Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks have suffered through years and years of inadequacy piled on top of countless promises: Michael Redd as a franchise anchor, Andrew Bogut–the 2005 draft’s top pick, Brandon Jennings scoring 55 points just weeks into his NBA career. None of those promises ever came to fruition.
Because of that futility fans often look to archetypes around the league not just as an example of success, but for hope–that a team can rise from NBA ignominy to champions in a matter of seasons.