Should teams hang a banner for the NBA Cup? Bucks vs. Thunder prediction | Week 8
The NBA Cup has birthed new life and meaning to the early portion of the NBA season, but should teams hang banners for the championship? More on Week 8 below.
The NBA Cup is a major success. Games are more intense and mean much more in the early stages of the season.
Both fans and players care more about games in November and December than ever before. Previously, people would often overlook these games due to the lack of importance in an 82-game season.
Teams now have something to play for: an NBA Cup championship. It doesn’t mean nearly as much as the NBA Finals, but it should be an important moment for NBA fans, players and franchises.
The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup last year and rightfully hung a banner. It began a tradition that the winning team would honor the tournament with the appropriate respect it deserves.
Some disagreed with the banner raising, however, especially given that it was Los Angeles. The Lakers are one of the most successful organizations in all of sports, so some believed they should only celebrate NBA Finals victories.
The NBA Cup will never be as important as the NBA Finals, but that doesn’t mean a franchise cannot honor the NBA Cup. No one is trying to discredit the real playoffs in the spring. The NBA Cup is entirely different.
With the Lakers hanging the banner despite some backlash, they opened the door for other teams, both more and less successful to respect the in-season tournament with a banner.
The NBA Cup is here to stay and fans should welcome the banner raising no matter how great the franchise is.
Hand out medals, trophies and raise a banner, but let’s keep it at that. There doesn’t need to be a parade. Keep that exclusive for the NBA Finals victors.
Bucks vs. Thunder prediction
Not many teams have been as hot as the Thunder and Bucks lately, so it’s only right that the two squads will face off in the second annual NBA Cup Final.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the leading MVP candidates this year to no one’s surprise. The two have been pouring in excellent performances left and right throughout this season.
The Bucks, who are undefeated in the NBA Cup, have completely turned their season around. They began 2-8, sparking frustration from Antetokounmpo that led to trade rumors for the superstar.
Milwaukee has since gone 12-3, climbing the Eastern Conference standings. The team is just 14-11 on the season, but its turnaround has been remarkable.
The Thunder didn’t have a miraculous shift in the standings because they’ve been great all season. They lead the Western Conference at 20-5 despite enduring injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
Hartenstein is fully recovered, but Holmgren will be out for a few months with a hip injury. You wouldn’t be able to tell by just looking at their schedule, however. Oklahoma City didn’t struggle without Hartenstein and hasn’t without Holmgren. The Thunder are 9-1 in their last 10.
None of this should be overly surprising. The Thunder were NBA title contenders last year and upgraded the roster during the offseason. They are my pick to win the 2024-25 NBA championship.
All that being said, I think the Bucks win the 2024-25 NBA Cup. Antetokounmpo will have a signature performance that’ll be too much for the Thunder to handle.
Holmgren’s absence will be noticeable, but not to the extent that the Bucks will easily win. The Thunder are still the better team despite the injury. It’s a one-game series, though, and Antetokounmpo will be ruthless in the paint.
I’m expecting the Bucks to win in a close fight. Milwaukee is a five-point underdog against the spread. It’s a much safer route than Bucks moneyline if you’re placing wagers.