Winning an NBA championship is hard work. It requires the proper confluence of talent, health, and opportunity. Every NBA Champion encounters just the right mix of all these things. The Golden State Warriors were "lucky" last year in the same ways every NBA champion is lucky.
The road to a championship is rarely a straight line. Risks will be taken and, for a champion, nearly all will appear to be the right call. The New Orleans Pelicans path is exceptionally unique up to this point. There is, rightly, a lot of debate surrounding the arrival to this point in time.