1. The Phoenix Suns miss the playoffs, but win the lottery
Shaquille O’Neal took the league by storm in 1992-93 averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. As stated before, he then ran away with the Rookie of the Year award.
However, while the Magic improved by 20 games and finished the regular season 41-41, they still missed the playoffs, the last team out, and had the worst-odds at winning the lottery.
And yet, their one, single, solitary ping ping ball in the hopper was pulled first, and the rest (they drafted Chris Webber against Shaq’s wishes, then traded him to Golden State for Anfernee Hardaway, who Shaq wanted all-along), as they say, is history (Orlando went on to become the darling team of the league for three seasons before it all went to hell).
That is certainly possible to happen again (Phoenix winning the lottery, that is), making the ninth-straight season of missing the playoffs a year of tremendous success.
The number two scenario focused on Ayton showing the league that he is a dominant player from the get go. If that happens, but the team improved by 20 games (they too would finish 41-41), there is a better than good chance that Phoenix still misses out on the playoffs again.
They too would likely not finish as the best non-playoff team by record, and have slightly better odds than Orlando did to win the lottery.
Should Phoenix, like Orlando in 1992 and 1993, win the lottery in back-to-back seasons, there is no arguing at that point the successfulness of 2018-19.
It is especially sweet to think about when considering who the presumed prize is in the 2019 draft: Duke’s mega-star, Zion Williamson.