The Celtics are set to play their first NBA Cup game on Friday night, tipping off the group stage against the Bulls in TD Garden. The Cup has taken a little bit to catch on, with its gimmicky courts and odd scheduling, but it’s safe to say it’s gaining some legitimacy after last year’s NBA Cup Final ended up being an NBA Finals preview between the Knicks and Spurs.
I think it’s safe to say that it has caught the attention of some players, and it clearly offers an early-season opportunity to play high-stakes games in a do-or-die setting. The Celtics have had minimal success in the Cup, but that could change this season for a few reasons.
Celtics have very favorable NBA Cup group
For one, the Celtics have arguably the easiest group of any contender. Along with the Bulls, they’ll play the Hawks, Hornets, and Wizards. Those aren’t necessarily bad teams, but none figure to be title contenders this season, and the Celtics should clearly be favored in every game they play.
If they are fully healthy and approach these games with some level of urgency, as they should, there’s a very solid chance they win the group and advance to the quarterfinals.
The other reason why this season could be different, and why it’s set up for Boston, is that, for the first time, the Finals won’t be held in Las Vegas. Instead, they’ll be played at Hinkie Fieldhouse at Butler University.
Butler, of course, is where Brad Stevens made his name, becoming head coach and bringing the small Indianapolis-based university on miraculous runs to back-to-back NCAA Championship games in 2010 and 2011 from the mid-major Horizon League.
Brad Stevens raising the Cup at Butler would be magical
A couple of years after that, Stevens was hired as the coach of the Celtics, where he led the team until 2021, when he was elevated to the President of Basketball Operations, a role he has held ever since and been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2024 and 2026.
Obviously, Brad isn’t coaching the team, but you’d have to think that, deep down, whether he admits it or not, he’d love to join his team for the first NBA Cup Final at the place where he became a basketball legend. It’s also a fact that can’t be lost on the players or coaches either, as most of these guys have had a long relationship with Stevens.
I’m not suggesting they are going to be trying extra hard or anything like that, but everything is set up for this run, and it would feel like a magical ending to see Brad back in Hinkie, with his team trying to raise a new kind of banner for the first time.
Beyond the storybook nature, it would be great for the Celtics to get some reps in a playoff-type setting and environment, and gain some confidence with this new group ahead of what will hopefully be a long playoff run.
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