Emirates NBA Cup 2025

Emirates NBA Cup 2025: West Group B Preview

The Mavericks, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans will face off in West Group B.

With Group Play of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tipping off Oct. 31, we’re breaking down each group as they prepare for opening night, beginning with West Group B.


West Group B features three playoff teams from last season – the Lakers, Clippers and Grizzlies, who were each eliminated in the first round – as well as two lottery teams in the Pelicans and Mavericks, the latter of which won the Draft Lottery and selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick.

While none of the five teams in West Group B made it out of Group Play last season, two teams in this group reached the Knockouts in 2023. The Pelicans and Lakers met in the semifinals, which the Lakers dominated on their way to winning in inaugural in-season competition. Five players from that 2023 championship team remain in L.A. to start 2025 – LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt.

TEAMS LAL LAC MEM DAL NOP TOTAL
LAL x 3-1 3-1 2-1 3-0 11-3 (.786)
LAC 1-3 x 3-0 3-1 2-1 9-5 (.643)
MEM 1-3 0-3 x 3-1 4-0 8-7 (.533)
DAL 1-2 1-3 1-3 x 3-1 6-9 (.400)
NOP 0-3 1-2 0-4 1-3 x 2-12 (.143)

When looking at head-to-head matchups from last season between teams in West Group B, the Lakers (11-3), Clippers (9-5) and Grizzlies (8-7) all finished above .500, while the Lakers won the season series against each of their four West Group B opponents this season.

West Group B also features six former No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft – the Lakers’ James (2003) and Deandre Ayton (2018), the Mavs’ Kyrie Irving (2011, will miss NBA Cup due to injury), Anthony Davis (2012) and Flagg (2025), and the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (2019).


Teams breakdown

Los Angeles Lakers: After acquiring Luka Dončić at last season’s trade deadline and finishing third in the West, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by Minnesota in five games. Now, the Lakers return for their first full season with Dončić and James as teammates – along with new pieces in Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia – with their eyes set on a deeper playoff run.

LA Clippers: The Clippers entered last year’s playoffs on an eight-game win streak, but saw their championship hopes dashed by the Nuggets in a thrilling seven-game first-round matchup. LA retooled its roster in the offseason, adding more veteran help in Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul, while re-signing James Harden and Nicolas Batum. With the core of this team in their mid-to-late 30s, the urgency to compete for titles has only increased.

Memphis Grizzlies: Injuries have hampered the Grizzlies in recent seasons and they are beginning the 2025-26 campaign in a similar situation with Ja Morant (ankle), Jaren Jackson Jr. (toe), Zach Edey (ankle) and Brandon Clarke (knee) all expected to miss much of – if not all of training camp – and some could be out to start the season (with Group Play starting in the season’s second week. Plus, Desmond Bane is now in Orlando.

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs defied the odds (1.8% chance) by winning the Draft Lottery to hold the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history. With the selection of Flagg, the Mavs add a versatile player that can impact the game on both ends of the court and should fit nicely next to Davis and the rest of the Mavs’ frontline. While Irving will miss NBA Cup play as he recovers from an ACL tear, Dallas can still be dangerous thanks to their depth. 

New Orleans Pelicans: After a year derailed by injuries dropped them near the bottom of the West standings, the Pelicans will look to bounce back as they enter the 2025-26 season with some new pieces around a healthy Zion Williamson, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III. Veterans Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Saddiq Bey join the fold, while NOLA added a pair of lottery picks – Jeremiah Fears (No. 7) and Derick Queen (No. 13) – in the draft. Prior to last season’s 21-61 run, the Pelicans had increased their win total for four straight seasons. Can they get that type of streak started again with a successful Group Play run?


Five games to watch

Lakers at Grizzlies (Oct. 31, 9:30 p.m. ET, Prime): The nightcap of the first-ever NBA Cup Night on Prime is loaded with starpower as James and Donćić lead a Lakers squad into Memphis to face Morant, Jackson Jr. and the rest of the Grizzlies. The Lakers won the final three games in their season series with the Grizzlies last season, but those three wins all came by seven points or less – including the only game that featured Dončič in purple and gold.

Pelicans at Mavs (Nov. 21, 8:30 p.m, ET, LP): No school has produced more No. 1 overall picks than Duke with six top selections in the Draft Lottery era (since 195). This Group Play matchup sees 2019 No. 1 pick Zion Williamson and the Pelicans visiting 2025 No. 1 pick Flagg and the Mavs. With Flagg’s defensive strength and versatility, we could see Flagg and Williamson go head-to-head against one another.

Clippers at Lakers: (Nov. 25, 11 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock): The first Battle of Los Angeles of the 2025-26 season will close out a doubleheader on NBC/Peacock. From Dec. 2020 to April 2023, the Clippers won 11 straight games against their intra-city rivals. However, since the start of the 2023-24 season, the Lakers have changed that tide, going 6-2 over the past two seasons, including winning the past three meetings. Can the Lakers keep that streak going?

Grizzlies at Pelicans (Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ET, LP): After being selected with the first two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, the names Williamson (No. 1 pick) and Morant (No. 2 pick) will forever be linked inside the hoops world. Both are elite athletes with the ability to break the internet every time they step on the court. Which player will have the most viral moment in Group Play?

Mavs at Lakers (Nov. 28 10 p.m. ET, Prime): The new face of the Mavericks (Flagg) meets the previous holder of that title (Dončić) when Dallas comes to Los Angeles in the final nationally-broadcast Group Play game of the season. Dončić went 2-0 against his former team last season after the trade. Can he keep that streak running or will Flagg and the new-look Mavericks have something else in mind.


Prediction

Lakers edge out the Clippers and Mavericks to win the group.

It was two seasons ago that we saw the Lakers run the table in both Group Play and the Knockouts to become the first team to ever hoist the NBA Cup. Can they replicate that magic in 2025 with the addition of Dončić alongside James? 

How quickly both the Lakers and Clippers can figure out their new-look rosters – breaking down roles, lineups and more – will go a long way to determining which of the Los Angeles squads has the best chance of making it out of Group Play?

Don’t sleep on Dallas though. The Mavs bring back a deep and talented frontline of Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. And now they get to add flag into the mix, giving the rookie opportunities to help elevate the Mavs in the standings. If they are unable to catch the L.A. squads, expect Dallas to be in the wild-card mix.

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