By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-02 16:05:50
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，在胜利资本训练中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队球员杰里米·索汉摆姿势拍照。
本周早些时候，杰里米·索汉来到马刺队媒体日，做好了充分的准备。
他把头发编成一条条紧密的辫子，染成了只有在威利旺卡巧克力工厂才能看到的粉红色。
认识索汉的人都不会对他最新的造型感到惊讶。对于这位21岁、个性鲜明的锋线球员来说，新赛季的开始总是需要一个全新的发型。
“我只是喜欢尝试新事物，”索汉咧着嘴，露出他标志性的牙缝，笑着说。
在发型时尚方面，这可能是真的。
但当谈到索汉在篮球场上的位置时，这位NBA最朋克的球员就会变得像一位患有麸质过敏的八旬老人在卢比餐厅排队一样挑剔。
这一点在一年前就已显现，当时主教练格雷格·波波维奇做出了一个大胆的——事实证明也是灾难性的——决定，让身高6英尺8英寸的索汉担任球队的首发控球后卫。这一举动与索汉本人的意愿相去甚远，就像患有麸质过敏的八旬老人绝对不会同意吃全麦吐司一样。
在他第三个NBA训练营初期，让索汉感到兴奋的事情之一是：他可以回到只打前锋的位置，这意味着他可以回到只专注于打篮球的状态了。
“回到我正常的位置感觉很棒，”索汉说，“我不需要想太多，一切都会更自然。”
这与他上赛季打控球后卫的日子形成了鲜明对比，当时索汉看起来与其说像一条离开水的鱼，不如说像一条骑自行车的鱼。
一年前，索汉刚刚度过了一个全明星新秀赛季，这位9号秀已经确立了自己作为联盟中最有前途的年轻球员之一的地位。
然后波波维奇让索汉打控球后卫，结果这条鱼的自行车车轮都掉了。
周一上午，在胜利资本训练中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队的杰里米·索汉。
那些观看维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)时代头几个月的比赛的球迷，不禁注意到马刺队显然缺乏一名真正的控球后卫。值得称赞的是，索汉尽了最大努力去学习一个他从未打过的位置，尽管这次冒险给他留下了伤痕。
他犹豫不决，他力不从心。在篮球场上，他第一次对自己产生了怀疑。
对于这次短暂的实验，索汉现在表现得很圆滑。
“这是一次经历，”索汉说，“有很多东西要学，有优点也有缺点。”
11个月前，索汉可没有心情粉饰太平。
“有些时候，我就像……该死的，这都是些什么玩意儿，”索汉在去年11月说道。
对索汉来说，事实证明，改变场上位置并不像改变发型那么简单。
他的队友们近距离地看到了他的挣扎。
这位曾经凭借本能打球并取得如此顺利的新秀赛季的球员，看起来迷失了方向。索汉偶尔会发脾气，而且经常感到沮丧。
索汉在12月回到了大前锋的位置，本赛季场均得到11.6分、6.4个篮板和3.4次助攻，与他的第一个NBA赛季相比都有小幅提升。
但那时，心理上的伤害已经造成了。
“你不希望像他这样的球员想太多，”后卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)说，“这会让他们无法发挥出自己的水平和天赋。”
当波波维奇重新任命琼斯为球队首发控球后卫时，圣安东尼奥没有人比索汉更高兴了。同样，今年夏天，当马刺队通过签下12届全明星球员克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)暂时解决了他们的控球后卫问题时，也没有人比他更高兴了。
索汉在本赛季的顺位已经下滑到，美国内政部长比他更有可能成为总统。
当被问及他在控球后卫位置上所学到的东西，哪些可以应用到前锋的工作中时，索汉没有提到控球能力的提高、决策能力的增强，或者对比赛整体的更深入理解——所有这些都是学习新位置带来的明显好处。
相反，索汉说，这段经历帮助他学会了更好地应对逆境。
“就是咬牙坚持，在黑暗中寻找光明，”索汉说。
在本届训练营中，这位来自贝勒大学的球员将重新专注于他所擅长的东西——防守、篮板、拼抢和惹恼对手。
在休赛期，他还与马刺队的投篮教练吉米·巴伦(Jimmy Barron)一起进行了额外的训练。
索汉第一次愿意改变他的投篮姿势，在此之前，他一直采用一种非传统的跳投方式，投篮时像旋风一样旋转，导致他的三分球命中率只有28.5%。
“我们一直在努力，”索汉说，“提高我的肘部高度，增加一点弧度。”
如果波波维奇对索汉本赛季有具体的期望，他现在还没有透露。
“我对每个人都有很高的期望，”波波维奇说，“我希望每个人都能变得更好。”
至少，索汉在开始他的第三个NBA训练营时，心态更好了。
证据就在他的头上。
在上赛季索汉担任控球后卫最艰难的那段时间里，马刺队的观察人士不禁注意到他任由自己的头发疯长。他那通常一丝不苟的发型变得蓬头垢面。
到了赛季中期，索汉训练营时的发型已经长出来了。他以一种破罐子破摔的方式留着头发，头顶染成了金色，下面露出了他天生的黑色发根。
他的样子和感觉都不像马刺队记忆中那个热爱乐趣的新秀赛季的他了。
因此，当索汉本周走进马刺队的训练馆，打扮得漂漂亮亮，梳着专业修剪的粉色辫子时，他想要传达的信息是 unmistakable 的。
