NBA In-Season Tournament: East Group B Teams & Game Previews

Nov. 3: Wizards @ Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET

The Wizards start group play with a battle in Miami with the Heat. With the Wizards inconsistency, it’s hard to tell which version of Washington shows up on Friday. At their best, it wouldn't be a surprise if they put up a fight. At their worst? Miami should easily protect home court. However, with Jimmy Butler nursing his injury, it’ll be an even more interesting matchup if he misses Friday’s matchup. The Heat should win, but the Wizards are giving every indication that their offensive streakiness could make this a game.

Milwaukee Bucks (-120 to win East Group B)

The Bucks made the blockbuster move of the offseason by acquiring Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. Milwaukee gave up Jrue Holiday in the deal, but the chance to pair Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo was just too good to pass up. With a revamped roster and a rookie head coach in Adrian Griffin, the Bucks have something to prove this season and the roster to do it. The Bucks entered the season as one of the favorites to win the NBA championship, so there’s no real surprise that they’re the favorites to represent Group B in the in-season tournament. And with Dame Time and the Greek Freak on the same roster, it’ll be hard to bet against them doing just that.

Miami Heat (+300 to win Group B)

Miami spent the majority of their offseason on hold in pursuit of Damian Lillard. Unfortunately for the Heat, they missed out on Dame and the chance to improve the roster elsewhere. Losing key pieces in free agency like Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, Miami looks to bank on Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra for yet another season. Which may not be the worst idea considering the run to the NBA Finals last year. Nonetheless, Butler appears to be nursing an injury to start the year and is entering group play this week. That’s not the best news for Miami.

New York Knicks (+340 to win Group B)

The Knicks started the year off slow but have since bounced back and look like the hard-nosed New York team we are used to. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle may be one of the more underrated duos in the league, and last year they proved that. This season, they look to build off their strong 2022–23 season and make the leap to become a title contender. And with New York’s deep bench to complement their stars, the Knicks could not only make noise in the playoffs, but their high intensity play could allow them to make noise in the group play.

Charlotte Hornets (+1200 to win Group B)

The Hornets have been in a rebuild for the last five-plus years, it feels like. Charlotte has constantly brought in talented names such as Gordon Hayward to try and turn the franchise around. Unfortunately, the Hornets have not. Nonetheless, Charlotte has LaMelo Ball running the show in Buzz City, and this offseason, they added No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller to pair with him. While Charlotte doesn’t seem ready to compete for a championship, they have shown an ability to steals wins. Perhaps they’ll carry that mindset into the group play.

Washington Wizards (+2900 to win Group B)

The Wizards are another team that pressed the reset button this offseason, parting ways with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. These moves paved the way for Washington to start their rebuild with Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole as their new building blocks. In the process, the Wizards have quickly become one of the more inconsistent teams in the league. Mixing in Poole’s offensive inefficiency with their young core, Washington struggles at times to put the ball in the hoop offensively and often finds themselves playing from behind. Nonetheless, the Wizards are unlikely to represent Group B in the tournament, but don’t be surprised if Poole and Kuzma have one of their streaky shooting nights during group play and steal a win from a team or two.

Nov. 3: Knicks @ Bucks, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Knicks start things off for Group B, traveling to Milwaukee to challenge the Bucks on their home court. While some may write off New York and count this as a win for Milwaukee, that’s far from guaranteed. The Knicks have proven time and time again to not count them out, especially when they are playing a contender. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle can go toe-to-toe with the top duos in the league at their best, and Tom Thibodeu’s defensive schemes will help them do that. As for the Bucks, they’ll get a test to start things off on Friday. If Antetokounmpo plays up to their standards, who knows how good the Bucks can be? But with some hurdles already in place for Milwaukee, it will be interesting to see how they respond to a feisty team like the Knicks. While the Bucks should be favored, it’s by no means a guaranteed win.

Nov. 3: Wizards @ Heat, 8:00 p.m. ET

The Wizards start group play with a battle in Miami with the Heat. With the Wizards inconsistency, it’s hard to tell which version of Washington shows up on Friday. At their best, it wouldn't be a surprise if they put up a fight. At their worst? Miami should easily protect home court. However, with Jimmy Butler nursing his injury, it’ll be an even more interesting matchup if he misses Friday’s matchup. The Heat should win, but the Wizards are giving every indication that their offensive streakiness could make this a game.