The Golden State Warriors had an impressive run, winning three NBA championships in four years. The team has influenced how sports organizations build their rosters, and that's not just limited to basketball.
One coach who has been influenced by the Warriors' recent success is San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. His team, after a three-year rebuild, is a win away from a Super Bowl appearance.
"I've always been a fan of them," Shanahan said Wednesday of the Warriors. "Even before I got here, just watching how they play, I remember saying in Atlanta even, when we were there, that I wanted our receiver group to be similar to the Warriors to where who knows who the starter is. They all play, Andre Iguodala, things like that. ... You've got an MVP, you've got a defensive MVP, you've just got guys who seem really not to care how it gets done. They all just go out there and ball, and see where the weakness in the defense is, and wherever that ends up, that guy shoots. That's a lot how I see (our) offense."
This year's 49ers have done it similarly. While tight end George Kittle is ... well ... George Kittle, no single wideout has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards during any of Shanahan's three seasons as head coach. Yet, here the 49ers are, preparing for the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.
How Shanahan attacks an opposing defense looks different from game to game. One week, it may be Kittle embarrassing defenders. Another week, it may be Emmanuel Sanders or Deebo Samuel with a big game. Maybe it is quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out-dueling Drew Brees through the air at the Superdome or the 49ers' talented group of running backs taking control of a game. Even then, you don't know which running back it might be.
Garoppolo, like his teammates, doesn't complain about not being a bigger part of any game plan. How the 49ers win doesn't matter, so long as they win.
"You can't really say that we have to win a game a certain way," Shanahan continued. "I think we've shown that we can win a number of ways, which shows a lot to our players. I know Jimmy doesn't care how we win it, whether we're running it, throwing it, whether we've got to do it on defense to protect the ball, whether we've got to air it out to get some points.
"A lot of guys say that it doesn't bother them, but I promise it doesn't bother [Garoppolo]. I've never had to call him in to talk to him about it. He is so locked into whatever the plan is, whatever we're doing. He's just trying to distribute the ball."
