Welcome to the Morning Shootaround, where every weekday you’ll get a fresh, topical column from one of SI.com’s NBA writers: Howard Beck on Mondays, Chris Mannix on Tuesdays, Michael Pina on Wednesdays, Chris Herring on Thursdays and Rohan Nadkarni on Fridays.
The man who put Devin Booker in a Suns uniform, who drafted Deandre Ayton, acquired Mikal Bridges and put a woebegone franchise on the path to redemption—only to be jettisoned just before reaching the summit—is feeling all kinds of emotions amid their dazzling, magical run to the Western Conference finals.