Toronto Raptors Get Tough Draw For NBA Cup Group Stage

The Toronto Raptors have never made it out of the NBA Cup group stage. This year, it is not going to get any easier.

Toronto has been drawn into what looks like the toughest group in the Eastern Conference. East Group A features the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards, four teams all expecting to be in the playoff mix this season.

It is a brutal draw.

The Indiana Pacers are coming off an Eastern Conference title and should remain competitive even without guard Tyrese Haliburton. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished last season as the East’s top seed and continue to rely on a defense that makes everything difficult. The Atlanta Hawks made a series of upgrades this summer, adding forward Kristaps Porzingis, guard Luke Kennard and Canadian wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, giving the team a much deeper rotation. The Washington Wizards should be the weakest team on paper, but the addition of guard CJ McCollum gives them a proven scorer to pair with a young core.

The NBA Cup’s group stage will run from October 31 to November 28 with games played on designated “Cup Nights.” Each team will play four games, one against each group opponent. The six group winners and two wild cards, one from each conference, will advance to a single-elimination knockout round. The Raptors will host the Pacers and Wizards at Scotiabank Arena, and will go on the road to face the Cavaliers and Hawks. The quarterfinals are scheduled for December 9 and 10 in NBA markets. The semifinals will take place on December 13 in Las Vegas, followed by the championship game on December 16.

The Raptors are 2–6 in NBA Cup play and have never reached the knockout round. 

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