By Jeff McDonald, Spurs Writer | San Antonio Express-News, 2024-04-16 14:00:22
由Gemini Pro人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
在 2023 年 10 月 2 日星期一马刺媒体日，马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（从右到左）、德文·瓦塞尔、维克托·文班亚马和杰里米·索汉合影留念。
杰里米·索汉的夏季计划包括篮球界相当于攀登珠穆朗玛峰的壮举。
这位马刺队前锋将代表波兰参加巴黎奥运会，并只对锦标赛组织者提出一个要求。
他希望面对法国队和维克托·文班亚马。
索汉咧嘴一笑说：“我希望我们分在同一组，这样我们就能击败他。”“那会很棒。”
千万不要有人指责索汉志向不高。
当被问及在法国有机会时，他是否会试图扣篮自己身高 7 英尺 3 英寸的马刺队队友时，索汉的脸颊到脸颊的微笑变得更宽了。
索汉说：“当然了。”“我每次都会全力以赴。”
一旦索汉在今年夏天完成了潜在击败文班亚马的尝试，他就会回到与他汇合的事业上。
对于索汉和其他马刺队遗老来说，如德文·瓦塞尔和凯尔登·约翰逊来说，文班亚马的新秀 NBA 赛季的大部分时间都花在学习如何将自己的比赛融入篮球历史上最独特的拼图中。
这一努力并没有随着马刺队 22-60 赛季在周日结束而停止。
瓦塞尔说：“只是花了一点时间才习惯了和一个身高 7 英尺 5 英寸而且无所不能的人一起打球。”
从去年 5 月乐透彩球弹到他们有利的那一刻起，其他马刺队球员就知道他们的生活将发生改变。
索汉和瓦塞尔是该队最近的两次乐透新秀。约翰逊是该队任职时间最长的球员和现任得分王。
当文班亚马到来时，他们在马刺队生态系统中的角色发生了转变。从训练营的第一天起，这种调整就很明显，而且伴有成长的烦恼。
瓦塞尔说：“我认为有很多次我们要么失误，要么在某些地方拿不到球。”“你习惯于将球传给某人，但不是传那么高。有些事情你只是必须适应和习惯的。”
对于从 2022-23 年的四号位置充满希望的新秀赛季到成为四分卫的佼佼者并开始 2023-24 赛季，索汉来说，工作描述的即刻改变是最剧烈的。
马刺队曾寄希望于 6 英尺 8 英寸的索汉能够转变为现代 NBA 中流行的那种可以带球的大型控球后卫。
这项实验失败了。马刺在索汉担任控球后卫时以 3-11 开局。他参加了比赛，但很糟糕。
最终，教练格雷格·波波维奇将索汉换回到他的自然位置，之后他度過了本赛季的剩余时间，并且更加自在。
20 岁的索汉说：“我觉得我今年的角色是任何我被要求去做的事情，都会去做。”“我从中吸取了很多教训。积极的和消极的，但最终是成长的。”
2024 年 2 月 2 日星期五，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫特雷·琼斯（33 号）将维克托·文班亚马（1 号）、前锋杰里米·索汉（10 号）和前锋朱利安·香槟尼和后卫德文·瓦塞尔（均不在图片中）召集到第四节对阵新奥尔良鹈鹕队的比赛中。马刺最终以 114-113 输给了鹈鹕队。
索汉以场均 11.6 分、6.4 个篮板和 3.4 次助攻完成了比赛，比他的新秀赛季小幅上涨，同时还担任该队的顶级持球防守者。
他还命中了 30.8% 的三分球尝试，虽然并不耀眼，但高于他作为新秀时命中率的 24.6%。
索汉季外训练计划的一部分将涉及在发展教练吉米·巴伦的指导下磨练甚至重塑他的侧旋投篮姿势。
索汉说：“总的来说，这只是提升我的比赛水平。”
约翰逊在 2022-23 赛季场均得到全队最高的 22 分，作为首发开始了他的第五个 NBA 赛季，但在 12 月下旬转为替补。
这对约翰逊来说是一次调整，因为自新秀赛季以来，他不再是全职替补。
在整个赛季，这位 24 岁的约翰逊场均得到 15.7 分。他在 42 场替补出场中平均得到 15 分。
约翰逊说：“很难适应。”“我知道这是其中的一部分，但只要继续战斗并做我的队友需要我做的事情。”
阅读更多：文班亚马是否度过了有史以来最伟大的新秀赛季？这些数据显示是的
对于瓦塞尔来说，这是他作为主要得分选择的第一個完整赛季。
从训练营开始，波波维奇就敦促瓦塞尔积极寻找自己的得分机会，即使与年度新秀文班亚马一起比赛。
23 岁的瓦塞尔创造了一个职业生涯赛季，场均得到 19 分，投篮命中率为 47.2%，同时投出了一些联盟中最困难的球。他对 2 分尝试的命中率为 54.4%，打破了他之前的最佳成绩。
瓦塞尔表示，他季外目标是与文班亚马一起度过一段优质的球场时光，一起磨合他们的默契。
瓦塞尔说：“我已经告诉他我想和他一起努力。”
波波维奇表示，他从文班亚马的角色球员身上看到了积极的事情。
对于瓦塞尔，波波维奇说：“德文已经变成了一名自信的得分手。他能投篮，他能带球突破。他提升了他的防守，明白没有防守，就没有胜利。他在这方面迈出了一大步。”
波波维奇赞扬了约翰逊尝试让他的比赛多样化的努力。
波波维奇说：“凯尔登已经成为一个更多元化的球员，而不是中国商店里的公牛——‘给我球，我去篮筐’，他现在更细致一些。”
波波维奇称索汉为“一名主要的防守者”。
