By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-03 16:24:46
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。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
成为维克托·文班亚马最大的好处之一就是出行。这位圣安东尼奥身高最高的 20 岁年轻人，随时都可以享受专职司机驾驶的梅赛德斯-奔驰 Sprinter 厢式货车接送服务，而且车内空间宽敞，腿部空间充裕。
文班亚马每天都会前往位于胜利资本训练中心的马刺队训练馆。训练馆靠近 10 号州际公路和 1604 环路交汇处，那里尘土飞扬，充斥着震耳欲聋的司机怒吼，宛如世界末日的施工现场。在这样的通勤路上，文班亚马可以安心放松，不必忍受走走停停的痛苦。他来德克萨斯州的时候还没有驾照，而且他本可以一辈子都不需要驾照。
但他当然无法抗拒驾驶的诱惑。来这里还不到一年，他就下定决心要学习开车。虽然目前他对自己的驾驶技术评价仅仅是“还行”，但他已经明白了道路规则的重要性。
“我会控制自己的本能，”文班亚马说，“有时候你想踩油门，但我控制住了自己。”
对于这位 NBA 的卫冕最佳新秀来说，在适当的时间和地点才能尽情加速。那个地方不是他的车道，那个时间也不是上个赛季。上个赛季，马刺队以谨慎和克制的态度进入了文班亚马时代，就像一个仍在学习如何驾驶的学生司机一样。
但现在他们要开始第二个赛季了？每个人都希望能够更快一点。而文班亚马，现在稳稳地坐在驾驶座上，不再只是随波逐流了。
“我可以帮助他们帮助我，”他在周四谈到他的马刺队友时说道，他谈论这个话题时的声音比他谈论在圣安东尼奥公路系统中穿行时更有权威。
一年前，文班亚马只能从后座开始。别无选择。是的，他是马刺队最有天赋的球员，从亚当·萧华 (Adam Silver) 在 2023 年 NBA 选秀大会上叫到他的名字的那一刻起就是如此。是的，他同时代表着球队的现在和未来。是的，从一开始，他就成了马刺队所做的一切的核心。
但他一开始无法掌控一切。毕竟，他还不知道路。就如同在 NBA 赛季中摸索前进一样，他甚至不知道油门踏板在哪里。
“去年，我们基本上是从零开始的，”文班亚马说，“尤其是我。”
所以，他的第一个赛季前半段看起来如此糟糕也就不足为奇了。如果说马刺队在每场比赛、每个回合中都没有一套固定的方案来部署文班亚马，那是因为确实没有。主教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 说，围绕这位身高 7 英尺 3 英寸的法国人建队的首要任务就是观察他的比赛，让他向教练组展示哪些有效，哪些无效。
在上个赛季中，马刺队逐渐形成了一套战术，事情也变得不那么像是在做实验了。到目前为止，在文班亚马的第二个训练营中，训练过程“更有条理了”。
“首先，因为我们更了解自己了，”文班亚马说，“我更了解自己了。”
在这种情况下，很大程度上了解自己意味着要意识到是什么让他感到不舒服。在新秀赛季中，他很少有表现失常的时候，是因为防守队员对他进行包夹的方式吗？球场上是不是有些地方他的效率不高？是不是某些防守球员的身体对抗让他发挥失常了？
文班亚马现在已经有了这些问题的答案。他已经消化了这些信息。马刺队也因此能够更好地利用这一点。
正如波波维奇所说：“他已经明白需要付出什么——他会从（对手那里）得到什么，以及他必须如何反击。”
这意味着波波维奇也应该可以多踩几脚油门了。在上个赛季，马刺队以联盟中最年轻的阵容取得了 60 场失利，波波维奇别无选择，只能对一些事情睁一只眼闭一只眼。
文班亚马的第二个赛季不会再得到同样的优待了。他也不想要优待。
“我们不会再像年轻球员那样松懈，不会再犯那些年轻球员和新秀球员会犯的错误了，”文班亚马说，“教练给了我一年的时间来更多地了解我的比赛。现在是时候按照一定的标准来要求自己了。”
至于这些更高的标准是否适用于他的驾驶技术？这还有待观察。但即使文班亚马承认他对德克萨斯州汽车和道路的规模感到惊叹，他也不打算永远被困在慢车道上。
“这并不太复杂，”文班亚马说，“这很自然。”
对于某些人来说，掌控一切是他们的天性。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动并回答问题。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动并回答问题。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动并回答问题。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马和新加盟的克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) 在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动并合影留念。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马和新加盟的克里斯·保罗在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动并合影留念。
周一上午，马刺队球员维克托·文班亚马在胜利资本训练中心参加马刺队媒体日活动的照片。
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama ready to step on gas
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama ready to step on gas
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
One of the best perks of being Victor Wembanyama is the ride. The tallest 20-year-old in San Antonio always has one, any time he wants it, courtesy of a personal chauffeur and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with plenty of legroom.
