Booker and Ayton have a monster year
To be better than teams who were in the playoffs last season though, and to do so without the acquisition of another star, the Suns will have to have tremendous production from two players in particular: Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.
Duh.
Let’s say that Booker ad Ayton really are the next Kobe Bryant and Shaq, and let’s say that they gel right away and take over the bottom half of the Western Conference, that just might be enough to be better than at least one or two teams this season who were in the playoffs last year.
As I said in my intro, teams need at least two stars to make the playoffs, and Phoenix already has one.
But if Ayton does step in and play like Shaq did his rookie season, than while I did say earlier that I still didn’t think that would be enough, it still could be, and where the 1992-93 Orlando magic failed, the 2018-19 Phoenix Suns succeed: Shaq didn’t have a do-star until Anfernee Hardaway arrived the next season, Phoenix already has that second star in guard Devin Booker.
If those two have monster years and tear up the Eastern Conference while also holding their own against all teams who last season were ranked anywhere from the third-seed in the Western Conference playoffs downs, then maybe they actually can pull themselves into the playoffs this season, even if Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough isn’t able to pull together a trade for a third star – just yet.