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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (24号) 在2024年3月27日周三于盐湖城对阵犹他爵士队的NBA篮球比赛下半场中持球推进。(美联社图片/Rick Bowmer)
马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 周一就他三个月前为修复右脚应力性反应而接受的手术，更新了令人鼓舞的恢复进展。
“我已经在球场上活动了，感觉非常好，什么都能做，”瓦塞尔说。“我希望能尽快回归。”
马刺队上周宣布，瓦塞尔在休赛期接受了一项手术，以治疗导致他缺席2023-24赛季最后八场比赛的伤病，预计他将因此错过新赛季的开局阶段。
目前，瓦塞尔的活动仅限于俱乐部所说的无对抗篮球活动，他将不会参加周二在Victory Capital Performance中心开始的训练营。
在球队的媒体日上，瓦塞尔告诉记者，他在尝试让伤病“自然”愈合失败后，于6月26日——他母亲的生日——接受了手术。
“伤处没有按照预期的方式愈合，”瓦塞尔说。“它一直困扰着我，没完没了。”
正如球队上周公布的时间表，瓦塞尔表示他将在11月1日接受复查。届时，马刺队在10月24日于达拉斯开启新赛季后，将已经打完五场比赛。
“我感觉比过去很长一段时间都更健康，”他说。
尽管如此，瓦塞尔表示他会听从球队医疗团队的指导。
“我不想操之过急，导致伤情再次反复，”他说。
为此，他正遵循马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 的建议，在“康复训练中拼尽全力”。
“相信我，我正听从教练的建议，”瓦塞尔说。
现年24岁、即将进入职业生涯第五个赛季的瓦塞尔，上赛季以场均19.5分的表现成为球队的二号得分手，仅次于NBA年度最佳新秀维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)。他出战了68场比赛，是其职业生涯第二高的出场次数，之后马刺队在赛季最后两周让他高挂免战牌。
“我非常兴奋，”瓦塞尔谈到即将到来的赛季时说。“我每天来到这里，看到每个人都在努力训练。这里的氛围非常棒。我迫不及待地期待着明天的训练营和所有事情。我只想尽快回到场上。当我回归时，我将准备就绪。相信我，你们会看到的。”
至于马刺队，瓦塞尔认为他们能够打破队史最长的连续五个赛季无缘季后赛的尴尬纪录。
“季后赛。就是它。我眼中只有这个目标，”当被问及对这支过去两个赛季均只赢了22场球的队伍有何期望时，他说道。
巴恩斯盛赞韦斯利
前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 对球队三年级后卫布雷克·韦斯利 (Blake Wesley) 在过去几周公开训练赛中的表现大加赞赏。
“我认为他在防守端做得令人难以置信，全场紧逼对手，非常积极，还能完成抢断，”巴恩斯在谈到这位马刺在2022年以第25顺位选中的韦斯利时说。“他度过了很棒的两周。”
巴恩斯的评论并不令人意外，因为这位来自圣母大学的球员去年在防守端已经展现出了进步。
“这是他目前最出色的技能，而且他已经真正适应了这个角色，”波波维奇在三月份谈及韦斯利成为防守尖兵的潜力时说道。
保罗为哈里斯竞选活动奔走
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”，以提高贝尔县的投票参与率。该县11月5日大选的选民登记将于10月7日截止。
“很有趣，我昨天刚接到一个关于此事的电话，所以，我绝对会尽我所能提供帮助，确保人们都去投票站投票，”他说。
“运动员支持哈里斯”活动的其他联合主席还包括“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》发布的一份声明，“运动员支持哈里斯”旨在动员运动员和教练在竞选的最后几周内发挥作用。
马刺队的麦斯基·巴恩斯在周一上午于Victory Capital Performance中心举行的马刺媒体日活动中摆姿势拍照。
马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯在周一上午于Victory Capital Performance中心举行的马刺媒体日活动中摆姿势拍照。
马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯在周一上午于Victory Capital Performance中心举行的马刺媒体日活动中发言。
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 reaction 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