Phoenix Suns big man Jock Landale entered his second season in the NBA with the intent of focusing on diet, sleep and general wellbeing. To this point, it's been a success, though the focus on routine did ensure he slept through one of the biggest trades in NBA history.
The Suns were at the team hotel in Atlanta, on the fourth leg of a five-game road trip that extended through the February trade deadline. Nearing midnight, with all seemingly quiet on the trade front, Landale decided to call it a night.
"I stayed up until about 11 o'clock and nothing had really happened in an hour, so I thought 'screw it, I'm going to bed'" Landale told ESPN.
Soon after, all hell broke loose in the NBA world.
"I woke up at 1:30 in the morning to a yell in the hallway. My room was right outside the elevators, so I was passed out asleep and woke up to that," Landale recalled. "I didn't think anything of it, went back to sleep and didn't check my phone. I woke up in the morning, still didn't look at my phone, went out and had a coffee."
Overnight, former league MVP, Kevin Durant had been traded to Phoenix in a league altering transaction that immediately shifted Phoenix to favouritism in the Western Conference. Along with significant draft capital, key role players left the Suns, including rising stars Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
"When I came back (from the café) there was this huge huddle and Mikal and Cam Johnson were saying their goodbyes. I came to find out that the whole team minus me and one other had huddled up outside my room (overnight) and reflected on the time together the past couple of years.
"They were out there for like two hours and I had no clue at all, I was completely knocked out. Mikal and Cam were two of my best mates on the team so I'm a little bit bummed I didn't get to experience that with my teammates at the hotel, but I had no idea until the next day."
Aside from a freak ankle injury sustained during pregame warmups that sidelined the newest Phoenix superstar, Durant's on-court production has been typically dominant and the Suns will enter a first-round series against the LA Clippers undefeated (8-0) with the 13-time All-Star in uniform.
"Within the squad there was a level of excitement but a level of calmness almost. Everyone was just so confident and we thought this was our real chance. We've got Kevin Durant," Landale recalled of the post-trade atmosphere around the team.
"The media might give KD a bad rap sometimes, but I reckon he's a phenomenal teammate and obviously an even better player. The only shift that occurred was that a calmness and confidence flowed across the locker room and that's stuck ever since then."
While Durant has already logged 155 NBA postseason appearances and collected two championship rings, it will be Landale's first taste of playoff action after year one was spent at a San Antonio Spurs franchise that is very much in transition.
"It sounds great, mate," he says with a smile. "It's something I've done in various other leagues but first time doing it in the States and on a serious contender.
"There are expectations with the roster we've put together and the season we've had. The pressure is on a little bit and you feel the angst in the city as we put things together and see what our true potential is. Mate, nothing but exciting times ahead and I'm really, really pumped to see how far we take it and hopefully that's to the end."
While meaningful basketball has arrived, so has greater opportunity, with the 27-year-old logging 979 minutes in the regular season, well up from his 589 as a rookie. While former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton locks down the starting centre role, Landale has formed a backup rotation with veteran Bismack Biyombo throughout the season.
"The battle has been really pleasant. Bismack is an incredible bloke; we have extensive conversations on the plane. It's always a little bit of a struggle, all three of our centres are single position and on any given night they will probably only play two," Landale explained.
"I've been the first big off the bench for 65 games this year. He's been nothing but a pleasure to deal with in that regard. I never saw him kick up a stink or treat me differently, then in those other games where he was the first off the bench, I made a point of not letting it impact my level of support for him and the boys. I got on with the job and that's where winning a championship, a winning formula for your head space, sometimes it's bigger than yourself and I've always said winning takes care of everything and I try and live by that.
"No question I still have my frustrations with it. As an athlete there is always a little bit of ego involved and you want to be the guy who's out there helping his team win but sometimes those decisions are out of your control and you do the best job you can with what you have. I believe I've done that this year, I think the work speaks for itself."
The Suns split the regular season series with the Clippers 2-2, though Landale did put together some strong performances, averaging 10.2 rebounds and 7.2 rebounds.
With just five games separating the four seed Suns and ten seed Oklahoma City Thunder, the Western Conference playoff race has been historically tight, with the Phoenix-LA matchup a battle of two genuine title contenders.
"I think we are going to have a real battle on our hands from day one of the playoffs and for us, we're fine with that," Landale said.
"I think those early battles can harden us for the later ones and we need that given we're behind the eight ball on having all of our team and squad in play. If we can get out of the gates with a quick start against a great Clippers team that will give us real confidence going forward."
Catch the full conversation with Jock Landale on the ESPN Australia YouTube channel and on the Ball and the Real World Podcast.