1. Sometimes you just need a little luck
Sometimes it takes a little luck and at some point that luck will fall on the side of the Suns.
In a way Masai Ujiri created his own luck by trading for Kawhi Leonard.
Of course, he got lucky by having Leonard available – it is certainly not often that a superstar two-way player is available for relatively cheap in the prime of his career – but once Kawhi was in place, Toronto had a roster that was suddenly capable of competing for a title.
Phoenix Suns
Had Masai not acquired Kawhi, then the star player doesn’t hit that lucky quadruple-bounce Semi’s clinching shot over Joel Embiid.
If Kawhi doesn’t hit that shot, then they aren’t in the Eastern Conference Finals as the ready recipients of a four game collapse by the Milwaukee Bucks and in particular, their own superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If they aren’t in a position to win the Eastern Conference Finals, then they wouldn’t be the team to have a shot at knocking off one of the great dynasties in NBA history without Kevin Durant.
For the Toronto Raptors, it was fortuitous – thus lucky – that Kawhi Leonard was even available, let alone that they had the package San Antonio was willing to accept, all of which led to a series of fortunate events that culminated in a Championship.
For the Phoenix Suns to become the next franchise to win it’s first title, they first need star players in place to build around. They then need a general manager who is willing to make the splashy moves necessary to bring the entire roster together. They need a strong head coach that can not only guide but lead a team in the direction they need to go. They need an owner who is going to put the right people in place and then stay out of their way.
And then they need to play it all out and let the ball bounce where it may.
For the Phoenix Suns to win a championship as the Toronto Raptors just did, they need a lot of things to go their way.
But so too did the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers before them. That said, this can all happen, needs to happen, and if these five things all happen, one day soon, a championship will happen.