Jan. 4, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz forward Marvin Williams (2) and center Al Jefferson (25) talk on the court against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at US Airways Center. The Jazz defeated the Suns 87-80. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns had a horrible season themselves and are in a race for the third-worse record in the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but we thought the Los Angeles Lakers would just hand over their draft pick.

In the off-season, the Lakers traded for Steve Nash and in return gave Phoenix several draft picks with varying restrictions. This year’s pick rested on whether L.A. would make the playoffs. In the preseason this notion was laughable, because, on paper, the Lakers were one of the best teams ever assembled and were thought to be in contention for a championship.

How can you not be considered that great when you have a top-5 player of all time in Kobe Bryant, one of the best point guards ever to play (Steve Nash), the most dominant center in the league (Dwight Howard), as well as multiple all-star caliber players (Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace and Antawn Jamison)?

However, the team had chemistry problems, fired head coach Mike Brown five games into the season, tried to get Phil Jackson to come back then ended up hiring Mike D’Antoni, who was one of Nash’s coaches here in Phoenix. The team also had major injury issues, which is what happens when your roster is filled with proven vets who are just past their prime.

About halfway through the season, Suns fans are like, “Hey we get two decent picks”. However, the Suns kept losing and the Lakers started to win. Phoenix fell all the way toward the top of the “lottery standings”, while Los Angeles began winning too many games in improbable ways. Really it was just Kobe saying, “We are making the playoffs.”

Now, Kobe’s Achilles tendon gave out on him during a game and he is out for the season, but there is only one game left to win, and the Utah Jazz are on the outside looking in. This is where Phoenix begins to root for teams in adjacent states.

Utah heads to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves Monday, then the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday. The Lakers play the Houston Rockets Wednesday. The Lakers are up by one and a half games, but the Jazz hold the tiebreaker, so the only scenario where Utah makes the postseason is when the Jazz win both of their games and the Lakers lose to the Rockets. This is a very slim chance, but there is still a possibility if the Lakers can’t win another game without Kobe, Minnesota is horrible, and the Grizzlies rest everybody.

If this scenario ends up happening the Suns will get probably the third and 14^th picks in this year’s draft. If not, then they will get their own pick in addition to Miami’s through the Lakers, which unfortunately is the last pick in the first round (30^th).

Suns fans were in the sad position of rooting for the San Antonio Spurs Sunday, as we wanted L.A. to lose every game possible. Now our future rests with the Utah Jazz and I’m worried.

Apr 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) walks with a medical staff member against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s never easy to watch a ball player go down due to injury, especially if that player is an all-time great like Kobe Bryant. In the Lakers win against the Golden State Warriors last night, the Lakers believe that Kobe Bryant may have torn his Achilles and he’s set to undergo an MRI in the morning for confirmation.

“I can’t walk,” Bryant said. “I tried to maybe put pressure on my heel, but there was nothing there.”

Bryant played in much of the second-half and ended up with 34 points, five rebounds and four assists despite the injury and the pain he felt because of it.

The Lakers are the current occupants of the eighth seed in the western conference and lead the Utah Jazz by one game with two games left on the schedule for each team.

The Jazz, despite trailing in the standings are the team that’s in control of their own destiny. Assuming there’s a tie between the Lakers and the Jazz for the eighth spot at the end of the season, the tie-breaker goes to Utah because they beat the Lakers in their season series.

It’s been common public knowledge this season that, IF the Lakers do in fact miss the playoffs that means they will end up with a lottery pick, unfortunately for Laker Nation, that pick will end up going to the Suns; the Suns acquired the right to that pick from the Lakers in the trade that sent Steve Nash to Hollywood this past summer.

The great Kobe Bryant have play through some tough injuries throughout his career, but playing through a tore Achilles is a different ball game. If Bryant indeed tore his Achilles(Which is all but certain), it’ll mean he’s laced up his Nikes for the last time this season; torn Achilles is an injury that typically takes up a full-year to heal from(Billups suffered a similar injury last season).

The Lakers have two games remaining against the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, two very good teams, and it will undoubtedly be an uphill battle for the Lakers to be without Kobe Bryant as well as former Sun Steve Nash who’s missed the last six games; Nash is labeled as day-to-day but with Bryant out, Nash may be forced back into action early.

The Jazz have two games left on their schedule against the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies; essentially an easier schedule than the Lakers.

The Suns, have nothing to do with the current battle between Utah and L.A for the eighth playoff spot, but the Suns have everything to gain from a Lakers tragedy. If the Lakers do indeed climb into the playoffs, the Suns, instead of receiving a lottery pick from L.A, would receive a first-rounder that belongs to the Heat; a pick that will be the final pick in the first round.