By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-01 15:31:03
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 15 日，德克萨斯州奥斯汀，在穆迪中心的比赛上半场，丹佛掘金队中锋尼古拉·约基奇(15 号)防守圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋扎克·科林斯(23 号)突破上篮。掘金队以 117-106 击败了马刺队。
考虑到自己漫长的伤病史，扎克·科林斯在经历了上赛季最后一战右肩盂唇撕裂后，对于周二能够参加马刺队训练营的开营仪式感到十分幸运。
“我感觉像是被子弹击中了，但伤势并不严重，”科林斯在训练结束后说道。
在上赛季对阵底特律的比赛第三节，这位马刺队的内线球员在一次封盖中肩膀脱臼并撕裂了盂唇，随后接受了手术治疗。
“手术时机刚刚好，因为我有一个漫长的夏天来恢复，”他说。“我的肩膀现在感觉很好。受伤最糟糕的部分就是错过比赛，只能坐在场边，不能和队友们一起并肩作战。幸运的是，这些都不会再发生了。”
将于 11 月 19 日年满 27 岁的科林斯表示，他在手术后一周就回到了球场，进行跑步和敏捷性训练。
“我大概从五月就开始在场上训练了，”他说。“很多训练都是用左手完成的。”
这位拉斯维加斯人在与马刺队续签了一份为期两年、价值 3480 万美元的合同后，与新秀维克托·文班亚马一起成为了 2023-24 赛季的首发中锋。
去年 12 月，主教练格雷格·波波维奇将文班亚马移至中锋位置后，科林斯改打替补。这位冈萨加大学的毕业生最终出战了 69 场比赛，这是他六年职业生涯中的第二高，并获得了职业生涯最高的 29 次首发。
自 2017 年以首轮第十顺位进入 NBA 以来，科林斯就一直饱受伤病困扰，尤其是在波特兰开拓者队效力期间。2019-20 赛季，他只打了 11 场比赛，随后因脚踝伤势缺席了整个 2020-21 赛季。但过去的两个赛季，他每个赛季都打了 60 多场比赛，上赛季场均得到 11.2 分和 5.4 个篮板。
今年夏天，在恢复了右臂的使用后，科林斯表示，他专注于提高自己的投篮命中率。上赛季，他场均出手 3.5 次三分球，命中率仅为 32%，而 2022-23 赛季，他场均出手 3.6 次三分球，命中率高达 37.4%，创下职业生涯新高。
“感觉很棒，”他在谈到自己的投篮时说道。“从大概七月开始，我就一直在进行大量的定点投篮训练。随着肩膀的恢复，我慢慢地回到了正轨。我已经有足够的时间来锻炼我的腿部力量，改善我的基础，并确保每一个动作都更加协调。”
周一上午，马刺队的状元秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在维多利亚资本表演中心参加马刺队媒体日活动时拍摄了照片。
新秀的日常训练
新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在完成他的第一次 NBA 官方训练后并没有表现出任何庆祝的情绪。
对于这位来自康涅狄格大学的后卫来说，这似乎只是与队友们一起度过的又一个普通日子。
“我们已经在一起训练了将近两个月了，所以这并不是真正意义上的第一天，”他说。
卡斯尔承认，在主教练格雷格·波波维奇的带领下完成他的第一次训练“大不相同”。但除此之外，与他夏天的训练相比，并没有太大的变化。
“和队友们一起在球场上感觉很正常，”他说。
卡斯尔在去年作为一名大一新生帮助哈士奇队赢得了NCAA冠军后，在六月份的选秀大会上被马刺队以第四顺位选中。他说，他没有看到他的第一次马刺队训练和他在康涅狄格大学的训练之间“有太大的区别”。
“在大学里，更多的是和队友对抗的训练，但那是一个 40 场比赛的赛季，”他说。“(NBA) 的比赛数量是大学的两倍，所以你真的需要保护好自己的身体。我觉得这是最大的区别。”
巴恩斯回忆穆托姆博“极具感染力的人格魅力”
前锋哈里森·巴恩斯对与迪肯贝·穆托姆博的互动有着美好的回忆。
NBA 周一宣布，这位以盖帽和篮球大使身份而闻名的名人堂中锋因脑癌去世，享年 58 岁。
“他最独特的地方之一就是他极具感染力的人格魅力，以及他走进一个房间就能让人们脸上露出笑容的能力，无论你是否认识他，”巴恩斯说。“他总是有办法让你开怀大笑。回想起这些年来我和他在一起的各种场景，我总是记得自己在笑。这是始终如一的。
“这对我们联盟来说无疑是一个巨大的损失。我为他的家人祈祷，并对他们表示支持。他拥有伟大的人格魅力。”
2024 年 4 月 7 日，在圣安东尼奥进行的一场 NBA 比赛中，费城 76 人队后卫泰瑞斯·马克西(右)向圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋扎克·科林斯(23 号)施压，争抢一个地板球。(美联社照片/罗多尔福·冈萨雷斯)
点击查看原文：Zach Collins grateful to be on court after shoulder injury
Zach Collins grateful to be on court after shoulder injury
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) guards San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) as he drives to the net during the first half at Moody Center on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Austin, Texas. The Nuggets defeated the Spurs, 117-106.
