By Jeje Gomez | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-07-01 10:24:22
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。
只要保罗扮演好自己的角色并帮助其他球员成长，他的签约就能帮助马刺加速重建。
据露天看台的克里斯·海恩斯(Chris Haynes)报道，马刺队在自由球员市场上的第一个动作就是与未来名人堂控球后卫克里斯·保罗达成协议。据ESPN的阿德里安·沃纳罗斯基(Adrian Wojnarowski)报道，他将签署一份为期一年，价值“1100万美元以上”的合同。
对于马刺队来说，引入一位已过巅峰的老将是一个有趣的决定，但保罗可不是一般的过气球星。他是联盟历史上最优秀的控球后卫之一，是挡拆战术的大师，即使在职业生涯的末期，他仍然可以通过挡拆为内线球员创造机会，或者用他那致命的中距离跳投惩罚对手——多年来，圣安东尼奥的防守体系一直被他折磨得苦不堪言。他还以强硬但公正的领导者著称，能够赢得更衣室的尊重。他直言不讳的风格在过去曾引起过队友的不满，但这在马刺队应该不是问题，因为每个人都已经习惯了格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)这样的铁腕教练的指导。如果说签下一名39岁的球员有什么意义的话，那么这个人就是保罗。
重要的是要记住，保罗已经不再是明星球员了。他已经连续三个赛季得分创下职业生涯新低，上赛季他的场均数据只有9.2分、6.8次助攻和3.9个篮板，这当然还算不错，但绝不是什么惊人的表现。他的身边有斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry)和德雷蒙德·格林(Draymond Green)这两位高使用率的得分后卫和前锋，他们分担了组织进攻的职责，但如果指望在圣安东尼奥看到巅峰时期的CP3突然回归，那就太愚蠢了。他也从来不是最耐操的球员，这意味着当他不可避免地缺阵时，其他后卫将需要站出来。他不是救世主，马刺队也不能指望他来解决他们上赛季进攻端的所有问题。
幸运的是，他不需要让时光倒流就能发挥作用。只要让他和特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)分担控球后卫的时间，马刺队就能始终保持稳定的掌舵，这对一支上赛季失误过多、有时在进攻战术上还会感到困惑的球队来说将大有裨益，毕竟大多数年轻球队都是如此。在半场进攻中，他和维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的组合也很棒，因为保罗可以用他的中距离急停跳投来惩罚那些把所有防守精力都放在阻止空中接力和口袋传球上的球队。保罗在过去三个赛季里，急停三分球的命中率只有30%，所以他的射程已经不再延伸到三分线外了，但只要他愿意出手，对对手来说就是一种威胁，他们必须对他严加防范。
主要的担忧是关于他的角色定位，以及是马刺队适应他，还是他适应马刺队。在上赛季为勇士队效力的58场比赛中，保罗有40场比赛是替补出场，场均出场时间只有25.4分钟，创下了职业生涯新低，这表明他愿意为了球队的利益牺牲个人数据。但他是在一支在陷入困境之前雄心勃勃的球队中做到这一点的。他愿意在圣安东尼奥这样做吗，尤其是在开局不利的情况下？或者说，他是否认为自己在这些缺乏经验的队友中扮演着重要的角色？以下是海恩斯对保罗与波波维奇会面的描述以及保罗的期望：
克里斯·保罗与马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇进行了一次愉快的谈话，他被马刺队的文化和帮助维克多·文班亚马提升比赛水平的机会所打动。CP渴望并有动力证明自己仍然是联盟中的精英后卫。https://t.co/SUgdpWviVQ
— 克里斯·海恩斯(@ChrisBHaynes) 2024年7月1日
保罗已经不是一名精英后卫了，试图重拾昔日辉煌可能会对他和球队造成损害。马刺队绝对需要一位能够打无球、以传球为先、在防守端每场拼20-25分钟的场上司令官，而保罗应该能够做到这一点。如果他像巅峰时期那样，试图通过放慢节奏、掌控球权来让进攻围绕他展开，他将会迫使一支正在围绕球权转移和快节奏建立战术体系的球队（上赛季助攻数排名联盟第二，节奏排名第三）做出巨大的调整。改变不一定是坏事，尤其是在经历了一个22胜的赛季之后，但保罗在圣安东尼奥的时间很短，适应他没有意义。
虽然存在一些潜在的问题，但现在就过分担心可能出现的问题还为时过早。保罗是一名聪明的球员，他可能明白自己是以导师的身份加入了一支年轻的球队。如果马刺队战绩不佳或者他个人表现挣扎，他可能会感到沮丧，但他和波波维奇之间似乎存在着某种程度的相互尊重，无论发生什么，这都应该能让球场内外的一切保持和谐。无论他是和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)搭档首发，还是作为他的替补，他都会教会卡斯尔很多关于如何成为一名得分手和组织者的知识，并且会像他在辉煌的职业生涯中与每一位中锋合作过的那样，提升文班的比赛水平。而且由于他签下的是一份一年的合同，所以他的加盟没有任何风险，如果事情进展不顺利，他可以被交易或裁掉。
马刺队并没有得到许多球迷在休赛期前所希望的明星控球后卫，但如果克里斯·保罗能够全身心投入，他最终可能会在场上和场下都对球队的重建起到巨大的帮助。只要球队和这位传奇控卫对他的角色定位达成一致，这对始终保持耐心但显然正在寻求基本竞争力的圣安东尼奥智囊团来说，将是朝着正确方向迈出的一小步。
点击查看原文：Chris Paul to the Spurs is a smart, low-risk move that could pay off on and off the court
Chris Paul to the Spurs is a smart, low-risk move that could pay off on and off the court
As long as Paul is in the right role and helps others develop, his signing could help speed up the Spurs’ rebuild.
