The question is are you trying to persuade someone to get closer to your position or to "win" a debate? Two very different things with two very different strategies.
If you want to persuade you need to demonstrate that you've heard and considered the other persons best argument. Very few people are truly open to listening until they feel they've been heard.
If you're just trying to score points from the judges, on the other hand, you don't really care what the other person thinks. Avoiding their strongest argument and beating up a straw man instead may be your best approach.
Needless to say, debate on FR goes both ways.
I fully understand the concept of ‘mirroring’ both in good will negotiation as well as in the clinical sense, commonly used by sociopaths.
But your distinction is both valid and useful.