By Nick Moyle, Longhorns Insider | San Antonio Express-News, 2024-05-10 16:03:40
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺管理合伙人彼得·J·霍尔特（左）在 NBA 副总裁马克·塔图姆宣布马刺队在芝加哥举行的选秀抽签活动中赢得 NBA 选秀权后与塔图姆站在一起，2023 年 5 月 16 日，星期二。（美联社照片/南俞huh）
去年 5 月，在芝加哥麦考密克广场会议中心一楼的一个封锁舞厅内，马刺队赢得了改变生活的强力球抽奖的 NBA 等价物。反复无常的乒乓球在当晚再次偏袒圣安东尼奥市，为其心爱的球队带来了<a href=“https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/san-antonio-spurs-win-victor-wembanyama-18102836.php” target=“_blank” rel=“noopener”>2023 年 NBA 选秀的状元签</a>以及选拔维克托·文班亚马作为新银黑救世主的权力。
本周日，马刺队将再次希望抽奖机器吐出一些中奖号码。他们以第五好的几率 (10.5%) 进入年度选秀抽签，以期再次获得状元签，此前他们的战绩为 22-60，比黄蜂队和开拓者队都多赢一场。如果猛龙队的选择落后于前六名，马刺队还有超过 50/50 的机会获得额外的前 10 顺位新秀。
以下是您需要了解的有关即将到来的选秀抽签的一切。
马刺队会再次中签吗？
连续获得状元签并非完全没有先例。自 1985 年举行第一次抽签以来，这种情况已经发生过两次，奥兰多（1992-93）和克利夫兰（2013-14）相隔近二十年连续中状元签。但自 NBA 在 2019 年修改其格式以抵制摆烂以来，这种情况发生的可能性变得小多了。
今年，底特律（14%）、华盛顿（14%）、夏洛特（13.3%）和波特兰（13.2%）几乎都有相同的几率获得状元签。马刺队有 42.1% 的几率获得前四顺位新秀，并且不可能低于第九顺位 (0.6% 的几率)。
无论结果如何，这都将标志着马刺队连续第五次进入选秀抽签，至少获得一个乐透签。
猛龙队的选秀权是怎么回事？
马刺队整个赛季都在关注多伦多的战绩。这是因为如果猛龙队的排名掉出前六，他们将被迫将自己的选秀权转让给圣安东尼奥。
两队在 2023 年交易截止日期前达成协议，中锋雅各布·珀尔特尔被交易到加拿大，以换取一系列选秀资产，包括猛龙队 2024 年的首轮选秀权。但此举有一个条件——该选秀权在 2026 年前受到前六顺位的保护。如果多伦多队届时没有将他们的首轮选秀权发送给马刺队，他们将不得不放弃两个次轮选秀权。
不幸的是，对于马刺队来说，多伦多队在赛季的最后两个月中以 3-20 惨败，最终获得了联盟第六差的战绩。那次悲惨的失利让猛龙队在今年的选秀中获得前六顺位选秀权的几率为 45.8%。即便如此，马刺队仍有 54.2% 的几率获得 2024 年的第二个乐透签。
抽签机制是怎样的？
十四个编号为 1 到 14 的乒乓球将于周日下午放入一个机器中，创造出 1,001 个可能的四位数组合。在抽签之前，这 1,001 个组合中的 1,000 个将分配给 14 个乐透球队。
然后将球混合并以 10 到 20 秒的间隔抽出。被分配到特定组合的球队将获得状元签。对于第二到第四顺位的抽签，重复相同的流程。
今年的抽签将于周日下午 2 点举行。抽签结果将在美国广播公司播出。
哪些新秀可以与文班亚马搭档呢？
大多数球探和分析师认为今年的选秀班不如 2023 届，不仅仅是因为其中没有身高 7 英尺 3 英寸的杰出外星人。虽然榜单上没有那么多顶级人才，但一些即将到来的新秀可以提振马刺队，自 2019 年首轮出局以来马刺队还没有进入季后赛。
亚历克斯·萨尔可能与他的法国同胞搭档组成新双塔。这位瘦高的 7 英尺 1 英寸小将为澳大利亚职业联赛（NBL）的珀斯野猫队效力于 2023-24 赛季，他展示了作为潜在状元秀的能力，同时以坚韧不拔的远程防守展示了后卫级技能。
塞尔维亚球员尼古拉·托皮奇是一位狡猾的投篮创造者，他的优势在于篮下终结，以及需要大量改进的跳投。这位 6 英尺 6 英寸的后卫可以帮助文班亚马创造更容易出手的机会，并减轻 2024 年年度最佳新秀的压力。
肯塔基后卫罗布·迪林汉姆是另一位充满潜力的少年。他在野猫队的 23.3 分钟内场均得到 15.2 分、3.9 次助攻和 2.0 个 3 分球，并被评为 SEC 年度最佳新生和第二阵容 All-SEC。
田纳西大学大四学生达尔顿·克内希特在大七或大八之外成为一名有趣的可能性。虽然他 23 岁，比大多数新秀都要年长，但他带着 SEC 年度最佳球员的身份，带领志愿者队杀入精英八强，并成为一致认可的全美第一阵容，从而在选秀榜单上上升。这位 6 英尺 6 英寸的后卫是一位三级得分手，去年场均得到 21.7 分、4.9 个篮板、2.6 个 3 分球和 1.8 次助攻，此前他从北科罗拉多大学转学而来。
原文如下：
What to know about the Spurs and the 2024 NBA Draft lottery
[Image] San Antonio Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt, left, stands with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum after Tatum announced that the Spurs had won the first pick in the NBA draft, at the draft lottery in Chicago, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Last May, inside a locked-down ballroom on the first floor of Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. the Spurs won the NBA equivalent of a life-altering Powerball drawing. The fickle ping pong balls favored the city of San Antonio again that night, delivering its beloved franchise the <a href=“https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/san-antonio-spurs-win-victor-wembanyama-18102836.php” target=“_blank” rel=“noopener”>No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft</a> and the right to tab Victor Wembanyama as the new silver and black savior.
