The Knicks have a trophy and Wembanyama has a chip on his shoulder: Five NBA Cup takeaways

The Knicks are the East’s team to beat

Related: In-form Knicks surge past Spurs to win NBA Cup for first trophy since 1973

After toppling the defending champion Boston Celtics in a shocking upset in the Eastern Conference semi-finals this spring, The New York Knicks immediately became the favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers, a team that will no doubt go down as having one of the most compelling Cinderella stories in modern NBA history, had other plans.

But this year, the East is more open than ever (though Knicks guard Jalen Brunson insists he’s “not a fan” of the narrative of a wide open conference). The Detroit Pistons have made a remarkable turnaround from being at the bottom of the East standings a few years ago to the top of them, but the Knicks’ showing in Cup play, ultimately hoisting the trophy in the third year of the contest, has shown what many believed heading into this season: they’re the team to beat.

Brunson continues to be every bit the superstar his franchise needs, Mikal Bridges is having a fantastic season, and (knocks on wood) they’re as healthy as they’ve been in ages. New head coach Mike Brown appears to be just the breath of fresh air the doctor ordered after things had gotten stale with Tom Thibodeau, getting more creative with the offense and going deeper with rotations, and the NBA Cup champion Knicks will certainly be heard from come April.

F your dynasty

The stage was set for Oklahoma City this weekend: on a tear, bulldozing every team in the league, and practically yawning their way to a 24-1 record, they were poised to make that 25-1 on Saturday night in the NBA Cup semif-inals.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs had other plans. Wembanyama, the 7ft 5in french wunderkind who possesses an all too rare combination of zenmaster off-court tendencies with a healthy dose of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan-esque psycho on the hardwood, clearly took being a heavy underdog personally heading into Saturday’s semi-final matchup. The game marked his first appearance in several weeks due to a calf strain, and the Spurs, presumably due to Wembanyama’s minutes restriction, sat him out the entire first quarter.

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The difference in the entire Spurs team as soon as Wembanyama checked into the game was staggering: it wasn’t just the renewed clarity of the offense, his unmatched defensive skill set, or his looming presence in the paint, which clearly spooked any Oklahoma player who dared to venture beyond the free throw line. It was the confidence: palpable, notable, and coursing throughout the entire Spurs roster. I remarked to the colleague sitting next to me during the contest that it felt like someone’s older brother had shown up to a fight at recess: suddenly chests were puffed out.

There was a moment in the second quarter of the Cup Championship where Wembanyama blocked four or five Knicks shot attempts at the rim in a row, and didn’t appear to even really break a sweat in the process. It’s hard to put a finger on what it is when it comes to the next face of the league, the next NBA superstar to carry the sport into the future. But whatever itis, Wembanyama has it in spades. It’s hard not to think about “greatest of all time” potential for the Frenchman if his body can cooperate, potential south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line dynasties be damned.

The rise of the Cup

Although it has been met with mixed reactions from fans and NBA players alike (and evoked plenty of confusion from both), the NBA Cup is clearly starting to find its stride. I mentioned in my takeaways from this event last year that it inevitably takes time for something like this to matter. Gravity doesn’t form overnight, and while the merits of throwing a wrench into the rhythm of the NBA regular season are debatable, the event is clearly starting to carry some level of gravitas and cache: the proof is in the highly competitive games all weekend long. There were bodies colliding while diving for loose balls, roughly a million offensive rebounds, and nary a blowout. It took a couple of years (and a hefty investment from Amazon) but the cup is here to stay.

The Oklahoma City avalanche

While the formidable freight train that is the 2025-2026 Oklahoma City Thunder was eliminated in a nailbiter against l’étranger and company in the Cup semi-finals, the loss only sent them to a still-staggering 24-2 on the season: and much of that record was accomplished with their second option, Jalen Williams, cheering on the bench with a wrist injury.

There were plenty of flashes throughout the game that showed why they are still, NBA Cup champion-lessness notwithstanding, in a class completely their own in the league. For starters, the nearly un-guardable Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems to be well on his way to a second consecutive league MVP award (and, potentially, a second consecutive Finals MVP, too). His whole offensive skill set was on full display in the Cup semi, from the gasp-inducing craftiness and control, to the slinky smooth footwork, to, yes, the foul grifting (one can hardly blame him when he’s so damned effective at it).

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But the Thunder’s most impressive characteristic was their defense. It was, as always, swarming and overwhelming, tireless. I can’t imagine how demoralizing it must be to be on the receiving end of a flurry of steals and forced turnovers, looking up at a scoreboard that broadcasted a single digit deficit mere moments before, only to watch it swell to 12 or 13 in the blink of an eye. Oklahoma City is relentless: they keep coming, and they come in tidal waves. Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water … the tenacious Thunder prove why you simply cannot catch your breath around them. Wembanyama and the Spurs certainly pulled off an impressive upset on Saturday night, but make no mistake: the Thunder should still strike the fear of God in every team.

Honorable mention: Keep an eye on the Magic

I couldn’t wrap up the weekend in Vegas without a quick shout out to the Orlando Magic, who are starting to really round into form as a formidable Eastern Conference dark horse. They had a gritty, impressive showing in the Cup semis, and Desmond Bane is finally starting to look worth the haul of draft picks he commanded.