By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-07-17 11:49:48
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。
2024年4月9日，在孟菲斯对阵灰熊队的比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)（54号）面对孟菲斯灰熊队后卫乔丹·古德温持球。
拉斯维加斯——在这个休赛期，马刺队在人员方面可谓面面俱到。
在签下克里斯·保罗和哈里森·巴恩斯这两位备受瞩目的老将一周后，马刺队又与两位留队的年轻大个子桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)和查尔斯·巴斯(Charles Bassey)达成了协议。
这种两手抓的策略突显了马刺队希望在维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的第二个赛季赢得更多比赛，同时也坚持他们循序渐进、稳扎稳打的重建过程，其中包括马穆克拉什维利和巴斯等年轻球员的持续发展。
“看起来我们正在做所有的事情，”前锋/中锋扎克·科林斯(Zach Collins)说，“我们正在努力赢球，但我们也在培养每一个在这里的人。”
通过与马穆克拉什维利和巴斯这两位马刺球迷熟悉的面孔达成协议，俱乐部填补了15人名单的剩余名额。在3月份与控球后卫贾马里·布耶亚(Jamaree Bouyea)签署了一份双向合同后，他们还有两份双向合同需要填补。二轮秀哈里森·英格拉姆(Harrison Ingram)可能会得到其中一份双向合同。
马穆克拉什维利的经纪人在周二证实，马刺队已经达成协议，将这位球迷喜爱的球员带回来，双方签署了一份为期一年、价值220万美元的合同。
马刺队在周三宣布与巴斯续约。条款没有披露，但联盟消息人士称，这与马穆克拉什维利获得的老将底薪合同相同。
现年25岁、身高6英尺11英寸的马穆克拉什维利在过去两个赛季代表马刺队出战了65场比赛后，于今年夏天成为一名受限制自由球员。在此期间，他场均得到6.1分和4.2个篮板，并在此过程中赢得了一位重要支持者的支持。
“他就像我最喜欢的球员，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在4月份说道。
马穆克拉什维利出生于纽约，在格鲁吉亚共和国长大，之后在佛罗里达州上高中，并在塞顿霍尔大学就读。2023年3月，马刺队从密尔沃基雄鹿队认领了他，之后他很快就赢得了圣安东尼奥球迷的喜爱。
“他是欧洲人，这让我立刻就喜欢上了他，因为我认为这些球员受到了令人难以置信的良好训练，而且总体上对比赛的理解比我们这里的大多数人都要好，”波波维奇说道。
现年23岁、身高6英尺10英寸的替补中锋巴斯曾在圣安东尼奥的圣安东尼高中打球，他在马刺队的两个赛季中出场54次，场均得到4.5分和5.0个篮板。本月早些时候，为了给39岁的未来名人堂控球后卫保罗和稳健的32岁前锋巴恩斯腾出薪资空间，马刺队放弃了他。
他们在自由球员市场上签下了保罗，并通过一笔三方交易得到了巴恩斯。
巴斯出生于尼日利亚拉各斯，曾在圣安东尼高中效力过两个赛季。2022年10月，在被费城76人队裁掉后，马刺队首次签下了巴斯。
去年12月，巴斯在代表马刺队的奥斯汀发展联盟附属球队比赛时遭遇了前交叉韧带撕裂，并因此缺席了本赛季剩余的比赛。目前还不清楚巴斯是否会在9月下旬训练营开始前及时获得完全参赛的许可。
马刺队的几名球员对俱乐部的休赛期操作表示赞赏，其中包括在选秀大会上用第四顺位选中了前康涅狄格大学后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)。
“看到我们让球队自然发展，这真是太棒了，”今年4月接受了肩部手术的科林斯说道，“我们正在让球员们变得更好。我们不会仅仅因为我们想现在就赢球而放弃任何人。我认为我们感觉就像是在双管齐下。我们让每个人都得到发展，然后我们引进全明星球员，我们在选秀中也做得很好。”
前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)上赛季作为一名防守型小前锋首发了59场比赛，他同意科林斯的观点。
“我想有克里斯·保罗和哈里森（巴恩斯）在，情况会好得多，”23岁的尚帕尼说道，“竞争会立即变得更加激烈。两位非常、非常棒的新成员。然后你让查尔斯回来了，你让桑德罗回来了，这些人都想留在这里，他们想努力，他们想让每个人都变得更好。我只是觉得我们现在阵容很完整。”
科林斯和尚帕尼是去年球队的几名老将中的一员，他们聚集在拉斯维加斯，在夏季联赛球队训练的同一个球场上一起训练。这支队伍包括马穆克拉什维利、控球后卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)以及后卫马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)和布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)。
尚帕尼说，这些训练表明他和他的队友们多么渴望9月份训练营的开始。
“我们希望比去年做得更好，”尚帕尼说道，“我们希望坚定地在本赛季取得进步。”
尽管文班亚马度过了一个历史性的新秀赛季，但马刺队在2023-24赛季的战绩为22胜60负，连续第二个赛季垫底。但尚帕尼表示，当马刺队在最后11场比赛中赢下7场时，本赛季的势头有所增强。
“最重要的是，在上赛季末，尤其是在维克的带领下，我们磨合得更多了，我们之间的关系也更亲密了，”尚帕尼说道，“我们能够在赛季末赢下几场漂亮的比赛，（战胜了）尼克斯队，（战胜了）掘金队。这些比赛可能对任何事情都没有影响，但对我们来说，它们意义重大。这表明我们在这里有一些东西，我们有一些东西正在酝酿和发展。”
这种“东西”包括像巴斯和马穆克拉什维利这样的年轻球员的组合，马刺队希望继续帮助他们成长，以及像保罗和巴恩斯这样的老将，他们可以帮助球队赢得更多胜利，同时等待明年丰收的选秀大会和自由球员市场。