波波维奇说：“他可以防守一到四号位，并且喜欢它，这太棒了。”“我不必说服他喜欢它。”
马刺在赛季末势头强劲，在最后 11 场比赛中赢了 7 场。愤世嫉俗的人会注意到，那四场比赛中的胜利是在没有这三人参加的情况下取得的。
预计这三人都会从过早结束自己赛季的伤势中快速恢复——索汉接受了关节镜手术来解决左脚踝撞击，瓦塞尔左脚应力性反应，约翰逊左脚扭伤。
预计三人都将被允许享受正常的季外篮球活动。
索汉应该珍惜在这个夏天在巴黎挑战文班亚马的可能性。当马刺队在秋天返回圣安东尼奥时，学习如何与他共存的过程将重新开始。
瓦塞尔说：“我认为作为一个团队，我们都很兴奋。”“我们在这里真正接纳了他，我们对未来感到兴奋。”
原文如下：
Spurs' supporting cast ready to take next step with Wemby
[Image] Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (from right to left), Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan pose for photos during Spurs Media Day on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
Jeremy Sochan’s plans for the summer involve the basketball equivalent of scaling Mount Everest.
The Spurs forward is set to represent Poland in the Paris Olympics, and has but one request of the tournament organizers.
He wants to face Team France and Victor Wembanyama.
“I hope we’re in the same group so we can beat him,” Sochan said with a grin. “That would be sick.”
Let nobody ever accuse Sochan of dreaming small.
Asked if he might be tempted to try and dunk on his 7-foot-3 Spurs teammate if given the chance in France, Sochan’s cheek-to-cheek grin grew wider.
“Hell yeah,” Sochan said. “I’m going up every time.”
Once Sochan is finished potentially trying to beat Wembanyama this summer, he will get back to the business of joining him.
For Sochan and other Spurs holdovers like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, so much of Wembanyama’s inaugural NBA season was spent learning to fit their games around the most unique puzzle piece in basketball history.
That endeavor did not stop with the conclusion of the Spurs’ 22-60 season Sunday.
“It just takes a minute to get used to playing with somebody who's (like) 7-5 and can do everything,” Vassell said.
From the moment last May when the draft lottery ping-pong balls bounced in their favor, other Spurs knew their lives were about to change.
Sochan and Vassell were the team’s two most recent lottery picks. Johnson was the team’s longest-tenured player and reigning leading scorer.
Their roles within the Spurs’ ecosystem shifted the moment Wembanyama arrived. The adjustment was evident from the first day of training camp, growing pains and all.