During his daily commute to the Spurs’ practice facility at Victory Capital Performance Center, situated near the concrete dust and primal driver screams of the apocalyptic construction zone also known as the Interstate 10-Loop 1604 interchange, Wembanyama can sit back and relax. There is no need to inflict that stop-and-go misery upon himself. He arrived in Texas without a driver’s license, and he could have lived the rest of his life without needing one.
But of course he couldn’t resist it. Before he was here a year, he made up his mind that he wanted to learn to drive. And while he currently rates his skills behind the wheel as merely “OK,” he already understands the power of roadway discipline.
“I control my instincts,” Wembanyama said. “Sometimes you want to press the gas, but I control myself.”
To the NBA’s reigning rookie of the year, there is a place and a time for pedal-to-the-metal acceleration. That place is not his driveway, and that time was not last season, when the Spurs eased into the Wembanyama era with the caution and restraint of a student driver still learning how to steer.
But now that they’re starting year two? Everybody expects to move a little faster. And Wembanyama, firmly in the driver’s seat now, is not just along for the ride.
“I can help them help me,” he said of his fellow Spurs on Thursday, and he sounded much more authoritative about that subject than he did about navigating San Antonio’s highway system.
A year ago, Wembanyama had to start in the back seat. There was no other option. Yes, he was the Spurs’ most talented player, from the moment Adam Silver called his name at the 2023 NBA draft. Yes, he represented the franchise’s present and future, all at once. And yes, he was integral to everything the Spurs did, right from the beginning.
But he couldn’t take charge at first. After all, he didn’t know the way. As far as navigating through an NBA season, he didn’t even know where the gas pedal was.
“Last year we were starting from scratch, basically,” Wembanyama said. “Especially me.”
It was no wonder that the first half of his first season looked so ragged at times. If it appeared there was no set plan for how the Spurs’ deployed Wembanyama on a game-by-game, possession-by-possession basis, that’s because there wasn’t one. Coach Gregg Popovich said the first part of building a team around the 7-foot-3 Frenchman was just watching him play, and letting him show the staff what worked and what didn’t.
Over the course of last season, a strategy evolved, and things became less experimental. And so far in Wembanyama’s second training camp, the proceedings have been “more structured.”
“First of all, because we know ourselves better,” Wembanyama said, “and I know myself better.”
In this context, a huge part of knowing himself is realizing what makes him uncomfortable. On the rare occasions when he looked out of sorts as a rookie, was it because of certain ways defenses doubled him? Were there spots on the floor where he was less effective? Did extra-physical play from certain defenders throw him off his game?
Wembanyama has answers for those questions now. He’s processed that information. And the Spurs are in a better position to take advantage of it.
As Popovich put it: “He’s understanding what it takes – what he’s going to get (from opponents), and what he has to give back to counter that kind of thing.”
This means Popovich should be able to step on the gas pedal a little more, too. On the Spurs’ way to 60 losses last year, with the youngest team in the league, he had no choice but to let some stuff slide.
Wembanyama won’t get the same kind of leeway in his second season. And he doesn’t want it.
“We’re going to be less loose in the youth areas, the youth mistakes, the rookie mistakes,” Wembanyama said. “Coach gave me one year to figure out a little more about my game. Now it’s time to be held to certain standards.”
As for whether those heightened standards apply to his driving? That’s yet to be determined. But even if Wembanyama admitted to marveling at the size of Texas cars and Texas roads, he doesn’t plan on being stuck in the slow lane forever.
“It’s not too complicated,” Wembanyama said. “It’s pretty natural.”
For some people, taking control always is.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama answers question during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama answers question during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama answers question during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama and new addition Chris Paul share a mpoment after being photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama and new addition Chris Paul are being photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs Victor Wembanyama is photographed during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News