Given his lengthy injury history, Zach Collins felt fortunate to be on the court for the opening of Spurs training camp Tuesday after suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder in last season’s finale.
“I feel like the bullet hit me, but it didn’t wound me too bad,” Collins said after practice.
The Spurs post underwent surgery after dislocating his shoulder and tearing the labrum while contesting a shot in the third quarter against Detroit.
“It was perfect timing because I had such a long summer to get right,” he said. “The shoulder has felt great for a while now. The worst part about being injured is missing games, sitting on the sidelines and not being out there with the guys. Luckily, none of that is going to happen.”
Collins, who turns 27 on Nov. 19, said he was back on the court a week after surgery, running and doing agility work.
“I’ve been on the floor since probably May,” he said. “A lot of it was left-handed stuff.”
The Las Vegas native began 2023-24 as the starting center alongside rookie Victor Wembanyama after signing a two-year extension worth $34.8 million just before the start of the season.
Collins moved to the bench in December after coach Gregg Popovich shifted Wembanyama to center. The Gonzaga product wound up playing in 69 games, second most in his six-year career, and logging a career-high 29 starts.
Since entering the NBA as the 10th overall pick in 2017, Collins has battled injuries, especially while with Portland, where he played in just 11 games in 2019-20 before missing the entire 2020-21 campaign with an ankle ailment. But in each of the last two seasons, he’s played in 60-plus games and averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds last season.
After regaining the use of his right arm this summer, Collins said he focused on improving his shooting stroke. He hit just 32 percent of his 3-point shots last season on 3.5 attempts per game after connecting on a career-best 37.4 percent in 2022-23 on a career-high 3.6 attempts.
“It feels great,” he said of his shot. “I was able to work on a lot of form shooting since probably like July. I slowly got back into it after my shoulder got better. I’ve had a lot of time to work on my legs, work on my base and make sure everything lines up better.”
Spurs top draft pick Stephon Castle has his picture taken during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Business as usual for rookie
Rookie Stephon Castle wasn’t in a celebratory mood after logging his first official NBA practice.
For the guard from Connecticut, it seemed like just another day with his teammates.
“We’ve been together in the gym almost two months now, so it wasn’t really a true first day,” he said.
Castle conceded that going through his first workout with coach Gregg Popovich running the show was “a lot different.” But other than that, not much had changed from his summer workouts.
“Just being on the court with the guys felt pretty normal,” he said.
Castle, who the Spurs drafted fourth overall in June after he helped the Huskies win the national title last season as a freshman, said he didn’t see “too much” of a difference between his first Spurs practice and those he experienced at Connecticut.
“College, it’s a lot more reps playing against each other, but it’s a 40-game season,” he said. “(NBA) is double that, so you’ve really got to reserve your body. I feel like that’s the biggest difference.”
Barnes recalls Mutombo’s ‘infectious personality’
Forward Harrison Barnes has fond memories of his interactions with Dikembe Mutombo.
The NBA announced Monday the Hall of Fame center best known for his shot blocking skills and service as an ambassador of the sport had died of brain cancer. He was 58.
“One of the things so unique about him was just his infectious personality and his ability to walk into a room and put a smile on people’s faces, whether you knew him or not,” Barnes said. "He just always had that ability to make you laugh. Just thinking back over the years of different scenarios I’ve been in (with him), I always remember myself laughing. That was consistent.
“It’s definitely a tremendous loss for our league. My prayers go out to his family in support for them. He had a great personality.”
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, right, pressures San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) for a loose ball during an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News