issued a press release to announce its specific schedule for every single contest of the group play phase of the event, which will be broadcast on TNT on Tuesdays and ESPN on Fridays from November 12 through December 3. The best teams in each group, plus a wild card club for each conference, will advance to an eight-team quarterfinal series. The action will then transition to Las Vegas. A four-club semifinal series tips off on December 14, and this year's final will happen on December 17.

Groups were constructed based on team record in 2023-24. Portland's West Group A cohort includes the Minnesota Timberwolves (who finished 56-26 and nabbed the Western Conference's third seed), L.A. Clippers (51-31, the West's fourth seed), Sacramento Kings (46-36, the No. 9 seed), and Houston Rockets (41-41, the No. 11 seed). The Trail Blazers went 21-61, and this year's iteration will be without one of last year's best players, 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and fields four rotation-ready centers and not nearly enough wings – meaning it likely won't be much better.

The Trail Blazers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves for their first matchup, on November 12. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. PT. On Friday, November 22, Portland will head to Houston to face off against the Rockets, for a 5 p.m. PT tip.

A week later, the Trail Blazers will host the new-look Kings for a 7 p.m. matchup. Finally, the Trail Blazers will wrap up their group play phase at the L.A. Clippers' brand-new arena, the Intuit Dome, on Tuesday, December 3. That game will start at 7:30 p.m. PT.

For confused fans, the league wisely put together a fairly illuminating two-minute explainer video hosted by The White Lotus star Michael Imperioli and Kids star Rosario Dawson.

Can the Trail Blazers beat any of the teams in their group play bracket?

Assuming that all these other teams will start at least four of their five normal starters, probably not.

The games are still worth watching, however, knowing that teams last year really took the competition seriously, and it's as close as young pieces like rookie center Donovan Clingan and young guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe will presumably get to the playoffs for a long time.

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Alex Kirschenbaum

ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

Clyde, Rick Barry, and Pistol Pete Now these players, could never be beat.

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