What do you think of first when someone mentions the NBA finals? Maybe the voice of Marv Albert (and his toupee that hasn’t fooled anyone in 40 years), definitely Michael Jordan, and probably the handful of Marquee franchises like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, New York The Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat compete for supremacy in basketball every year. The finale is usually a very high profile event with big stars like LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kevin Durant running a big franchise to fame, usually somewhere near a beach. This year is a little different. Instead of the usual suspects, the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns outlasted the rest of the pack to make it to the finals. If that sounds strange to you, it is. Milwaukee hasn’t been in the finals since 1974 when they lost to the Celtics. The last time Phoenix reached the final was in 1993 with Charles Barkley and Co., losing in six games to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The Suns never won the title, and this is only the third time in franchise history that they have reached the finals (1976, 1993). Milwaukee won its only championship 50 years ago in 1971, led by NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. All of this could worry most mediocre basketball experts who yell at their viewers about the NBA ratings. But a Bucks / Suns NBA Finals is exciting news for long-suffering Minnesota Timberwolves fans. Most would think wolves have the longest-suffering fan base in the NBA. This idea is folly. They may be the worst franchise in their 32-year existence, but both Suns and Bucks fans have endured longer, sometimes sadder droughts than the Timberwolves conceived. The Suns knew almost from the moment they entered the league. After the Suns finished their first 1968/69 season 16-66 in the basement of the Western Conference, the Suns pursued the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. It was a UCLA kid who was still called Lew Alcindor, you know him maybe as Abdul-Jabbar. The only thing between Alcindor and Phoenix was a coin toss. Ironically, that coin toss that would determine the fate of the NBA for the next decade was won by the Bucks. Tails never fails, Alcindor became Abdul-Jabbar and won a championship with the Bucks two years later, becoming the best player the league had ever seen at the time. The parting gift for Phoenix was Neal Walk with the second pick, which is remembered as being more hairy than good in basketball. Since that fateful day more than 50 years ago, the Suns have been one of the league’s consistently good franchises. They have made it to the playoffs 30 times, led by all-time greats like Paul Westphal, Barkley and Steve Nash. But this success has its price. As much as Wolves fans will never get over the Joe Smith debacle Ray Allen traded for Stephon Marbury or David Kaaaaaaaaahn, Suns fans have their own trauma. There was the Phantom Celtics break in the final of 76, the Walter Davis trip against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, John Paxson’s game winner in the sixth NBA final in 93, the Robert Horry hip check that injured Steve Nash in the year ’07, and Eric Bledsoe tweeted “I don’t want to be here”. It’s been 10 years since the Suns last made the playoffs, and in that time Phoenix has been almost as miserable as Minnesota. But the last few seasons should give hope to all Wolves fans who are on the verge of giving up for good. First, Phoenix took a chance on Devin Booker with the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Booker paid off their trust by working his ass off to become a two-time all-star and one of the best offensive weapons in the game. In 2018 they held onto their guns and made Deandre Ayton the first overall winner in front of the miracle boy Luka Doncic and the rising superstar Trae Young. After missing 25 games due to a PED suspension last season, Ayton has figured out his role, averaging 16.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game with 71.1 percent shooting in his first playoffs. The final piece of the puzzle was trading with Chris Paul. Just two years ago, Point God had one of the league’s worst contracts and was turned over to a recovery team from Oklahoma City Thunder. Now he’s two games away from his first league championship in 16 seasons. Since the coin was tossed, the Bucks have been as constant as the Suns and have reached the playoffs 33 times. But they hadn’t made it to the finals since Nixon’s resignation and had been their share of heartbreak for the past half century. After winning the championship in ’71 and reaching the finals in ’74, Abdul-Jabbar donned the ’70s version of a Bledsoe. The superstar didn’t want to be there anymore and made his way to the Lakers in 1975. As is well known, Julius Erving no longer wanted to play there after the Bucks drafted him in 1972. And they traded Prime Allen for 28 games by 34-year-old Gary Payton in ’03. In recent seasons, the Bucks have won the lottery in player development. With the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, they took a little-known international prospect with the impossible name. Giannis Antetokounmpo has blossomed into a “Greek Freak”, a two-time MVP and one of the most dominant players in the league. In 2013, Milwaukee won the Brandon Trade Shipping Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons for Brandon Knight, Viacheslav Kravtsov, and a former second-round pick named Khris Middleton. Nobody thought Middleton would be the price of the trade then, but here we are eight years and two All-Star appearances later, with Middleton a key figure on a team of championship caliber. Jrue Holiday’s trade eventually pushed the little bucks into the big world of legitimate competitors. In the era of superteams and superstar buddy teams, it’s encouraging to see two franchises that have built their roster organically compete against each other in the finals. Even teams that have suffered for years just need a new regime to take a few key steps to rebuild better than ever. Success in the NBA is possibly the most market dependent of the four major sports. Phoenix is the 13th largest NBA market (just behind Boston) and Milwaukee is 26th. Guess where the wolves are? Most would lead you to believe that Minneapolis-St. Paul is a Coen-esque snow landscape with no people or entertainment. In reality, the Twin Cities are one place behind Phoenix, 14th in the NBA. That’s ahead of one of the glamor franchises: Miami Heat. Even if it’s not the smallest market in the league and should keep the Wolves forever (ARod, if you’re reading this, don’t move the Wolves), Minnesota will never be a target for free agents; Drawing well, developing talent, and winning trades is the best way to build a championship contender. The good thing for the Timberwolves is that they are well on their way in two departments. The Wolves have drafted two potential No. 1 superstars overall, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. The dynamic duo are as good a base as any other to build a contender, making trading and talent development key to filling a playoff roster. Player development seems to be going well as guys like Jaden McDaniels and Malik Beasley show their strengths this season. Now Gersson Rosas just needs to figure out how to properly protect future picks in trades, and the Wolves are well on their way to building an NBA Finals contender that mirrors those in Milwaukee and Phoenix. NBA casuals may be upset that the final won’t feature the Lakers or Celtics for the 16 millionth time, but Timberwolves fans should be over the moon because when Phoenix and Milwaukee teach us about basketball, anything is possible.
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