The reason I mentioned the Durant case was that even after that record-setting 73-9 season, they went 3-1 up in the finals and threw it all away to Lebron. At that point, they felt they needed to have a much more resilient team, which required real manoeuvring. To get Durant and still end up with a team that is probably not even top 5 in the league salary wise, that was sound management.
Yes, fortune smiled on them. However, there were still some very smart moves by them. Making sure there team tanked before the 2012 draft to ensure they protected their top 7 pick that yielded Barnes. Drafting Thompson at 11 - he was an all offense guy that their scouts had fingered as being a greater shooter and particularly good off the dribble. They gave up the chance to take Leonard in the process. At the time, they had significant depth at the position, so Thompson seemed excessive, but his attributes were the foundation of this offense together with Curry. This is why I give the management much credit than luck.
