Every year there are a few teams that defy definition, that seem to exist outside of the normal narratives used to describe NBA seasons. They are not tanking nor contending, neither young nor old, not doomed to mediocrity but not at the cusp of a huge leap either.
The 2018/19 Spurs are such a team. It’s been weirdly fascinating to watch national media try to figure out where to put them. Recently ESPN’s Zach Lowe, seemingly giving up, directly asked out loud, “what are the Spurs?” He couldn't come up with a definite answer because there isn’t one.