“克里斯·保罗是有史以来最优秀的控球后卫之一，”科林斯说道，“他不仅会帮助我们每晚在球场上赢得比赛，而且还能让我们看到他是如何度过每一天的。当你长时间保持如此出色，你肯定做对了什么。不仅是在球场上，还有在场下。对他我们所有人来说，能够在他身边都将是一件好事。而哈里森是那种在这个联盟里长期以来一直非常、非常优秀的球员。我们很幸运能拥有他。”
当然，一切都围绕着文班亚马展开，这位7英尺3英寸的法国人在新秀赛季场均得到全联盟新秀最高的21.4分、10.6个篮板和3.6次盖帽（联盟最高），外加3.9次助攻和1.2次抢断，并赢得了NBA年度最佳新秀奖。
“他是一个与众不同的物种，”科林斯说道，“他正在做着令人难以置信的事情。”
《快报》报记者杰夫·麦克唐纳(Jeff McDonald)对本报道有贡献。
2024年4月14日，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场，底特律活塞队后卫马库斯·萨瑟（左）试图从圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利（54号）面前传球。（美联社照片/迈克尔·托马斯）
2024年4月12日，在圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利（54号）在与丹佛掘金队的NBA比赛下半场得分后庆祝。马刺队以121-120获胜。
2024年4月12日，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的NBA比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利（54号）越过丹佛掘金队前锋佩顿·沃森（8号）投篮。
佛罗里达州迈阿密-2月7日：2024年2月7日，在佛罗里达州迈阿密的卡塞亚中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队的桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利（54号）在比赛的第四节对阵迈阿密热火队的比赛中扣篮。
2023年12月1日，星期五，在新奥尔良举行的NBA篮球比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋查尔斯·巴斯（28号）封盖了新奥尔良鹈鹕队中锋约纳斯·瓦兰丘纳斯的投篮。鹈鹕队以121-106获胜。（美联社照片/杰拉尔德·赫伯特）
2023年12月1日，星期五，在新奥尔良举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋查尔斯·巴斯越过新奥尔良鹈鹕队中锋约纳斯·瓦兰丘纳斯（17号）完成扣篮。（美联社照片/杰拉尔德·赫伯特）
2023年11月12日，星期日，在弗罗斯特银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队的查尔斯·巴斯（28号）扣篮。迈阿密热火队以118-113击败了圣安东尼奥马刺队。
点击查看原文：Players applaud Spurs' offseason of 'doing everything'
Players applaud Spurs’ offseason of ‘doing everything’
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Jordan Goodwin in the first half against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 in Memphis.
LAS VEGAS — When it comes to personnel, the Spurs are covering all of the bases this summer.
A week after adding a pair of high-profile veterans in Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, the Spurs have reached agreements with a pair of their holdover young big men in Sandro Mamukelashvili and Charles Bassey.
The two-ends-of-the-spectrum approach highlights the Spurs’ desire to win more games in Victor Wembanyama’s second season while also adhering to their patient, skip-no-steps rebuild, a process that includes the continuing development of young players like Mamukelashvili and Bassey.
“It just seems like we are doing everything,” forward/center Zach Collins said. “We are trying to win, but we are also developing everyone that has been here.”
By brokering deals with Mamukelashvili and Bassey, two players familiar to Spurs fans, the club filled out the remainder of its 15-man roster. They still have two two-way contracts to fill after signing point guard Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way deal in March. Second-round rookie Harrison Ingram is likely to get one of those two-way pacts.