“I think there were a lot of times where we either got turnovers or we just weren't able to get on the ball at certain spots,” Vassell said. “You're used to throwing it up to somebody, but not that high. There are certain things that you just got to get accustomed to and used to.”
The immediate change in job description was most drastic for Sochan, who went from a promising rookie season at power forward in 2022-23 to being a fish-out-of-water starting point guard to open 2023-24.
The Spurs were hopeful the 6-8 Sochan could morph into the type of bigger ball-moving lead guard prevalent in the modern NBA.
The experiment was a flop. The Spurs started 3-11 with Sochan at point guard. He was game, but miserable.
Eventually, coach Gregg Popovich moved Sochan back to his natural position, were he spent the remainder of his season and was vastly more comfortable.
“I feel my role this year was whatever I was asked to do, just do it,” the 20-year-old Sochan said. “I learned a lot from it. Positives and negatives, but at the end of the day it’s growth.”
[Image] San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) pulls Victor Wembanyama (1), forward Jeremy Sochan (10) and forward Julian Champagnie and guard Devin Vassell, both not pictured, into a huddle during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Frost Bank Center on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Pelicans, 114-113.
Sochan finished with averages of 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists, modest upticks from his rookie campaign, while also serving as the team’s top on-ball defender.
He also made 30.8% of his 3-point attempts which, though hardly dazzling, represented an increase from the 24.6 percent he made as a rookie.
Part of Sochan’s offseason program will involve honing and perhaps remaking his side-spinning shooting form with development coach Jimmy Baron.
“Overall, it’s just leveling up my game,” Sochan said.
After averaging a team-best 22 points in 2022-23, Johnson began his fifth NBA season as a starter but shifted to the bench in late December.
That came as an adjustment for Johnson, who had not been a full-time reserve since his rookie campaign.
Throughout the season, the 24-year-old Johnson averaged 15.7 points. He averaged an even 15 in 42 appearances off the bench.
“It was hard to adjust,” Johnson said. “I knew that that was going to be a part of it, but just continue to fight and do whatever my teammates need me to do.”
READ MORE: Did Wemby have on the greatest rookie seasons ever? These stats say yes
For Vassell, this represented his first full season as a primary scoring option.
From the start of camp, Popovich urged Vassell to be aggressive in looking for his own opportunities to score, even while playing with the presumptive Rookie of the Year in Wembanyama.
The 23-year-old Vassell produced a career season, averaging 19 points and shooting 47.2% while taking some of the most difficult shots in the league. He shot 54.4% on 2-point tries, shattering his previous best.
Vassell said his goal for the offseason is to spend some quality court time with Wembanyama, working on their chemistry together.
“I’ve already talked to him to let him know I want to work with him a lot,” Vassell said.
Popovich said he saw positive things from Wembanyama’s supporting cast.
Of Vassell, Popovich said: “Devin has turned into a confident scorer. He can shoot it, he can drive it. He's upped his defense, understanding that no defense, no wins. He's made a big step in that regard.”
Popovich praised Johnson’s attempts to diversify his game.
“Keldon has become more of an all-around player rather than the bull in the China shop — ‘Give me ball, I go to rim,’ ” Popovich said. “He's a little bit more nuanced than that now.”
Popovich called Sochan “a prime defender.”
“He can guard (players) one through four and enjoys it, which is great,” Popovich said. “I don't have to convince him to enjoy it.”
The Spurs finished the season on a tear, winning seven of their final 11 games. A cynic would note four of those victories down the stretch came without that trio in uniform.
All three are expected to recover quickly from the injuries that prematurely ended their seasons — Sochan had arthroscopic surgery to address a left ankle impingement, Vassell suffered a stress reaction in his left foot and Johnson had a left foot sprain.
All three are projected to be cleared to enjoy a normal offseason of basketball activities.
Sochan should savor the possibility of challenging Wembanyama this summer in Paris. When the Spurs return to San Antonio in the fall, the process of learning to co-exist with him continues anew.
“I think just as a team we're all excited,” Vassell said. “We've just truly embraced him here and we're excited for the future.”
By Jeff McDonald, Spurs Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
