What we learned from the Spurs win over the Wizards

There’s something to be said for mediocrity.

It’s an odd sentiment, I know. Mediocrity is, by and large, a concept that humanity treats (somewhat deservedly) with a certain degree of contempt.

You can scour the internet for opinions on the subject, and by and large you’ll encounter it as something to be despised – something that blocks the way of the more enlightened, of progress, of genius, but there’s little to be said on the positive aspects of mediocrity, and I think this represents a certain lack of nuance.

To treat all mediocrity as reprehensible is, I think, a mistake. Or at the very least a blanket reaction to something we not only tolerate but are pleased about more often than we might think.

And that’s largely because we seem to define mediocrity as a form of stagnation, rather than a form of progression. Mediocrity as a state of prolonged stagnation and inaction and indifference deserves every ounce of the displeasure we’ve heaped on it. Mediocrity as a form of progression and learning, on the other hand, deserves encouragement and has a way of serving as a source of unexpected joy.

I can vividly remember my daughter’s first steps. Halting and awkward, they represented the one thing my fearless toddler had any anxiety about. That she proceeded to fall flat on her face took nothing from the jubilation of the moment. It was a cause for celebration and exhortation; a veritable stream of ‘good job’ and ‘what a big girl’ statements.

In that moment we treated the ordinary as the extraordinary, because, relative to her life experience, it was.

Minus the venerable Chris Paul, the Spurs are one of the youngest teams in the NBA this season. They rank 19th in offensive rating and 11th in defensive rating. Their net rating is, amusingly enough, zero point zero.

This is a team that is, for the moment, the very definition of mediocre.

And that’s okay! The Spurs are, more or less, exactly where they should be. The important thing is that we remind ourselves that mediocrity is not necessarily stagnation, in the same way that we subconsciously remind ourselves about the nature of progression when it comes to our children. As fans, we can take joy in it in the way that we would over the progression from rolling over, the crawling, to standing, to taking those precious halting steps.

How can you not find joy in watching Stephon Castle defend opposing primary threats in the absence of Jeremy Sochan? How can you not delight in the smooth moves and strokes of an increasingly confident Devin Vassell? And how on earth could you not delight in the otherworldly pyrotechnics of a still-developing Victor Wembanyama?!

My daughter is older now, and I marvel at her speed as she bolts across open fields, remembering the tiny shoes and the precarious sense of balance. She still stumbles and falls from time to time, adjusting to the changes in her body and her sense of motion – in her competency. And I’m still there to cheer her when she gets back up, or comfort her when the fall is hard.

Victor Wembanyama went off for 50 points in just 26 minutes last night. He’s one of only four players* to record a 50 point game, a 5x5 game, and a 10 block game in league history, and he did it before any of them*.

And yet, the lowly Washington Wizards nearly closed the gap at the end of the game.

This team is mediocre, and that’s an acceptable outcome. After years at the bottom of the standings, mediocrity is aspirational, for now.

The training wheels are still on for Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs. We’ll be reminded of it as the season goes, I can promise you that. They’re going to crash and burn and be scared of the big scary bicycle for a minute. But they’re pedaling as hard as they can.

It’s okay to cheer them anyway. I promise I won’t tell.

* non Wilt category

Takeaways As insane as this is going to sound on the heels of a 50 point game, I’d really like for Wemby to shoot the three a little less, especially when he’s not as hot as the devil’s anvil. However, I also don’t think that he should take those extra shots in the post. It’s easy to forget that in some ways Victor’s still learning fundamental components and techniques. He’s far from a finished product, and to compare his post game to that of Tim Duncan or David Robinson (two of the most prepared big men in league history) is just a bad idea overall. He’s still 2 years younger than Tim, and almost 4 years younger than David when they made their debuts, with both coming from a much more post-heavy era. Wemby still doesn’t have the technique and bulk to be banging around basket. Instead, I’d like to see him take some shots from the elbow. When Wemby’s not hot from outside, it allows teams to put smaller players on him and keep their rim protector in place (essentially the only players tall enough to trouble his shot). This has a compounding effect for the rest of San Antonio’s offense. However, Victor is currently shooting just shy of 90% from the line, suggesting that his mid-range game is not the liability it might be for other players. Moving down to the elbow will make it hard for big men not to come out and contest, and will deprive the perimeter of a defender if teams still opt to put a smaller player on Wembanyama. It also creates more angles from which Victor can distribute the ball, something he’s already quite good at for a big man. As counterintuitive as it might seem, the key to unlocking the Spurs offense this season may involve Victor Wembanyama playing more like LaMarcus Aldridge than Duncan and/or Robinson. Can we talk about Stephon Castle’s defense?! I’m well aware that he was so high in the draft for that specific attribute, but even great college defenders take time to adjust to the NBA. Castle however, has picked up right where Sochan left of in defending perimeter threats. Earlier in the week he spent time guarding the devastatingly swift De’Aaron Fox, who’s made living as scorer burning perimeter defenders, and the result was impressive. According to match-up data, Castle held Fox to 2-6 shooting, 0-2 from three, with a block against, and his ability to trouble Fox was just as readily apparent from the eye test. Castle’s already a sneaky good defender who has a talent for holding position, cutting off lanes, and disrupting timing in a manner so casual you’d think he was out for a stroll. In fact, his talent for appearing totally nonthreatening appears to be helping draw players into making poor decisions against him, or attempting to pick on his defense until their misconceptions are rectified. I can’t recall the last time I saw a rookie seem so zen (Kawhi was quiet, but had a gift for instantly drawing an offenses attention/avoidance) but it reminds me a bit of watching a young, longer Jrue Holliday (who I watched with envy when the 76ers drafted him). If so, look out, because it appears that Castle is going to bypass leading the 2nd unit altogether in favor of slowly taking over the 1st unit instead.

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

Expectation by Tame Impala