Basically all you can do is build a solid team. In the East it takes just one upset and you could be in the finals. Good, solid teams have won championships before they don't typically win many and it is still rare. This is the most difficult sport to build a champion and my enjoyment of it doesn't really come from that. But i say always try to build while leaving cap space, in the future trades could happen, injuries could happen, the conference could really fall to horsefeathers like the early 2000s or even last year would have been if the Cavs weren't a thing. I can't think of many teams who've had success with a complete tank job, it's an idea that sounds better in video games or in theory than it ever actually ends up being. Plus with Butler, the guy came out of no where to be what be what he is. He's still young and if he improves more you got a superstar player. Not saying it will happen but nobody expected what he is now either.