The Spurs made their first move in free agency by agreeing to terms with future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. He will sign a one-year, “$11 million-plus” contract, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
It’s an interesting decision from the Spurs to bring in a veteran on his last legs into the fold, but Paul is not just any former star. He’s been one of the best point guards the league has ever seen, a master of the pick and roll that even in this late age can elevate the play of big men who screen for him or punish defenses with a deadly elbow jumper that tormented San Antonio’s drop defense for years. He’s also been known to be a tough but fair leader who can command the respect of a locker room. His vocal style can and has alienated teammates in the past, but that shouldn’t be a problem with the Spurs, since everyone is already used to a disciplinarian like Gregg Popovich guiding them. If it made sense to sign any 39-year-old, it was Paul.
What will be important to remember is that Paul is not a star anymore. He has averaged career lows for three seasons in a row in scoring and last season his per-game numbers were 9.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds, definitely respectable but not mind-blowing by any means. He was playing next to a high-usage scoring guard and a forward who shared playmaking duties in Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, respectively, but it would be foolish to expect to see prime CP3 suddenly return in San Antonio. He’s also never been the most durable player, which means other guards will need to step up when he inevitably misses time. He’s not a savior, and the Spurs will not be able to rely on him to solve every issue they had on offense last season.
Luckily, he doesn’t have to turn back the clock to be helpful. Simply by having him split point guard minutes with Tre Jones, the Spurs will have a steady hand at the helm at all times, which should do wonders for an offense that turned the ball over too much and would sometimes get confused about plays last season, as most young teams do. The fit next to Victor Wembanyama is also great in the half-court since Paul can make teams that gear their entire defense into preventing lobs and pocket passes pay by using his pull-up jumper from mid-range. The range doesn’t extend to beyond the arc anymore, as Paul had made just 30 percent of his pull-up threes in the last three seasons, but he’s enough of a threat simply by being willing to let it fly that opponents have to account for him.
The major concerns are about his role and whether the Spurs will adjust to him or he’ll adjust to them. Paul came off the bench in Golden State for 40 of the 58 games he suited up for and logged a career-low 25.4 minutes a game for the Warriors last season, showing a willingness to sacrifice his individual numbers for the good of the team. But he did that on a franchise that had big ambitions before struggling. Will he be willing to do it in San Antonio, especially if there’s a slow start, or does he see himself as a major piece among untested teammates? Here’s how Haynes described the meeting Paul reportedly had with Gregg Popovich and Paul’s expectations:
Chris Paul had a great talk with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and was sold on the culture and opportunity to help elevate the game of Victor Wembanyama. CP is eager and motivated to showcase he’s still an elite guard in this league. https://t.co/SUgdpWviVQ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2024
Paul is not an elite guard anymore and trying to reclaim that former glory could be detrimental to him and the team. The Spurs could absolutely use a floor general who can play off the ball, look to pass first and compete on defense for 20-25 minutes a game, and Paul should be able to give them that. If he instead tries to have the offense run through him by slowing down the pace and dominating the ball like he did in his prime, he’ll force a team that was building an identity around ball movement and pace (second in assists per game last season and third in pace) to make a huge adjustment. Change isn’t necessarily bad, especially after a 22-win season, but Paul will only be in San Antonio for a short time and adapting to him makes no sense.
While there are some potential issues, it’s too early to get overly concerned about what could go wrong. Paul is a smart player who probably understands he’s joining a young team in a mentor role. He might get frustrated if the Spurs don’t win much or he struggles, but there seems to be a level of mutual respect with Gregg Popovich that should keep everything copacetic both on the court and in the locker room no matter what. Whether he’s starting next to Stephon Castle or backing him up, he’ll teach him a lot about being a scorer and playmaker and will elevate Wemby’s play as he has with every center he’s played with in his storied career. And since he’s on a one-year deal, there’s no risk to his addition, and if things go poorly he could be traded or waived.
The Spurs didn’t get the star point guard many fans were hoping for heading into free agency, but Chris Paul could end up being of tremendous help to the rebuild, both on and off the court, if he buys in. As long as the expectations about his role align between the franchise and the legendary floor general, this could be a small step in the right direction for a San Antonio brain trust that remains patient but is clearly looking for a base level of competence.
By Jeje Gomez, via Pounding The Rock