By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-09-30 15:13:56
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 3 月 27 日，在盐湖城举行的 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)（24 岁）在下半场带球进攻，对阵犹他爵士队。 （美联社照片/里克·鲍默）
马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)周一就他三个月前接受的右脚应力性骨折修复手术的恢复情况发表了令人鼓舞的消息。
“我现在在场上活动自如，一切都很顺利，”瓦塞尔说。“我希望尽快回来。”
马刺队上周宣布，瓦塞尔预计将缺席赛季初的比赛。此前，他接受了一次休赛期手术，以治疗迫使他缺席 2023-24 赛季最后八场比赛的伤病。
目前，瓦塞尔仅限于俱乐部所称的非接触性篮球活动，他不会参加周二在维克托资本表演中心开始的训练营。
瓦塞尔在球队媒体日上对记者说，他在 6 月 26 日——他母亲的生日——接受了手术，此前他曾试图让伤势“自然”痊愈。
“它没有像预期的那样愈合，”瓦塞尔说。“它一直在隐隐作痛，一直困扰着我。”
瓦塞尔重申了球队上周宣布的时间表，他表示将在 11 月 1 日接受重新评估。到那时，马刺队将在 10 月 24 日客场对阵达拉斯独行侠队的比赛后打完五场比赛。
“我觉得自己比很长一段时间以来都要健康，”他说。
尽管如此，瓦塞尔表示，他会让球队的医疗人员来指导他。
“我不想操之过急，然后再次复发，”他说。
为此，他听从了马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)的建议，在康复过程中“拼命努力”。
“相信我，我正在听从教练的建议，”瓦塞尔说。
现年 24 岁的瓦塞尔是一名五年级职业球员，上赛季场均得到 19.5 分，是马刺队的第二得分手，仅次于 NBA 年度最佳新秀维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)。在马刺队让他缺席最后两周之前，他出场 68 次，是职业生涯第二高。
“我很兴奋，”瓦塞尔谈到即将到来的赛季时说。“我每天都来这里，看到每个人都在努力工作。这里充满了能量。我迫不及待地想参加明天的训练营。我只是很高兴能回到球场上。当我回到球场上时，我会做好准备的。相信我，你会看到的。”
至于马刺队，瓦塞尔认为他们可以打破球队历史上最长的连续五个赛季无缘季后赛的记录。
“季后赛。就是这样。这就是我所看到的全部，”他在谈到他对这支过去两个赛季只赢了 22 场比赛的球队的期望时说。
巴恩斯赞扬韦斯利
前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)对他所说的三年级后卫布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)在过去几周的公开训练赛中的表现表示“赞赏”。
“我认为他在全场盯防对手、积极拼抢、抢断方面做得非常出色，”巴恩斯在谈到 2022 年被马刺队在第 25 顺位选中的韦斯利时说。“他度过了很棒的两周。”
在这位来自圣母大学的产品上赛季在防守端取得进步后，巴恩斯的评论并不令人惊讶。
“这是他现在最好的技能，他已经真正适应了这个角色，”波波维奇在三月份谈到韦斯利作为一名防守尖兵的潜力时说。
保罗为哈里斯拉票
作为副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯(Kamala Harris)总统竞选活动“运动员支持哈里斯”的 10 位联合主席之一，控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)表示，他正在“积极努力”提高贝克萨尔县的投票参与率，该县 11 月 5 日选举的登记工作将持续到 10 月 7 日。
“说来好笑，我昨天接到一个电话，是关于这件事的，所以我绝对在努力看看我能做些什么来帮助确保人们能够去投票，”他说。
“运动员支持哈里斯”的其他联合主席包括魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)、比利·简·金(Billie Jean King)、史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)、坎迪斯·帕克(Candace Parker)、道格·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)和道恩·斯特利(Dawn Staley)。
根据哈里斯竞选团队上周向《今日美国》发表的一份声明，“运动员支持哈里斯”活动旨在在竞选活动的最后几周动员运动员和教练。
周一上午，在维克托资本表演中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队的梅斯基·巴恩斯(Maiski Barnes)摆姿势拍照。
周一上午，在维克托资本表演中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯摆姿势拍照。
周一上午，在维克托资本表演中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯发表讲话。
点击查看原文：Vassell issues positive update after offseason surgery
Vassell issues positive update after offseason surgery
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) brings the ball up court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Spurs guard Devin Vassell gave an encouraging update Monday regarding his recovery from the surgery he underwent three months ago to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.
“I’m on the court moving around really good, doing everything,” Vassell said. “I’m hoping to be back as soon as possible.”
The Spurs announced last week Vassell is expected to miss the start of the season after an offseason procedure to heal an injury that forced him to miss the final eight games of the 2023-24 campaign.
Limited for the moment to what the club termed non-contact basketball activities, Vassell won’t participate in practice when training camp starts Tuesday at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Speaking to reporters at the team’s Media Day, Vassell said he had the surgery June 26th - his mother’s birthday - after first trying to let the injury heal “naturally.”
“It just didn’t heal how it was supposed to heal,” Vassell said. “It was just nagging, nagging, nagging.”
Echoing the timetable announced by the team last week, Vassell said he will be re-evaluated Nov. 1. By that date, the Spurs are scheduled to have played five games after starting the season on Oct. 24 at Dallas.
“I feel more healthy than I’ve been in a long time,” he said.
Still, Vassell indicated he will let the team’s medical staff be his guide.
“I don’t want to rush back into it and have another setback,” he said.
To that end, he’s following the advice of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to “work his ass off in rehab.”
“Trust me, I’m following coach’s advice,” Vassell said.
Vasell, a 24-year-old fifth-year pro, was the Spurs’ second-leading scorer last season at 19.5 points per game behind NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. He appeared in 68 games, second-most of his career, before the Spurs shut him down for the final two weeks.
“I’m excited,” Vassell said of the coming season. “I come in every day and see everybody working. It’s a great energy here. I can’t wait for tomorrow with training camp and everything. I’m just excited to get back on the court. When I get back on the court, I’ll be ready. Trust me, you’ll see.”
As for the Spurs as a team, Vassell thinks they can break their franchise-worst five-season playoff drought.
“Playoffs. That’s it. That’s all I see,” he said of his expectations for a team that has won just 22 games in the past two seasons.
Barnes praises Wesley
Forward Harrison Barnes offered what he called a “shout out” for the play of third-year guard Blake Wesley during open gym scrimmages the past several weeks.
“I thought he’s done an unbelievable job of just picking up guys defensively full court, getting active, getting steals,” Barnes said of Wesley, drafted 25th overall by the Spurs in 2022. “He’s had a great two weeks.”
Barnes’ comments aren’t surprising after the Notre Dame product showed progress last year on the defensive end.
“It’s his best skill right now and he has really warmed up to that role,” Popovich said in March of Wesley’s potential as a defensive stopper.
Paul campaigning for Harris
As one of 10 co-chairs for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign initiative “Athletes for Harris,” point guard Chris Paul said he’s “actively trying to work” to increase voting participation in Bexar County, where registration for the Nov. 5 election runs through Oct. 7.
“It’s funny, I got a call about that yesterday, so absolutely trying to see what I can do to help to make sure people get out to the polls and stuff like that,” he said.
Among the other co-chairs for “Athletes for Harris” are Magic Johnson, Billie Jean King, Steve Kerr, Candace Parker, Doc Rivers and Dawn Staley.
“Athletes for Harris” is an effort to mobilize athletes and coaches in the final weeks of the campaign, according to a statement the Harris campaign issued last week to USA Today.
Spurs Maiski Barnes poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Harrison Barnes poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Harrison Barnes speaks during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News