By Jeje Gomez | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-06-23 09:04:21
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。
圣安东尼奥可以以低廉的价格找到瓦西里耶·米西奇(Vasilije Micic)和萨沙·维泽科夫(Sasha Vezenkov)，这两位经验丰富的球员仍在努力在NBA找到自己的位置。
马刺队是寻找海外人才的先驱。在格雷格·波波维奇执教期间，他们很好地考察了国际篮联比赛，并招募了一些在欧洲磨练技艺的轮换球员。
自那以后，联盟已经赶上了，球员们很早就被球队盯上了。越来越多的国际新秀被选中并迅速加入联盟，而那些无法在最高水平上发挥作用的球员则被淘汰。现在，在海外找到尚未被发现的宝藏变得更加困难。
但那些已经跳槽但没有机会适应的成绩斐然的球员呢？如果球队想增加一些老将来填补失去的人员，在这一过渡时期，考虑一些欧洲球星的短期、对球队友好的合同或许是值得的。
瓦西里耶·米西奇可能是马刺队需要的那个大个子组合后卫
上个赛季，教练组试图让杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)和马拉基·布兰汉姆(Malaki Branham)担任首发控球后卫，用更大的球员来处理球。在过去的几年里，他们用乔什·理查德森(Josh Richardson)和乔什·普里莫(Josh Primo)作为替补球员的主要控球手。特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)最终成为首发，因为其他球员都表现不佳，但格雷格·波波维奇显然更喜欢一个大个子控球手。
瓦西里耶·米西奇的到来。这位30岁的6英尺5英寸控球后卫在上个赛季被选为欧冠联赛MVP后加入了雷霆队，但他无法在竞争者中获得轮换位置。他替补出场了30场比赛，得分和效率都挣扎，这对他的适应期来说并不令人惊讶。然后他被交易到黄蜂队，他在更大的角色中表现有所提升，他的助攻率尤其大幅上升。米西奇在NBA没有找到他的投篮手感，也与黄蜂队的投篮医生一起训练，尽管他在职业生涯中三分球命中率超过37%，这表明他很谦虚，并愿意继续学习。一位没有自我的老将为了实现自己的NBA梦想而努力，可以为一支年轻的更衣室带来不同的视角，米西奇也有帮助进攻的能力。
米西奇的问题出现在防守端，他很难跟上速度更快的球员。马刺队拥有杰里米·索汉和布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)这样的优秀的防守球员，他们需要帮助创造进攻，因此应该不难让米西奇防守定点射手，同时让他分享控球职责。
米西奇的合同还有一年保障，价值近800万美元，然后是球队选项，所以他基本上是一份到期的合同。如果他表现出色，马刺队可以以低价留住他；如果他表现不佳，他们可以利用他的合同作为交易的薪资配平，或者放弃他。黄蜂队可能不会太依赖他，但他们可能希望等到奥运会结束后再交易他，看看他是否能提高自己的交易价值。尽管如此，马刺队还有很多第二轮签可以用来完成交易。
萨沙·维泽科夫可以为维克多·文班亚马拉开空间
空间和外线投篮一直是马刺队近年来面临的严重问题。他们太多的球员要么不会投篮，要么不够稳定，无法惩罚防守过度帮助或包夹内线的球队。上个赛季，圣安东尼奥队每场比赛投出的三分球数量排名联盟第11，但三分球命中率排名第28，这表明对手很乐意让他们在外线出手，因为他们知道他们不会付出代价。
整个球队必须在这一领域做得更好，才能让进攻运转起来，但萨沙·维泽科夫可以在空间方面为马刺队提供很大的帮助。这位2022年欧冠联赛MVP在上个赛季加盟国王队，但他没有为自己找到位置，最终每场只打了12分钟，出战了42场比赛，部分原因是伤病。在这种有限的角色中，这位6英尺8英寸的大前锋仍然投出了120个三分球，命中了45个，以37.5%的三分球命中率结束了赛季。上个赛季马刺队阵容中只有道格·麦克德莫特(Doug McDermott)和塞迪·奥斯曼(Cedi Osman)的三分球命中率高于他，而维泽科夫正是要取代他们的球员。维泽科夫在欧洲的职业生涯中三分球命中率达到40%，他是一位高产射手，可以在定点位置或移动中投篮，可以摆脱掩护或接球后投篮，因此防守球员必须尊重他。
与米西奇一样，防守也是一个问题。维泽科夫是一个优秀的防守篮板手，但他可能成为挡拆战术的目标，特别是如果马刺队继续换防这些战术。有了文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在后防线上，应该可以减轻他个人防守上的问题，他的经验应该可以让他在团队层面打得足够好，避免成为防守漏洞。
维泽科夫与米西奇一样，他的合同还有一年保障，以及球队对第二年的选项。国王队阵容昂贵，据报道正在与他分道扬镳，因为他并不开心在萨克拉门托，他也不是球队优先考虑的对象。如果马刺队认为桑德罗·马穆凯拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)无法胜任拉开空间的前锋角色，维泽科夫可能是一个不错的廉价选择。
米西奇和维泽科夫年龄太大，而且有缺陷，无法成为马刺队核心的一部分，但他们可能在短期内帮助球队，就像其他老将一样。他们来到联盟的第一年表现令人失望，但他们的环境和从一个联盟转换到另一个联盟的适应期至少可以部分解释他们的挣扎。这两位老将现在在NBA已经打了一年球了，所以他们应该在下个赛季表现更好，特别是如果他们能为格雷格·波波维奇打球的话，因为他有处理国际球员的经验。
这两名前欧冠联赛MVP不应该成为马刺队的首要目标，但他们是市场上可能被低估的经验丰富的球员。作为低风险的补充，如果管理层想要经验和潜力，但又不愿做出长期的承诺，那么他们可能值得尝试。
点击查看原文：The Spurs should consider taking a flyer on two former Euroleague MVPs
The Spurs should consider taking a flyer on two former Euroleague MVPs
San Antonio could find cheap playmaking and shooting in Vasilije Micic and Sasha Vezenkov, two proven talents still trying to find their way in the NBA.
The Spurs were pioneers in looking overseas for talent. In the contending years under Gregg Popovich, they scouted the FIBA game well and added rotation players who learned their trade in Europe.
Since those days the league has caught up and players are in teams’ radars early. More and more international prospects get drafted and join the league quickly, and the ones who can’t perform at the highest level are discarded. It’s harder now to find uncovered gems overseas.
But what about some highly decorated players who made the leap and simply didn’t have the opportunity to adjust? If the team is looking to add some veterans to replace the ones it has lost, taking a look at some European standouts on short, team-friendly deals could be worth it in this transitional period.
Vasilije Micic could be the big combo guard the Spurs need
Last season the coaching staff tried to play bigger ball handlers at point guard, with Jeremy Sochan and then Malaki Branham being the lead guards. In past years, they used Josh Richardson and Josh Primo as main ball handlers off the bench. Tre Jones ended up as the starter because the others struggled, but the idea of a big playmaker is clearly appealing to Gregg Popovich.
Enter Vasilije Micic. The 30-year-old 6’5 point guard joined the Thunder last season after being crowned Euroleague MVP but couldn’t crack the rotation for a contender. He came off the bench for 30 games and struggled with scoring and efficiency, which wasn’t hugely surprising for his adaptation period. Then he was traded to the Hornets and his numbers improved in a bigger role, with his assist percentage in particular climbing heavily. Micic, who didn’t find his stroke from outside in the NBA, also worked with the Hornets’ shot doctor despite shooting over 37 percent from outside for his career, which shows he’s humble and willing to continue to learn. A veteran with no ego trying to live his NBA dream could bring a different perspective to a young locker room and Micic has the skill to help on offense.
The issues with Micic come on the defensive end, where he can struggle to stay in front of quicker players. The Spurs have good point-of-attack defenders that could use help creating in Jeremy Sochan and Blake Wesley so it shouldn’t be too hard to hide Micic on spot-up shooters while he shares playmaking duties.
Micic has one more guaranteed year in his contract worth close to $8 million and then a club option, so he’s essentially on an expiring deal. If he works out, the Spurs can keep him for cheap and if he doesn’t, they can use his contract as salary ballast on a trade or waive him. The Hornets shouldn’t be too attached to him but might want to wait until after the Olympics to move him to see if he can improve his trade value. Still, the Spurs have plenty of second-rounders to make a deal happen.
Sasha Vezenkov could spread the floor for Victor Wembanyama
Spacing and outside shooting have been a severe issue for the Spurs in recent years. Too many of their players can’t shoot or are not consistent enough to punish defenses that overhelp or pack the paint. Last season San Antonio took the 11th most threes per game but ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage, which shows that opponents were fine with allowing them to pull the trigger from outside because they knew they wouldn’t make them pay.
The team as a whole will have to do better in that area for the offense to click, but Sasha Vezenkov could help the Spurs a lot in terms of spacing. The 2022 Euroleague MVP joined the Kings last season but couldn’t carve out a place for himself and ended up playing just 12 minutes a game and appearing in 42 games, partially because of injuries. In that small of a role, the 6’8 power forward still managed to launch 120 threes and connect on 45, to finish the year as a 37.5 percent shooter from outside. The only two players with a better shooting percentage in last season’s Spurs’ roster were Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, the guys Vezenkov would be replacing. Vezenkov, who shot 40 percent in his career in Europe, is a volume shooter who can fire on spot-up situations or on the move, coming off screens or after handoffs, so defenses have to respect him.
As with Micic, defense is an issue. Vezenkov is a good defensive rebounder but could get targeted on the pick-and-roll, especially if the Spurs continue to switch those actions. Having Wembanyama on the back line should help mitigate his individual issues and his experience should allow him to play well enough at the team level to avoid being a liability.
Vezenkov, just like Micic, has one more guaranteed year on his contract and a team option for the year after. The Kings have an expensive roster and are reportedly in the process of parting ways with him, since he’s not happy in Sacramento and he’s not a priority for the team. If the Spurs don’t think Sandro Mamukelashvili can fill the role of stretch forward, Vezenkov could be a good, cheap option.
Micic and Vezenkov are too old and flawed to become a part of the Spurs’ core, but they could potentially help in the short term as other veterans have. Their first year in the league was disappointing, but their environment and the adjustment period from switching leagues can at least partially be blamed for their struggles. Both veterans now have a season in the NBA under their belts, so they should be better next year, especially if they get to play for Gregg Popovich, who has experience dealing with international players.
The two former Euroleague MVPs should not be major targets or priorities for the Spurs, but they are proven talents that might be undervalued in the market. As low risk additions, they could be worth a flyer if the front office wants experience and upside without having to make long-term commitments.
By Jeje Gomez, via Pounding The Rock