The Spurs reached an agreement to bring fan favorite Mamukelashvili back on a one-year, $2.2 million contract, the forward’s agents confirmed Tuesday.
The Spurs announced Wednesday the re-signing of Bassey. Terms weren’t disclosed, but league sources said it’s the same veteran minimum-level deal that Mamukelashvili received.
The 6-foot-11 Mamukelashvili, 25, became a restricted free agent this summer after appearing in 65 games across the past two seasons with the Spurs. He averaged 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in that span, earning an important supporter in the process.
“He’s like my favorite player,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in April.
Born in New York and raised in the Republic of Georgia before attending high school in Florida and college at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili quickly made fans in San Antonio after the Spurs claimed him off waivers from Milwaukee in March 2023.
“He’s European, which makes me love him right off the bat because I think those guys are unbelievably well-coached and overall understand the game better than most of us here,” Popovich said.
The 6-10 Bassey, a 23-year-old backup center who played high school ball in San Antonio at St. Anthony, appeared in 54 games over parts of two seasons with the Spurs, averaging 4.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. He was waived earlier this month as the Spurs maneuvered to make salary cap room for Paul, a 39-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard, and Barnes, a steady-as-they-come 32-year-old forward.
They signed Paul in free agency and acquired Barnes in a three-team trade.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Bassey played two seasons at St. Anthony. The Spurs first signed Bassey in October 2022 after he was waived by Philadelphia.
Bassey suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in December while playing for the Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin and missed the remainder of this season. It is unclear if Bassey will be cleared for full participation in time for training camp, which starts in late September.
Several Spurs players applauded the club’s offseason moves, which included drafting former Connecticut guard Stephon Castle fourth overall.
“It’s just awesome to see that we are letting it kind of develop,” said Collins, who is recovering from shoulder surgery in April. “We are letting guys get better. We are not like getting rid of people just because we are trying to win now. I think it feels like we are doing both. We are letting everyone develop and then we bring in All-Stars and we draft really well.”
Forward Julian Champagnie, who started 59 games as a defensive-minded small forward last season, agreed with Collins.
“I imagine it will be so much better with Chris Paul and with Harrison (Barnes),” said Champagnie, 23. “The competitiveness just immediately goes up. Two really, really good additions. And then you get Charles back, you get Sandro back, guys that want to be here, who want to work, who want to get everyone better. I just think we have a well-rounded thing right now.”
Collins and Champagnie have been part of a contingent of veterans from last year’s team that have gathered in Vegas to work out together on the same court where the Summer League squad holds its practices. The group includes Mamukelashvili, point guard Tre Jones and guards Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley.
Champagnie said the workouts underscore how eager he and his teammates are for training camp to start in September.
“We want to be better than we were last year,” Champagnie said. “We want to be adamant about getting better this year.”
Despite Wembanyama’s historic rookie season, the Spurs finished 22-60 in 2023-24 for the second year in a row. But Champagnie said some momentum was gained for this season when the Spurs won seven of their last 11 games.
“The biggest thing is that at the end of last year, especially with Vic, we jelled a little more, we got a little more closer together,” Champagnie said. “We were able to get off a couple of good wins, (over) the Knicks, (over) the Nuggets at the end of the year. They may not have counted towards anything, but for us, they were big. It just shows we have something here, we have something brewing and growing.”
That “something” includes a blend of young players like Bassey and Mamukelashvili the Spurs want to continue to help grow, and veterans like Paul and Barnes who can help the organization gain more wins while awaiting next year’s bountiful draft and free agency market.
“Chris Paul is one of the best point guards to ever play,” Collins said. “Not only is he going to help us win games on the floor every night, but just to see how he lives day to day. When you are that good for that long, you are doing something right. Not only on the court but off the court. It will be good for all of us to be around that. And Harrison is a guy who has just been a very, very good player in this league for a long time. We are lucky to have him.”
Of course, everything revolves around Wembanyama, the 7-3 Frenchman who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after leading all rookies in points (21.4), rebounds (10.6) and blocks (an NBA-best 3.6) per game to go along with 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals.
“He is a different specimen,” Collins said. “He was doing unbelievable things.”
Express-News staff writer Jeff McDonald contributed to this story.
Detroit Piston guard Marcus Sasser, left, looks to pass against San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) celebrates after scoring during the second half of their NBA game with the Denver Nuggets at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, April 12, 2024 in San Antonio. Spurs won 121-120.
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8)during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, April 12, 2024.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 07: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on February 07, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey (28) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. The Pelicans won 121-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey slam dunks over New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
San Antonio Spurs Charles Bassey (28) dunks on Sunday, Nov. 12,2023 at the Frost Bank Center. Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 118-113.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News