By Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-11-15 03:37:46
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
关于平庸的乐趣
平庸自有其存在的意义。
我知道这是一种奇怪的观点。总的来说，平庸是一个人类（某种程度上理所当然地）带有一定程度蔑视的概念。
你可以在互联网上搜索关于这个主题的观点，总的来说，你会发现它被视为一种令人鄙视的东西——它阻碍了更开明的人、进步和天才的道路，但很少有人会谈及平庸的积极方面，我认为这代表着某种细微之处的缺失。
我认为，将所有平庸都视为应受谴责的是一种错误。或者至少，我们对平庸的普遍反应并非总是厌恶，事实上，我们容忍它，甚至比我们想象的更经常地感到高兴。
这主要是因为我们似乎将平庸定义为一种停滞，而不是一种进步。作为长期停滞、不作为和冷漠状态的平庸，值得我们对其倾注的所有不满。另一方面，作为一种进步和学习形式的平庸，值得鼓励，并且它往往会成为意外之喜的源泉。
我仍然清晰地记得我女儿迈出的第一步。蹒跚而笨拙，这代表着我无所畏惧的小女儿唯一感到焦虑的事情。她随后摔了个嘴啃泥，但这丝毫没有减少那一刻的喜悦。这是一个值得庆祝和鼓励的时刻；一阵阵“做得好”和“真是个大姑娘”的赞美之词。
在那一刻，我们将平凡视为非凡，因为相对于她的人生经历来说，这确实是非凡的。
除去德高望重的克里斯·保罗，马刺是本赛季NBA最年轻的球队之一。他们的进攻效率排名第19，防守效率排名第11。有趣的是，他们的净效率值为零。
就目前而言，这是一支完全符合平庸定义的球队。
但这没关系！马刺或多或少正处于他们应该在的位置。重要的是，我们要提醒自己，平庸不一定是停滞，就像我们在潜意识里提醒自己关于孩子成长过程中进步的本质一样。作为球迷，我们可以像为孩子从翻身、爬行到站立、再到迈出珍贵的蹒跚步伐的进步而感到高兴一样，为球队的进步而感到高兴。
你怎么能不为在杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)缺席的情况下，看到斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)防守对手的主要威胁而感到高兴呢？你怎么能不为日益自信的德文·瓦塞尔流畅的动作和投篮而感到欣喜呢？又怎么能不为仍在成长的维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)那超凡脱俗的精彩表现而感到高兴呢？！
我的女儿现在长大了，我惊叹于她在开阔的田野上奔跑的速度，回想起她穿着小鞋子、摇摇晃晃的样子。她仍然会时不时地跌倒，适应着身体和运动感觉的变化——适应着她能力的变化。当她重新站起来时，我仍然会在那里为她欢呼，或者当她摔得很重时安慰她。
维克托·文班亚马昨晚仅在26分钟内就砍下了50分。他是联盟历史上仅有的四名球员中，取得50分、5x5和10次盖帽的球员之一，而且他比他们任何一个人都更早做到这一点。
然而，实力较弱的华盛顿奇才在比赛结束时几乎缩小了差距。
这支球队很平庸，这是一个可以接受的结果。在排名垫底多年之后，就目前而言，平庸是一种抱负。
文班和圣安东尼奥马刺的“辅助轮”还在。我向你保证，随着赛季的进行，我们会不断地想起这一点。他们会摔倒、会失败，并且会在一分钟内害怕那辆可怕的大自行车。但他们正在竭尽全力地踩着踏板。
无论如何，为他们欢呼都是可以的。我保证我不会告诉任何人。
- 非威尔特·张伯伦类别
要点
- 尽管在砍下50分之后这么说听起来很疯狂，但我真的希望文班少投一些三分，尤其是在他手感不那么火热的时候。然而，我也不认为他应该在低位多出手。我们很容易忘记，在某些方面，文班仍在学习基本功和技巧。他还远未达到成熟的水平，将他与蒂姆·邓肯或大卫·罗宾逊（联盟历史上准备最充分的两名大个子）的低位技术进行比较，总的来说是一个糟糕的主意。他仍然比蒂姆初登场时年轻2岁，比大卫年轻近4岁，而且他们两人都来自一个更注重低位进攻的时代。文班仍然没有足够的技巧和体格在篮下对抗。相反，我希望看到他从肘区出手。当文班外线手感不佳时，这可以让对手用更矮小的球员来防守他，并保持他们的护框球员在适当的位置（基本上是唯一身高足以干扰他投篮的球员）。这对圣安东尼奥其他球员的进攻有复合效应。然而，文班目前的罚球命中率接近90%，这表明他的中距离投篮并不像其他球员那样是弱点。移动到肘区会让大个子球员不得不出来防守，如果球队仍然选择用更矮小的球员来防守文班亚马，这将使外线少一名防守球员。这也为文班创造了更多传球的角度，对于一个大个子来说，他已经在这方面做得相当不错了。这看起来可能违反直觉，但本赛季开启马刺进攻的关键可能是让维克托·文班亚马打得更像拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇，而不是邓肯和/或罗宾逊。
- 我们可以谈谈斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的防守吗？！我很清楚他在选秀中排名如此之高是因为这项特殊的属性，但即使是优秀的大学防守者也需要时间来适应NBA。然而，卡斯尔在防守外线威胁方面完美地接过了索汉的衣钵。本周早些时候，他花时间防守速度惊人的达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)，后者以得分手的身份在燃烧外线防守球员中谋生，结果令人印象深刻。根据对位数据，卡斯尔将福克斯的投篮命中率限制在6投2中，三分球2投0中，并送出一次盖帽，而且他干扰福克斯的能力从肉眼就能 readily看出来。卡斯尔已经是一名出色的防守者，他擅长保持位置、切断路线，并以一种如此随意的方式扰乱对手的节奏，你会觉得他只是在散步。事实上，他看起来完全没有威胁的天赋似乎正在帮助吸引对手在他面前做出糟糕的决定，或者试图在他的防守上占便宜，直到他们的误解被纠正。我不记得上次看到一个新秀如此淡定是什么时候了（科怀很安静，但他有天赋瞬间吸引进攻的注意力/躲避），但这让我想起了 watching 年轻、更高大的朱·霍勒迪(Jrue Holliday)（76人队选中他时，我曾羡慕地关注他）。如果是这样的话，那就小心了，因为卡斯尔似乎将跳过带领第二阵容的阶段，转而慢慢接管第一阵容。
这就是斯蒂芬·卡斯尔带来的价值，即使他的投篮不稳定
他在防守端总是保持警惕，拥有出色的脚步、位置感和篮球智商
他可以抢断，并用他的控球和组织能力轻松推进节奏 pic.twitter.com/1LJTuC8nZX— Point Made Basketball (@ pointmadebball) 2024年11月12日
防守
进攻 pic.twitter.com/1uFR2K3860
— 圣安东尼奥马刺 (@ spurs) 2024年11月14日
今晚的主题曲：
Expectation by Tame Impala
点击查看原文：What we learned from the Spurs win over the Wizards
What we learned from the Spurs win over the Wizards
On the joys of mediocrity
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.
This is what Stephon Castle brings to the table, even if his shooting is inconsistent
He’s always aware on defense, with great feet, positioning, and BBIQ
He can take a steal and easily push the pace with his handling and playmaking pic.twitter.com/1LJTuC8nZX— Point Made Basketball (@ pointmadebball) November 12, 2024
defense
— San Antonio Spurs (@ spurs) November 14, 2024
Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:
Expectation by Tame Impala
By Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock