By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter | San Antonio Express-News, 2024-05-14 15:44:33
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。
肯塔基大学的罗布·迪林厄姆在球队对阵范德比尔特大学的 NCAA 大学篮球比赛中，在比赛结束前扣篮。2024 年 3 月 6 日星期三，肯塔基州列克星敦。（美联社照片/詹姆斯·克里斯普）
芝加哥——本周，罗布·迪林厄姆和里德·谢帕德在 NBA 选秀大会上随时准备互相宣传。
这两名后卫作为肯塔基大学的新生，在本赛季同住一室，建立了牢固的关系，如今来到芝加哥。
“他是我的兄弟，”迪林厄姆谈到谢帕德时说道。“我从里德那里学到了很多。他教会我要冷静、要帮助队友、要处理一些小事。我爱他的妈妈斯泰西和他的爸爸。这就像一家人。”
谢帕德是肯塔基州人，他回忆起了在宿舍里与来自北卡罗来纳州的朋友一起度过的美好时光。
“罗布是个好孩子”，谢帕德说。“正如大家所见，他是一位非常好的球员，但并不是每个人都知道他作为一个孩子是怎样的。除了篮球之外，他也是一个非常好的人。与罗布同住很酷。我们彼此了解得很好。”
现在，包括马刺队在内的 NBA 球队正在尝试在选秀大会上“深入”了解这对多才多艺的后场组合。两人都被预测为前 10 号秀，马刺队周日从彩票中脱颖而出，获得了第四和第八顺位的总选秀权。
迪林厄姆和谢帕德拥有符合马刺队需求的技能组，因为他们希望用能够为他打开局面的射手来围绕本年度最佳新秀文班亚马。
“这是很长一段时间以来最疯狂的第一年，”迪林厄姆谈到文班亚马的历史性数据时说。“他可能是最伟大的球员之一。如果我和文班亚马一起打球，很明显：我进来就是为了给文班亚马传球。”
谢帕德也希望和文班亚马一起打球。
“他在新秀赛季的表现令人难以置信，而且只会变得更好，”谢帕德谈到这位 20 岁的法国球星时说。“他绝对是你想和他一起打球而不是对抗的人。”
身高 6 英尺 3 英寸、体重 187 磅的谢帕德在周一的上涨势头强劲，他在投篮训练中一球接一球，并记录了 42 英寸的最高垂直起跳高度，与其他三位选手并列选秀大会最高。
对于这位精英射手，这是一个令人印象深刻的表现，本赛季，他场均得到 12.5 分、4.5 次助攻和 2.5 次抢断，同时以 52.1% 的命中率命中了 4.4 次三分球。
“他们一定搞错了什么，”谢帕德开玩笑说。“我绝对没有跳得那么高。”
事实是，谢帕德将于 6 月年满 20 岁，来自良好的运动基因。他的父亲杰夫在肯塔基大学打球，并且获得 1998 年 NCAA 锦标赛的最杰出球员奖，野猫队在圣安东尼奥赢得了冠军。他的母亲斯泰西在 20 世纪 90 年代也曾在肯塔基大学效力，以超过 1400 分结束了职业生涯。
这一血统是他能够舒适地打出任何后卫位置的原因之一。
“无论如何，只要我们赢球，所有人都玩得很开心，我就很好，”谢帕德说。“我进入肯塔基大学时说过，我并不在乎我是否必须传球，我并不在乎我是否必须投球，我并不在乎我是否要为队友们倒水。无论如何帮助球队获胜，我都会去做。”
在过去的赛季中从替补席上站出来，成为一个富有创造力的进攻力量后，19 岁的迪林厄姆也有着相似的态度。
“归根结底，这都是篮球，”他说。“无论你是首发还是非首发，我都只是想进来，扮演我的角色，尽我所能。无论教练希望我传球、投篮还是为队友鼓掌，我都可以做到。”
身高 6 英尺 3 英寸、体重 176 磅的迪林厄姆场均得到 15.2 分和 3.9 次助攻，是 SEC 赛季最佳第六人。就像他的室友一样，他也是一名高效的射手，场均 4.5 次出手命中 44% 的三分球。
谢帕德和迪林厄姆都认为野猫队的助理教练约翰·韦尔奇（John Welch，前长期 NBA 助理教练）让他们成为了更好的射手。
“他是我的伙伴，”迪林厄姆说。“无论何时，他都会陪你投篮。从第一天到最后一天，约翰·韦尔奇都在陪着我。每天只是重复投篮。这让我对自己投篮更有信心了。”
就缺点而言，迪林厄姆身材矮小，并承认自己在防守方面有一些不足。具体来说，他说他需要表现得更加努力，并且需要更好地理解比赛计划。
“我的防守有时很差劲，”他说。
谢帕德也不是没有缺陷。批评者指出，在 NCAA 锦标赛首轮比赛中，谢帕德在第三号种子肯塔基大学 80-76 负于 14 号种子奥克兰大学的比赛中，出场 26 分钟，仅 5 投 1 中得到 3 分。
“我并没有期望进入 NBA，然后在我第一年里成为全明星，”谢帕德说。“我并不期望进入 NBA，然后一场比赛投 20 球。这经常不会发生。因此，我愿意做任何事情来赢得胜利，对此我感到非常兴奋。无论发生什么，都会发生。我迫不及待地等待这个机会。无论我身处何处，都是一次美好的经历。”
就像和迪林厄姆同住一起那样。
原文如下：
Dillingham, Sheppard envision playing with Wembanyama
[Image] Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham dunks after the final buzzer in the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
CHICAGO — Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard stand ready to promote each other at every turn this week at the NBA draft combine.
