“Imitation” is a word avoided, while “perfection” is a word exalted. If you’re imitating you’re one of those knock-off Chinese brands (i.e.: Sunbucks Coffee, Heimekem Beer, or Calvim Klain clothing), a copycat in a world where innovation wins. But if you’re perfecting, you’re like Jobs with Apple or Jefferson with the Declaration of Independence -a visionary capable of turning puzzle pieces into a masterpiece. So, why the contradiction? Didn’t Jobs’ original Macintosh grossly imitate the user interface of Xerox’s computer, and didn’t Jefferson’s Declaration employ almost every ideal of philosopher John Locke? Yes and yes, but that’s not what matters.
-== Top 11 Steph Curry Moments Of His Career ==-
Being labeled a “copycat” or a “perfectionist” is dependent on success. Succeed and you perfected it; fail or perform mediocrely and you were simply imitating.
This is the story of our Golden State Warriors. From owner to head coach, the franchise has expressed something society’s elite sometimes lack -humility. They openly acknowledge their lack of expertise on things and thus, they haven’t shied from imitation. Mind you, according to ESPN’s recently released NBA Front Office Rankings (voted on by writers, ex-players, statisticians, and more), the Warriors have the second best front office in the league. Yet, the franchise continually endeavors to learn. In reference to a previous interview he had done with ESPN’s Ethan Strauss, Warriors GM Bob Myers stated, “I want to watch another GM do that (the interview) to see what they do…I’m curious. They’re probably doing something we could do to make us better”.
Curiosity spawning imitation endeavoring to reach perfection –that’s the best way I can depict this franchise’s front office. But who are they imitating most and what about them are they imitating? We’ll dive into that, but first an imitation honorable mention…
Tom Thibodeau’s “ice” style of defensive pick-and-roll coverage. There are essentially four approaches to defending pick-and-rolls: “ice”, “showing” in which the big-man redirects the ball-handler allowing the guard to recover, switching, and not communicating at all -commonly known as the preferred style of the Sacramento Kings.
Originally brought to the Warriors by Darren Erman (who worked with Thibodeau on Doc Rivers’ Boston staff) and continued by current defensive coordinator Ron Adams (who worked with Thibodeau in Chicago for 3 seasons), in “ice” during a pick-and roll the big-man drops towards the basket with the guard trailing, thus creating a contained defensive pocket. While the Warriors often switch wing-to-wing screens, “ice” is their go to philosophy for handling big-to-small screens. Emulating Thibodeau’s pick-and-roll concept has been integral in their defensive mastery -the Warriors give up the lowest number of points per 100 possessions in the league.