Horrible injury developments may have a silver lining for Spurs in NBA Cup

The NBA Emirates Cup tips off tomorrow, November 12, with teams across the league hoping to claim the midseason title. The tournament games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays. The San Antonio Spurs have landed in a tough group, Western Conference Group B, alongside the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, and Utah Jazz.

While Utah is a beatable opponent, they've just shown the Silver and Black that they can surprise you if you take them lights. The Suns, Thunder, and Lakers present serious competition and, at first glance, might make a Spurs title run look like a long shot.

However, recent unfortunate developments could improve San Antonio’s odds.

The NBA is being ravaged by injuries

The NBA has been struck by a wave of injuries early this season, and the Spurs are no exception. Jeremy Sochan and Tre Jones have both been dealing with injuries that have kept them off the floor, and the Spurs only just regained Devin Vassell after beginning the season without him. But it turns out other Group B teams have also been hit, potentially evening the playing field.

Over the weekend, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns, two of the Spurs’ tougher opponents in the group, added significant players to their injury report. Thunder center Chet Holmgren suffered a fractured pelvic bone after an awkward fall in OKC’s recent loss to Golden State. He’ll reportedly miss at least two months, sidelining him for the entirety of the tournament.

In Phoenix, Kevin Durant, one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen and Victor Wembanyama’s personal idol, is also out with a calf strain.

The Suns anticipate Durant’s absence to be around two weeks, which would take him out of a few tournament games, though it remains to be seen if he will miss the entire NBA Cup stretch.

While injuries are the worst part of sports, they’re also unavoidable. Teams have won by capitalizing off of injured opponents for a long time.

San Antonio is still a long shot to win the tourney, but with Wembanyama’s defensive presence and emerging offensive firepower, along with the recent return of Vassell, the Spurs might have an unexpected advantage.

In their recent loss to Utah, Wemby showcased his offensive talent with a career performance, nailing six of nine 3-pointers. If he can keep that momentum, the Spurs will be a challenge for any opponent.

Why should Spurs fans care about the NBA Emirates Cup?

Fans may ask why winning the Cup even matters. While the tournament may lack the prestige of the NBA Finals, it offers other incentives: players receive bonuses if they advance to knockout rounds, and the further they go, the more money they receive. But that doesn't do anything for the fans, but the answer is simple: bragging rights.

It's the same reason fans want their team to win anything. Winning brings a sense of pride and allows you to poke fun at friends and other fan bases whose teams couldn't get it done.

There will also be an All-Tournament Team as well as an MVP award.

Although these honors are new, they will become respected milestones in players’ careers. Despite the league's existence for years, they didn't introduce the Defensive Player of the Year Award until 1982-83, and the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award was first awarded to De'Aaron Fox after the 2022-23 season.

The Spurs’ first tournament game will be on Friday, November 15, against the Lakers, and as with every NBA Cup matchup, the game is set to bring heightened excitement and intensity. If the Spurs can bring the fight to their opponents, they might just become one of the league’s surprise contenders in this year's NBA Emirates Cup.