The guards arrived in Chicago with a strong bond after rooming together this season at Kentucky as freshmen.
“That’s my boy,” Dillingham said of Sheppard. “I learned a lot from Reed. He taught me about being poised and helping my teammates, the little things. His mom, Stacey, and his dad, I love them. It’s just like family.”
Sheppard, a Kentucky native, recalled good times romping around the dorm with his buddy from North Carolina.
“Rob is a really good kid,” Sheppard said. “He’s a really good player as everyone can see, but not everyone knows how he is as a kid. And he’s a really good person outside of basketball. Rooming with Rob was cool. We got to know each other really well.”
Now NBA teams, including the Spurs, are trying to get to know the versatile backcourt mates “really well” at the combine. Both are projected as top-10 picks, and the Spurs emerged from the lottery Sunday with the fourth and eighth overall selections.
And Dillingham and Sheppard have skill sets that fit the Spurs’ needs as they look to surround rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama with shotmakers that can open things up for him.
“That was the craziest first year in a long time,” Dillingham said of Wembanyama’s historic numbers. “He could be one of the best players ever. If I’m playing with Wemby, it’s obvious: I am coming in to give Wemby the ball.”
Sheppard would also love to play with Wembanyama.
“The stuff he did his rookie season was ridiculous and he’s only going to get better,” Sheppard said of the 20-year-old French star. “He’s definitely one you want to play with and not against.”
The 6-foot-3, 187-pound Sheppard’s stock shot up Monday when he sank shot after shot in shooting drills and recorded a 42-inch max vertical leap, which tied with three others for the combine’s best.
It was impressive performance for the elite shooter who averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game this season while connecting on a blistering 52.1% of his shots from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts per game.
“They must have messed something up,” Sheppard joked. “There is no way I jumped that high.”
The truth is Sheppard, who turns 20 in June, comes from good athletic stock. His father, Jeff, played at Kentucky and was the most outstanding player of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, which the Wildcats won in San Antonio. His mother, Stacey, also starred at Kentucky in the 1990s, finishing her career with more than 1,400 points.
That pedigree is one of the reason he’s comfortable playing either guard spot.
“I am good with whatever, it doesn’t matter as long as we are winning and everyone is having fun,” Sheppard said. “I said it going into Kentucky, I don’t care if I have to pass the ball, I don’t care if I have to shoot the ball, I don’t care if I have to get some water for the guys. Whatever it takes to help the team win, I am going to do it.”
Dillingham, 19, has a similar attitude after coming off the bench last season as a creative offensive force.
“It’s basketball at the end of the day,” he said. “Whether you are starting or not, I just want to come in and play my role and do the best I can. I can do whatever the coach wants me to do whether it’s pass, shoot or clap for my teammates.”
The 6-3, 176-pound Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists as the SEC Sixth Man of the Year. Like his roommate, he was a highly efficient marksman, shooting 44% from deep on 4.5 attempts per outing.
Both Sheppard and Dillingham credit Wildcats assistant coach John Welch, a former longtime NBA assistant, for making them better shooters.
“That’s my guy,” Dillingham said. “Anytime you want, he’ll get shots with you. John Welch was with me from the first day to the last day. Just repetitive shots every single day. It’s what got me confident in my shooting.”
As far as negatives, Dillingham is undersized and acknowledged he has some defensive shortcomings. Specifically, he said he needs to give better effort and have a better understanding of gameplans.
“My defense lacks at times,” he said.
Sheppard also isn’t without his blemishes. Critics point to him scoring just three points on 1-of-5 shooting over 26 minutes in third-seeded Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to 14th-seeded Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.
“I am not expecting to go into the NBA and be an All-Star my first year,” Sheppard said. “I am not expecting to go in and shoot 20 balls a game. Most of the time that doesn’t happen. So I am good with doing whatever it takes to win and am super-excited about it. Whatever happens, happens. And I can’t wait for the opportunity. And wherever I am, it’s going to be a blast.”
Just like it was rooming with Dillingham.
By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter , via San Antonio Express-News