快乐又回来了。马刺队也希望，索汉也能找回状态。
“我又开始改变我的颜色了，”索汉说，“我很高兴能与球迷互动。我很高兴我们球队、我们这座城市现在的样子。我们已经准备好成长和提升了。”
2024年3月27日，在盐湖城举行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的扎克·柯林斯(23号)和杰里米·索汉(10号)防守犹他爵士队前锋劳里·马尔卡宁(23号)。（美联社照片/里克·鲍默）
2024年3月7日，加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托：在加州萨克拉门托金州第一中心举行的一场NBA篮球比赛的第四节，萨克拉门托国王队的哈里森·巴恩斯(40号)在圣安东尼奥马刺队的杰里米·索汉(10号)面前投篮。用户须知：用户明确承认并同意，下载或使用此照片，即表示用户同意盖蒂图片社许可协议的条款和条件。（西伦·W·亨德森/盖蒂图片社）
2024年3月31日，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的弗罗斯特银行中心举行的一场NBA比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉、前锋凯尔登·约翰逊和中锋维克多·文班亚马(1号)观看了他们的球队与金州勇士队的比赛。索汉和约翰逊因伤缺席了比赛。
点击查看原文：Spurs' Jeremy Sochan glad to be done with point guard duty
Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan glad to be done with point guard duty
Spurs Jeremy Sochan poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Jeremy Sochan arrived at Spurs media day earlier this week as camera ready as he could be.
His hair was woven into tight braids and dyed a shade of pink only otherwise found in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Nobody who knows Sochan should have been surprised at his newest new look. For the 21-year-old firebrand of a forward, the start of a new season has always called for a fresh ‘do.
“I just like trying new things,” Sochan said with his trademark gap-toothed grin.
That might be true with it comes to follicular fashion.
When it comes to switching Sochan’s place on the basketball court, the NBA’s punk rockiest player becomes as particular as an octogenarian with a gluten allergy in line at Luby’s.
That became apparent a year ago, when coach Gregg Popovich made the bold – and as it turns out, ill-fated – decision to open the season with the 6-foot-8 Sochan as his starting point guard. The move agreed with Sochan about as well as whole wheat toast agrees with the aforementioned octogenarian with a gluten allergy.
Among the things that excites Sochan early in his third NBA training camp: He can go back to playing exclusively forward again, which means he can go back to just playing basketball again.
“Playing my normal position is going to be great,” Sochan said “I’m not going to be thinking as much. It’s going to come more natural.”
