Rockets Sit Back as NBA Cup Begins

The Emirates NBA Cup kicks off its second tournament tonight, and even though the Houston Rockets aren't in action, they will get to sit back and watch as the first game is set to take place.

The Rockets are in West Group A alongside the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and tonight's opponents: the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

A lot is riding on tonight's first game because it sets the tone for the group. One of the five teams will win the group based on head-to-head matchups and tiebreakers will be settled on point differential.

While the Wolves, who made it to the Western Conference Finals last season, should be massive favorites against the rebuilding Trail Blazers, the NBA Cup has a way of spiking up the competition at the beginning of the league's season.

Teams like the Blazers can find ways to play spoiler while other squads like the Rockets can use this as a way to build experience in a high-intensity game.

The Rockets finished second place in their group last season behind the New Orleans Pelicans, who went on to win West Group B and advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas, where they were blown out by LeBron James and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers.

This year, they will hope for better fortunes.

Houston's NBA Cup run begins on Friday against the Clippers at Toyota Center.