Warriors success built on camaraderie WARRIORS

Recommended Video:

Jarrett Jack surveyed the locker room to figure out which of his teammates wouldn't have family in town last month, invited them to his place for a Christmas meal and asked his mom to prepare a feast.

He even provided Tupperware for leftovers.

"We look out for one another," the Warriors' backup point guard said. "We've got genuine love and like for each other.

"When you have one of your friends or somebody you feel like you're close to out there on the court, you're going to go that extra mile. You're going to play a little bit harder."

Without any superstars or much attention, the Warriors have compiled the league's seventh-best record and are on pace to go to the playoffs for only the second time in the past 18 seasons.

They're thriving with an offense predicated on ball movement and a defense that mandates consistent help and gang rebounding. They're thriving in all of those facets, because "they have the best character and chemistry in the league," according to power forward David Lee.

"I'm getting phone calls. I'm getting text messages. I'm getting e-mails," head coach Mark Jackson said. "Coaches, former coaches, analysts and players realize what is taking place here.

"You can see that this is a different basketball team. You can see that this is a group that enjoys one another and plays for one another. It's beautiful to watch. It's amazing what can happen when you treat each other like brothers."

Stephen Curry beams during the Miami win. Curry helped build the team's bond with voluntary practices in September. Stephen Curry beams during the Miami win. Curry helped build the team's bond with voluntary practices in September. Photo: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images Photo: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Warriors success built on camaraderie 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

There's an argument about when the camaraderie started, but that's about the only thing this teams bickers about.

Some point to June, when the rookies showed up in Oakland prepared to work out and were met by the soon-to-be second-year players, who were already in the gym. Other say July, when Lee unceremoniously interrupted his vacation to go to the Las Vegas Summer League and bankroll his new teammates' meals.

It could have been right after Labor Day, when 14 of the 15 players accepted Stephen Curry's text invitations to show up for voluntary practices at the team's facility. Maybe it was in October, when the team could have returned home from a preseason game in Denver, but instead decided to stay together on the road for eight days.

"Actually, we all hate each other," forward Carl Landry joked. "No, we all get along great, and that started because wherever you pick up the story, we got here and went to work.

"I've played for teams who have players concerned with going out there to get his 20 or 30 (points). I've been on teams when I scored 15 or 20 points and lost. Both felt terrible. I'm happy to be on a team that asks me to play defense, take a charge and score sometimes in order to get a win.

"The beautiful thing is that we all have that mind-set."

The Warriors have started only three different lineups, but they've had a multitude of different players on the floor at the end of games. They don't seem to care who starts, finishes or scores in between.

They've had 10 players score at least 10 points in a game, and six have grabbed at least 10 rebounds. They've had 10 blocked-shot leaders, and nine players have game-highs in steals.

"I believe we're more unselfish on both ends of the court, because we're invested in the success of the guys next to us," Jackson said. "In baseball, you can be standing in right field and batting eighth, and it doesn't matter to me as the first baseman or catcher, who is batting fourth, whether you like me or not. It's not really relevant how we interact. In basketball, you need each other and rely on each other - on both sides on every single play."

The Warriors have taken that notion to the extreme. They're always together.

The entire team gathered to watch a movie during the extended preseason trip and for the Carolina-Atlanta football game last month. Players have tried to outdo one another in holiday community service, regularly indulge in video games at hotels, sneak out for bites to eat or go shoe shopping.

"That's wrong," Lee said, continuing to protect his fraternity. "We don't even leave the hotel. We don't even gamble on the plane. We have a low-key team. We'll have our fun when it makes sense, but this is a very focused team with very clear goals."

It's similar to the theory behind the development of the Memphis Grizzlies, who have had a nucleus of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley together for three seasons.

Memphis seems poised to go to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The postgame account from a Nov. 23 win over the Lakers makes one believe that more success is in store for the franchise.

"Hey, Marc (Gasol), thanks for having my back out there man," Randolph said. "No problem, that's what we do," Gasol said. "We have to have each other's back."

The Warriors appear to have grasped that sentiment from Day 1, Month 2 or by the third of December - depending on whom you believe.

"There's nothing fake about it," Jack said. "Usually when there's something unauthentic, the truth will present itself. I've been on teams that had fake smiles and high fives that were a facade, and it all disappeared when we hit tough times.

"When we get into those situations, we will come closer together."

Like they did for a holiday meal.