FOR MOST OF Monty Williams' tenure coaching the Phoenix Suns, the downs have followed the ups.
An 8-0 record in the NBA bubble two seasons ago still resulted in missing the play-in game to qualify for the postseason.
Last season, making the franchise's first Western Conference finals in a decade was met with the news that point guard Chris Paul would have to start the series away from the team after coming down with the coronavirus. And then, in the NBA Finals, Phoenix went up 2-0 on the Milwaukee Bucks only to lose four straight and miss out on hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.