It’s time for Lady Luck to smile on the Valley of the Suns
By Kory Miller
The Phoenix Suns are about to enter their 50th season as an NBA franchise. This past season was the 20th time they have missed the playoffs in the first 49 years. The Suns have yet to land the number one pick overall in any of the first 19 non-playoff seasons. Tomorrow the Suns will find out where they pick for season number 20.
The Phoenix Suns have a winning percentage of 54% over their history. They’ve made the Conference Finals nine times, including two trips to the NBA Finals. Excluding the current drought (2010-11 to present), the Suns have been one of the most consistent franchises in the NBA in terms of overall success.
For all of this success the Suns have no one to thank but themselves. They built this fantastic level of achievement through savvy trades and draft picks. They convinced big name free agents to come to Phoenix to add to the tradition of winning that is expected of by fans. And yet they’ve had very little of what people would call “good luck” over the years. As they enter their 50th season, they need some of that good luck. They’ve earned it.
The Suns have encountered all sorts of bad luck throughout the years. In 1969, They lost the coin flip for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, still known as Lew Alcindor at the time. In 2007, they lost a superstar to a extremely controversial suspension during a playoff run that most agree should have ended in a NBA title banner hanging in Talking Stick Resort Arena. In 1988, 1999 and 2013 they fell in the NBA draft lottery. In fact, 1987 has been the ONLY year that the Suns have moved up in the draft lottery.
Despite all of this, the Suns have been one of the NBA’s most consistent franchises over the years (excluding the current playoff drought). They traded for Paul Westphal (a future 4-time All-NBA selection) in the 70s. They stole Kevin Johnson from Cleveland for some role players at the end of the 80s. They got Charles Barkley for Jeff Hornacek and a song in the 90s. Phoenix drafted Steve Nash and Devin Booker at 13th overall in 1996 and 2015 respectively. They stole both Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire at 9th overall in 1999 and 2002. Early returns indicate that the Suns knocked last year’s draft out of the park as well.
Next: The Suns should trade back into the First Round
Regardless of where Phoenix ends up selecting in the 2017 NBA Draft, the front office has shown the ability to find value throughout the entire draft. The Suns will add a talented player to their roster by the end of draft night, especially with a draft that is thought to be above-average at the least.
But let’s be honest.
It’s time for some luck here in the Valley of the Suns. It’s time to jump up in the lottery. It’s time for the Suns have the spotlight of picking first overall. It’s time for the Suns to have the biggest rookie name entering the season.
It’s time.