That’s a far cry from his days playing point guard last season, when Sochan looked less like a fish out of water and more like a fish on a bicycle.
A year ago at this time, Sochan was coming off an All-Rookie season in which the No. 9 overall draft pick had established himself as one of the more promising young players in the league.
Then Popovich put Sochan at point guard and the wheels came off the fish’s bicycle.
Spurs Jeremy Sochan during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Fans who tuned in to watch the opening months of the Victor Wembanyama era couldn’t help but notice the Spurs’ apparent lack of a true point guard. Sochan, to his credit, did his best to learn a position he had never played in his life, even as the adventure scarred him.
He was tentative. He was overmatched. For the first time on a basketball court, he was unsure of himself.
Sochan is diplomatic about the short-lived experiment now.
“It was an experience,” Sochan said. “There’s a lot to learn from it, pros and cons.”
Eleven months ago, Sochan was less in the mood for sugarcoating.
“There have been moments where it’s … like (expletive) this (expletive),” Sochan said last November.
For Sochan, it turns out changing positions was not quite as simple as changing hairstyles.
His teammates saw his struggles up close.
The player who had posted such a propitious rookie season by simply playing on instinct looked lost. Sochan was occasionally grumpy and often frustrated.
Sochan returned to the power forward slot in December, ending the season averaging 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists – all modest improvements over his first NBA season.
By then, the psychological damage had been done.
“You don’t want a player like that to be in their own head too much,” guard Tre Jones said. “It kind of takes them out of their game and their natural abilities.”
Nobody in San Antonio was happier than Sochan when Popovich re-installed Jones as the team’s starting point guard. Likewise, nobody was happier this summer when the Spurs at least temporarily solved their point guard woes by signing 12-time All-Star Chris Paul.
Sochan enters this season so far down the line of succession that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has a better chance of becoming president than Sochan does of playing point guard again.
Asked what he learned at point guard that might apply to his job at forward, Sochan did not mention improved ball-handling or enhanced decision-making or a greater understanding of the game at large – all of which were palpable benefits of studying a new position.
Rather, Sochan said the experience helped him learn to better deal with adversity.
“Just grinding, and finding the light sometimes when it’s dark,” Sochan said.
Back at forward in this training camp, the Baylor product is poised to focus on the things he does well – defend, rebound, make hustle plays, annoy opponents.
He has also put in extra work over the offseason with Spurs shooting coach Jimmy Barron.
For the first time, Sochan has been open to changing up his shooting form, which heretofore has led to an unorthodox jumper with a cyclone spin resulting in a career 28.5-percent success rate from the 3-point line.
“We’ve been working on it,” Sochan said. “Getting my elbow higher, a little more arc.”
If Popovich has specific expectations for Sochan this season, he is keeping them to himself for now.
“I have great expectations for everybody,” Popovich said. “I want everybody to get better.”
If nothing else, Sochan arrived for the start of his third NBA training camp in a better head space.
The proof was on top of his head.
During the height of Sochan’s point-guard struggles last season, Spurs observers could not help but notice how he let his hair go. His usually impeccably manicured coif was left unkempt.
By midseason, Sochan’s training camp haircut had grown out. He wore it in devil-may-care fashion, dyed half blonde on top with his natural black roots showing through underneath.
He did not look or seem like the same guy the Spurs remembered from his fun-loving rookie season.
So when Sochan walked into the Spurs’ practice gym this week dolled up and sporting professionally groomed pink braids, the message was unmistakable.
The fun is back. And so too, the Spurs hope, is Sochan.
“I’m back to changing my colors,” Sochan said. “I’m excited to interact with fans. I’m excited where we’re at as a team, as a city. We’re ready to grow and level up.”
San Antonio Spurs’ Zach Collins (23) and Jeremy Sochan (10) defend against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings shoots over Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on March 07, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, forward Keldon Johnson and center Victor Wembanyama (1) watch their team take on the Golden State Warriors in the first half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Sochan and Johnson sat out of the game due to injuries.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News