Every long-time Suns fan knows the story of the ill-fated coin flip that forever changed the course of the franchise.
By virtue of finishing last in their respective divisions, the Suns and Milwaukee Bucks were eligible for the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. The winner of that pick was decided by a coin toss -- a toss that famously went the Bucks’ way.
The Bucks drafted Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) with that pick and went on to win an NBA championship two years later. The Suns, meanwhile, remain a title-less franchise.
From untimely injuries to controversial suspensions, the Suns’ luck hasn’t changed much since 1969 – but the only way for this struggling franchise to get back on track is to continue to struggle this season, then hope fortune finally decides to smile on them.
It’s generally counterintuitive for fan bases to actively root against their teams (though we saw it last season when the Coyotes were close to landing the No. 1 pick and grabbing superstar-in-the-making Connor McDavid).
Nonetheless, the 14-39 Suns own the NBA’s third-worst record and, other than pride, have nothing left to play for this season.
The best thing the Suns can do at this point is continue on the track they’ve been on since late November.
No, the Suns shouldn’t tank -- i.e. intentionally lose games in order to secure a high draft pick. Fortunately, this injury-depleted team without a single All-Star won't have to tank in order to keep losing.
Interim coach Earl Watson has brought a positive attitude to the team, which has paid off individually for guys like Markieff Morris. But not even the likes of Phil Jackson or Red Auerbach could squeeze additional victories out of this skeleton crew of a team.
See also: 3 possible trades to watch as the Suns near the trade deadline
Here’s the thing: The Suns do have a decent amount of young, up-and-coming talent to build around. Sharpshooting guard Devin Booker (13th pick in 2015) is on his way to becoming a perennial All-Star. Forward T.J. Warren (14th pick in 2014) and center Alex Len (fifth pick in 2013) are developing into key contributors, even though Warren is out for the season with a foot injury.
The Suns may also soon get help in the form of guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has continued to play in Europe since Phoenix drafted him in 2014 but may be ready to make the move to the NBA shortly. And general manager Ryan McDonough may get the Suns another draft pick or two by moving a combination of Morris, P.J. Tucker, Tyson Chandler and Jon Leuer before the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline.
If there’s one thing McDonough has done well, it’s picking winners in the draft.
In the NBA, one player can be the difference between missing the playoffs and winning it all.
But even with all those young pieces in place, the Suns still need someone who can become a bona fide superstar. Most experts believe LSU forward Ben Simmons is the most likely 2016 NBA Draft prospect to become just that.
Every mock draft guru projects Simmons, who’s averaging 19.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, to be the No. 1 overall pick. If and when Phoenix moves Markieff, it’ll need a power forward to take his place -- and we already know Simmons looks great in purple.
In the NBA, one player can be the difference between missing the playoffs and winning it all.
But of course, that’s where luck factors into the equation. Coin flips have long since been replaced by the NBA Draft Lottery -- a sophisticated system in which the fate of pro sports franchises depends on where a bunch of ping pong balls land.
Under the lottery system, having the NBA’s worst record doesn’t guarantee you the No. 1 overall pick; in fact, it gives you just a 1-in-4 chance of getting it.
But the reality is the Suns are an extremely unlikely destination for a free-agent superstar to choose as a landing spot. Continuing to build through the draft (hopefully Simmons) is their best – heck, probably their only – hope to return to relevance in the short term.
So, let’s hope the Suns continue their losing ways for the rest of the season – and when the it’s over, let’s hope the ping pong balls are friendlier to Phoenix than a certain coin was 47 years ago.
