Top 5 reasons why Golden State Warriors can win Emirates NBA Cup

The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup is set to begin on Tuesday with the Golden State Warriors looking to secure their first ever in-season tournament championship.

The second edition of the tournament will feature all 30 NBA teams. Each team has been placed in one of six groups consisting of five teams each. The competition will involve a quarterfinals and semifinal round, followed by a championship game that is set to take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 17.

Steve Kerr's team will tip off its Emirates NBA Cup campaign on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center. The return of former Warriors guard Klay Thompson to San Francisco will be one of the major talking points, but Golden State will also have to keep a close eye on All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in what will be a difficult matchup.

The Golden State Warriors will face the Memphis Grizzlies (Nov. 15), New Orleans Pelicans (Nov. 22) and Denver Nuggets (Dec. 3) in their remaining group games.

The Warriors are off to a strong start this year, and we explore five reasons why the Bay Area team could take home the Emirates NBA Cup in 2024.

Top 5 reasons why Golden State Warriors can win NBA Emirates Cup

#1. Steve Kerr's tournament record

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Photo Credit: Imagn

Over the summer, Steve Kerr proved that he can handle the pressure of single-elimination games. The veteran coach led Team USA to its fifth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Team USA was challenged every step of the way in Paris. A closely contested matchup against Serbia nearly saw the team eliminated in the seminfinal round, but Kerr's team held its nerve late in the game. Kerr's tactics and player rotation was also a key factor in pulling off a hard-fought 98-87 victory in the final over France.

The NBA Cup will have a similar format to that of the Olympic Games and Kerr has experience coaching in these types of tournaments.

#2. Warriors' strong regular-season start

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Photo Credit: Imagn

The Warriors have been in scintillating form to start the year and are currently tied for second place in the Western Conference with an 8-2 record. They have already pulled off statement wins against the Boston Celtics and OKC Thunder. Kerr will be hoping his team can carry that same energy into the NBA Cup competition in the coming weeks.

#3. The return of Steph Curry

The Golden State Warriors faced an early season injury scare when former MVP Steph Curry went down with an ankle injury. Curry missed three games against the New Orleans Pelicans (twice) and Houston Rockets between Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

Curry was back in the lineup for the team's win against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 4 and has been red-hot since returning. The gifted point guard is averaging 24.75 points, six assists, four rebounds and 1.75 steals over his past four games.

#4 Buddy Hield's offensive production

Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield leaves the court following the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

Newly acquired guard Buddy Hield has had an immediate impact since making the move from the Philadelphia 76ers. There were concerns about the Warriors' scoring following the departure of Klay Thompson this offseason, but Hield has fit into Kerr's fast pace offense perfectly.

Although his production has dropped off in the past two games, Hield remains a key weapon for a high scoring and dynamic Warriors offense. Coming off the bench, the sharpshooting guard is averaging 18.0 ppg, which ranks second on the roster. He is shooting an impressive 48.8% from behind the arc and 50.0% from the field this season.

#5. Warriors' high-flying offense

The Golden State Warriors are averaging a whopping 121.3 points per game. They rank first in the Western Conference in the category and second in the league, behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Golden State put up 140 points in their season opener versus the Portland Trail Blazers and have also recorded 127 points on three separate occasions.

NBA teams are struggling to find a formula to slow down Steve Kerr's high-flying offense. The veteran coach is rotating his lineup well and has utilized 16 different players over the course of the season. So far, six different players are averaging 9.0 points or more per game, with Steph Curry leading the way with 22.0 ppg and Buddy Hield second with 18.0 ppg.