In-Season Tournament explainer and everything you need to know.
Periodically, NBA.com’s writers will weigh in on key storylines or trending topics around the league.
The Group Play stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament begins Friday, Nov. 3. Make your prediction on the eight teams that will advance to the Knockout Round.
> In-Season Tournament 101: Rules, format and how it works
Steve Aschburner
In the East:
- Pacers (East A)
- Heat (East B)
- Celtics (East C)
- Cavaliers (Wild card from East A)
The teams motivated to chase In-Season Tournament supremacy figure to be a mixed bag. Squads loaded with talent (Celtics) tend to win whenever, wherever, while stubborn crews (Heat), those on the rise (Cavaliers) and some on training wheels hungry for positive feedback (Pacers) see any trophy as a prize.
In the West:
- Lakers (West A)
- Pelicans (West B)
- Thunder (West C)
- Kings (Wild card from West C)
It’s hard to imagine a party in Las Vegas without LeBron James involved. The Pelicans and Thunder crave a playoff-like experience, while the Kings can draw energy from winning for what follows in the spring.
Brian Martin
In the East:
- 76ers (East A)
- Bucks (East B)
- Celtics (East C)
- Cavaliers (Wild Card from East A)
The Joel Embiid-Tyrese Maxey combo looks ready to lead Philly with the James Harden drama over. Milwaukee’s talent stands out in Group B, and Boston has been the class of the conference. The Cavaliers edge out the Hawks and Knicks for my wild card.
In the West:
- Lakers (West A)
- Nuggets (West B)
- Warriors (West C)
- Mavericks (Wild card from West B)
The Lakers edge out the Suns in Group A thanks to good health entering Group Play. Same for the Warriors over the De’Aaron Fox-less Kings in Group C. There’s been no championship hangover for Denver in Group B, which should produce the wild card between the Mavs, Clippers and Pelicans.
Shaun Powell
In the East:
- 76ers (East A)
- Bucks (East B)
- Celtics (East C)
- Cavaliers (Wild Card from East A)
Philly survives the James Harden trade because of Tyrese Maxey, who’s playing on an All-Star level (small sample size, but still). Plus, Joel Embiid remains beastly. The Celtics are the best team in the East right now, followed by the Bucks, so there shouldn’t be any suspense about them. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will have competition for that wild card from the Knicks and Hawks.
In the West:
- Suns (West A)
- Nuggets (West B)
- Warriors (West C)
- Clippers (Wild card from West B)
Let’s not waste any words describing why the Nuggets belong here. When Devin Booker and Bradley Beal heal up, the Suns will press the accelerator and join them. After that, the choices get tougher. The Warriors get an edge because Chris Paul is fitting in well very quickly. The Clippers can only hope for the same with James Harden as the honeymoon period can end up in Las Vegas for the Knockout Round.
John Schuhmann
In the East:
- 76ers (East A)
- Knicks (East B)
- Celtics (East C)
- Bucks (Wild card from East B)
The Celtics are a machine and the Sixers are off to a strong start. It’s hard to pick against the Bucks in Group B, but I didn’t want to go straight chalk and the Knicks are getting the Bucks early, with Khris Middleton not a full go. Still, that group is weak from 3-5, giving Milwaukee an edge over teams in other groups.
In the West:
- Lakers (West A)
- Nuggets (West B)
- Warriors (West C)
- Suns (Wild card from West A)
The Lakers could take advantage of the Suns not being healthy to start the season, but that’s a weak group otherwise, giving a second team an advantage over the other groups. The Nuggets simply look like the best team in the West, while the Warriors look like a title contender again.
Michael C. Wright
In the East:
- 76ers (East A)
- Bucks (East B)
- Celtics (East C)
- Hawks (Wild Card from East A)
Reigning Kia MVP Joel Embiid has been forced to deal with drama in the past. That’s been alleviated with the trade of James Harden. The Bucks are still working out the kinks but will round into form soon. New addition Kristaps Porzingis adds more punch offensively to an already lethal Celtics squad.
In the West:
- Suns (West A)
- Nuggets (West B)
- Warriors (West C)
- Mavericks (Wild card from West B)
Dallas’ fast start could prove to be fool’s gold. If Luka Doncic can stay healthy and Dereck Lively II continues to grow, the Mavs might surprise people. The defending champion Nuggets hit the ground running like it’s still the playoffs. Phoenix, meanwhile, still awaits a healthy unit.
