With a line-up boasting such talent as two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player (MVP) guard Steve Nash, and perennial All-Star forward Shawn Marion, the Phoenix Suns had the cattle to expect big things from season 2007-08.
However, this didn't stop them from being very busy in the 2007 off-season.
The ball began rolling in early June, when former NBA star and television analyst Steve Kerr was appointed as the Suns General Manager and President of Basketball Operations.
Kerr has a close relationship with team owner Robert Sarver, and was part of the syndicate that purchased the Suns from former owner, Jerry Colangelo.
Next came the 2007 NBA Draft, where the Suns had three picks in total.
With their first pick, they chose Spanish shooting guard Rudy Fernandez with the 24th pick overall, whom they subsequently on-traded to Portland for cash.
With their next pick, 29th overall in the draft, they chose Wisconsin small forward Alando Tucker, and with their third and final selection, pick 59 overall, the Suns selected Maryland guard D. J. Strawberry, the son of baseball legend Darryl Strawberry.
The Suns would then trade aggressively on the open market, bolstering their front-court offensive power by signing perennial All-Star veteran Grant Hill on a one-year, base salary contract, with a option for a second season.
Days later, with the Suns salary cap tightening, Phoenix traded power forward Kurt Thomas and two future first-round draft pick to Seattle, in exchange for a trade exception amounting to $8 million and a condition second-round draft pick.
Finally, exactly one month prior to the Suns first game of the regular season, they signed free agent center Brian Skinner to a one-year deal, to provide back-up to starting center, the well-talented Amare Stoudemire.
With a starting five of Stoudemire (center), Raja Bell (shooting guard), Boris Diaw (power forward) and team co-captains Grant Hill (small forward) and Steve Nash (point guard), the Suns had enough ammunition to seriously challenge for the 2007-08 NBA championship, and upon entering the season, head coach Mike D'Antoni was letting anyone who'd listen know that Phoenix were aiming high in season 2007-08.
With Leandro Barbosa also being productive off of the bench, the Suns raced away to a brilliant start in November, stringing together a sensational eight victories in a row, en route to a 12-4 record for the first month.
They continued on with this form into December, winning their first four games for the month.
Some indifferent form and off-court problems beset the team slightly during this month, and the performance of the Suns was slightly affected on-court, as they stumbled mid-month, before recovering to win their final three games of 2007, and finish the year with a sensational 22-9 record.
January was also a productive month for Phoenix, as they had winning streaks of four games (mid-month) and three (later in the month), to finish January with an 11-5 win-loss record, and a 33-14 record overall.
Whilst everything on-court seemed to be going to plan for the Suns, off-court there were some issues.
Huge salary cap restraints, with so many high-quality players on their roster, and some alleged unhappiness with Marion saw the Suns trade Marion, along with Marcus Banks, to Miami, in exchange for veteran 14-time All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal.
Whilst Stoudemire had been doing the job under the rim, the addition of O'Neal, and his brute size and strength, meant the Suns were able to gain some room in their salary cap, yet not really lose out in the talent stakes by letting an All-Star caliber player such as Marion go.
The new line-up seemed to take some time to jell, as the Suns stumbled somewhat in February, only managing to go 6-4 for the month, which basically put paid to their hopes of winning the Pacific Division title, in which they were vying with the Los Angeles Lakers.
At 39-19 going into March, the Suns were still red-hot, and they got much hotter as O'Neal began to find his feet in his new uniform.
The Suns stumbled around early in March, but beginning mid-month, they got back on track, stringing together seven wins on end.
They finished the month with another three victories in a row, and a 50-24 win-loss record, yet another 50-win season in the franchise's 40-year history.
On the 4th of March, the Suns made their final roster change for the season, when they signed guard Gordan Giricek.
The Suns finished the season with a 5-3 record in April, and a 55-27 win-loss record overall, an excellent season by anyone's standards.
The Suns were pipped to the Pacific Division title by the Lakers by two wins, and ended up being seeded fifth going into the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs.
It ended up being a very difficult assignment for Phoenix, having to face a star-studded San Antonio Spurs line-up, as well as giving up home-court advantage for the series.
With Stoudemire now taking over his more-suited role of power forward, and leaving O'Neal to do the work under the rim, the Suns seemed to have the firepower to mix it with San Antonio's best.
However, they proved no match for the big-game experience and genuine talent of the Spurs, and went down convincingly 1-4, to go out of the playoffs in the first-round.
All in all, right now I'd be thinking the Suns would be very disappointed at where they finished this season.
Admittedly, they were very unlucky having to face a team the caliber of San Antonio so early in the playoffs, but still, if they wanted to win the NBA championship, they were going to have to face a team the caliber of the Spurs at some stage.
With O'Neal having settled in as permanent starting center, and Stoudemire now principal scorer as a forward, along with Nash, Diaw, Barbosa and Bell, the line-up is there, capable and good enough for the Suns to win the title.
With O'Neal now 36 years old, and Nash and co. not too far behind, the Suns must strike now, whilst the iron is still hot.
They should definitely be aiming for an NBA championship in season 2008-09, and as silly as this may sound, anything less must be considered a failure for Phoenix.
They are good enough, barring major injury and disciplinary problems, it's just whether the Suns can put it all together on court for an entire season.