That seems to be the case in all sports these days. You need a plan, good owner, clear alignment, assets, smart coach and luck. Free agents today like Butler want to win now. It aint like Thunder have any legacy (which unfortunately for me as a Celtics fan is just not the draw anymore)
damn it. i liked caron butler. was upset when we traded him in the shaq deal. not so upset i was against the trade. good player. very skilled. would love to see him come to miami and win a title. but i get why he went to the clippers
This isn't as big a get as the name value would suggest because Butler has fallen off considerably the last 3 to 4 years on both sides of the ball. But he probably fills a bigger need for the Thunder more than any other team in that he bolsters what is in actuality, a pretty bland team talent wise once you get past Westbrook, Durant, and Ibaka. He'll definitely help any bench heavy units.
But what will help OKC out the most is if/when Scott Brooks ever implements more variance on offense other than heavy Durant/Westbrook isos or simple screens and flares. More than any other contender, they are so reliant on the pure talent dominance of their stars. It works in the regular season (its why Cleveland could win 60 games with Lebron) but can be troublesome when teams have time to gameplan over the course of the series.