This Sunday, the Spurs will again hope the lottery machine spits out some winning numbers. They’ll enter the annual draft sweepstakes with the fifth-best odds (10.5%) of landing another No. 1 pick after finishing 22-60, one win better than both the Hornets and Trail Blazers. There’s also a better than 50/50 chance the Spurs walk away with an additional top-10 pick if the Raptors’ selection falls outside the top six.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming draft lottery.
Will the Spurs strike gold again?
Landing consecutive No. 1 picks isn’t totally unprecedented. It has happened twice since the first lottery was held in 1985 with Orlando (1992-93) and Cleveland (2013-14) going back-to-back nearly two decades apart. But it has become far less likely since the NBA revamped its format in 2019 in an effort to counteract tanking.
This year, Detroit (14%), Washington (14%), Charlotte (13.3%) and Portland (13.2%) have nearly even odds of winding up with the top pick. The Spurs have a 42.1% chance of walking away with a top-four pick and can finish no lower than ninth (0.6% chance).
Regardless of the outcome, this will mark the fifth straight draft the Spurs enter with at least one lottery pick in hand.
What’s the deal with the Raptors’ pick?
The Spurs had their eyes on Toronto’s record all season long. That’s because the Raptors will be forced to convey their pick to San Antonio if it ends up outside of the top six.
A 2023 trade deadline deal between the teams saw center Jakob Poeltl shipped off to Canada in exchange for a raft of draft assets including the Raptors’ 2024 first-rounder. That came with a catch, though – the pick is top-six protected through 2026. If Toronto doesn’t send their first-rounder to the Spurs by then, it would instead have to give away a pair of second-round picks.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, Toronto went 3-20 over the final two months of the season to finish with the league’s sixth-worst record. That miserable skid left the Raptors with a 45.8% chance of receiving one of the first six selections in this year’s draft. Even so, the Spurs have a 54.2% chance to come away with a second 2024 lottery pick.
How does the lottery actually work?
Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a machine Sunday afternoon, creating 1,001 possible four-number combinations. Prior to the drawing, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 lottery teams.
The balls are then mixed and drawn in 10-to-20 second intervals. The team that has been assigned that particular combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated for the second through fourth picks.
This year’s lottery will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. The results will be broadcast on ABC.
Which prospects could pair well with Wemby?
Most scouts and analysts consider this year’s draft class inferior to the 2023 crop, and not just because it doesn’t feature a transcendent 7-foot-3 alien. While there isn’t as much top-end talent on the board, a number of incoming rookies could boost a Spurs team that has not reached the postseason since bowing out in the first round back in 2019.
Alex Sarr could arrive to form a new set of Twin Towers with his fellow Frenchman. The slim 7-1 teenager played for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian pro league (NBL) in 2023-24, making his case as the potential top pick while showcasing guard-type skills with dogged, rangy defense.
Serbian Nikola Topic is a crafty shot creator with a knack for finishing around the rim and a jumper that needs a lot of refinement. The 6-6 guard could help create easier looks for Wembanyama and remove some pressure from the 2024 Rookie of the Year.
Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham is another teenager brimming with upside. He averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.0 3-pointers in 23.3 minutes for the Wildcats and was named SEC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-SEC.
Tennessee senior Dalton Knecht looms as an intriguing possibility outside the top seven or eight. Though older than most prospects at 23, he catapulted up draft boards after leading the Volunteers to the Elite Eight as the SEC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. The 6-6 guard is a three-level scorer who averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 3s and 1.8 assists last year after transferring from Northern Colorado.
By Nick Moyle, Longhorns Insider, via San Antonio Express-News