No, such a statement is not accurate.
The NEC is not an instruction manual. If anything, it is the role of the code to provide the 'grammar,' while the electrician writes the play.
Some of the rules are simply arbitrary, but are there simply because we need to all be following the same conventions. Wire colors are a prime example; electricity doesn't know what color the insulation is. One man might think the wire with the power ought to be red, because it's "hot;" another might choose green because it's "live." So, there's a need for some common practice.
There has been a fairly recent desire by some to have the code specify 'best' practice and to make 'design' decisions. This is a different goal from the stated purpose of specifying a 'practical minimum.' There have also been well-documented efforts by some to manipulate the NEC for commercial purposes. Personally, I think it is tangents like these that are why we say "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions."