By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-05 15:33:29
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。
和圣安东尼奥的所有人一样，马刺队后卫马拉基·布拉汉姆(Malaki Branham)也迫不及待地想看看维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在他的第二个NBA赛季会展现出怎样的运动天赋。
在训练营的第一周，布拉汉姆已经提前目睹了文班亚马的最新一轮“他是怎么做到的”的神奇表现，这些表现都在马刺队豪华训练场的闭门训练中上演。
“他每次都能让人惊叹，”布拉汉姆说，“他做的事情太棒了，而且他会继续做下去。我很期待看到他的进步。”
接下来的一个月将很大程度上决定布拉汉姆还能在“文班之旅”中陪伴多久。
布拉汉姆和后卫队友布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)——都是马刺队2022年选秀大会上的球员——面临着球队在10月31日的最后期限，届时球队将决定是否执行他们2025-26赛季的合同选项。
杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)，这届选秀大会的9号秀，也面临着同样的情况。
索汉在前两个赛季已经巩固了自己作为马刺队轮换阵容中关键一员的地位，因此被认为是710万美元球队选项的必然执行对象。而布拉汉姆和韦斯利仍在为在NBA站稳脚跟而苦苦挣扎。
他们在下个赛季之后是否还能留在球队，目前尚不清楚。
“每个人都知道这是合同年，”21岁的圣母大学出品的韦斯利说，“我们正在努力赢球，努力变得更好。压力很大。”
自从两年前作为首轮秀一起加盟马刺队以来，布拉汉姆和韦斯利就一直被联系在一起。
布拉汉姆在首轮第20顺位被选中，来自俄亥俄州立大学。韦斯利在第25顺位被选中。
在过去的两个赛季中，这两名球员都断断续续地得到了一些机会，试图在马刺队的长期计划中站稳脚跟。
21岁的布拉汉姆已经出场141场比赛，其中61场首发。他场均得到9.7分，投篮命中率为43.7%。
韦斯利已经打了98场NBA比赛，除了4场之外都是替补出场。他场均得到4.6分，投篮命中率为38.9%。
到目前为止，布拉汉姆在联盟中最出名的身份是，他曾就读于勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)的母校——阿克伦圣文森特-圣玛丽高中(St. Vincent-St. Mary)。而韦斯利则几乎无人知晓。
“我这个赛季的目标就是打出名气，”韦斯利说，“人们真的不知道我是谁。我认为这是下一步的目标。”
布拉汉姆的优势在于，他有可能成为一名出色的替补席得分手。韦斯利的优势在于速度和防守。
布拉汉姆需要提高防守端的表现。韦斯利休赛期的任务是努力提高他飘忽不定的跳投。
“他们两个人是不同的，他们都在以自己的方式发展，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)说，“我觉得他们在取得进步，这对我们有帮助。”
布拉汉姆和韦斯利在本月开始的新赛季中都拥有保障合同。他们在马刺队的未来仍然悬而未决。
马刺队必须考虑的这两名21岁替补后卫的合同选项并不算高：布拉汉姆在2025-26赛季的合同价值为496万美元，而韦斯利的合同价值为470万美元。
然而，随着马刺队继续围绕文班亚马建队，未来工资帽空间的每一分钱都很重要。管理层希望明智地花钱。
马刺队可以选择执行布拉汉姆和韦斯利其中一人的2025-26赛季选项，也可以选择执行两人的选项，或者都不执行。无论哪种结果都不会令人意外。
布拉汉姆说，他应对合同不确定性的方法很简单，那就是确保自己在训练场上挥洒每一滴汗水。
“我会努力训练，做我该做的事，”布拉汉姆说，“这取决于（马刺队）想做什么。”
韦斯利也在努力，同时也向上帝祈求帮助。
“只能继续祈祷，”韦斯利说。
随着休赛期签下克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)，以及在6月份的选秀大会上用4号签选中斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)，马刺队的后卫轮换阵容在夏天变得更加拥挤。
这对布拉汉姆和韦斯利来说更加复杂了，因为他们需要证明自己的价值。上场时间是有限的。
目前，这两名后卫一直在训练中努力证明自己的价值。教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说，他对他们目前的表现感到满意。
“他们正在变得更加成熟，并且度过了一个很棒的夏天，”波波维奇说，“他们都是很有竞争力的球员。这是一个竞争非常激烈的季前赛，我们将不得不做出一些艰难的决定。”
为了保持良好的心态，布拉汉姆和韦斯利在夏天开始在他们的训练中加入一对一比赛。
这些比赛 stakes 很低，主要是为了好玩，以防守为主。先完成五次防守的球员获胜。
这两名后卫都没有费心去记录他们之间的胜负。
“我们都在让彼此变得更好，”韦斯利说，“我想赢，但只要我们能让彼此变得更好，我就全力以赴。”
这两个人是否能在本赛季结束后继续让彼此变得更好还有待观察。
文班亚马的第二个赛季将于周一拉开帷幕，届时马刺队将在弗罗斯特银行中心迎战俄克拉荷马城雷霆队，开始他们的季前赛之旅。对布拉汉姆和韦斯利来说，现在的目标是能够留下来，迎接未来的挑战。
2024年4月9日，田纳西州孟菲斯，在联邦快递广场举行的比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的22号马拉基·布拉汉姆(Malaki Branham)在孟菲斯灰熊队的4号乔丹·古德温(Jordan Goodwin)面前突破上篮。
2024年4月9日，星期二，在田纳西州孟菲斯举行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)(14号)控球面对孟菲斯灰熊队后卫扎维尔·辛普森(Zavier Simpson)的防守。
点击查看原文：An uncertain October awaits San Antonio Spurs' Branham, Wesley
An uncertain October awaits San Antonio Spurs’ Branham, Wesley
Like everyone else in San Antonio, Spurs guard Malaki Branham is eager to see what new athletic marvels Victor Wembanyama might unleash in his second NBA season.
Branham has already gotten a sneak peek through the first week of training camp, where Wembanyama’s latest round of how-did-he-do-that exploits have been unleashed behind the closed doors of the Spurs’ posh practice facility.
“He just wows every time,” Branham said. “He does amazing stuff, and he’s going to keep doing amazing stuff. I’m excited to see his progress.”
The next month will go a long way toward to determining how long Branham might be around to witness Mr. Wemby’s Wild Ride.
Branham and fellow guard Blake Wesley — both members of the Spurs’ 2022 draft class — face an Oct. 31 deadline for the team to pick up contract options for the 2025-26 season.
So does Jeremy Sochan, the No. 9 pick in that draft.
Where Sochan has cemented himself as a key member of the Spurs’ rotation over this first two seasons — and thus is considered a shoo-in to have his $7.1-million team option exercised — Branham and Wesley are still clawing for a foothold in the NBA.
Their place with the club beyond the coming season remains unclear.
“Everybody knows it’s a contract year,” said Wesley, a 21-year-old Notre Dame product. “We’re trying to win, trying to get better. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Branham and Wesley have been linked at the hip since their arrival together as first-round picks two summers ago.
Branham was selected with the No. 20 pick out of Ohio State. Wesley was taken 25th.
Off and on over the past two seasons, both players have been given opportunities to try and cement themselves in the Spurs’ longer-term plans.
The 21-year-old Branham has appeared in 141 games, starting 61. He has averaged 9.7 points on 43.7% shooting.
Wesley has made 98 NBA appearances, all but four coming from the bench. He has averaged 4.6 points on 38.9% shooting.
To this point, Branham has been mostly known across the league as the player who went to the same high school LeBron James made famous (St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio). Wesley hasn’t been mostly known at all.
“My goal this season is really just to make a name for myself,” Wesley said. “People really don’t know who I am. I think it’s the next step.”
At his best, Branham projects as a crafty scorer off the bench. Wesley has a baseline as a speed merchant and a defensive demon.
Branham could use some improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Wesley’s offseason task was to try and smooth out an erratic jump shot.
“Both those guys are different, and they’re both developing in their own way,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “I feel like they’re making strides to help us.”
Branham and Wesley are under guaranteed contract for the season that opens this month. Their futures with the Spurs beyond that remain up in the air.
The contract options the Spurs must consider on their pair of 21-year-old backup guards aren’t exactly bank-busters: Branham’s is worth $4.96 million in 2025-26, while Wesley’s is worth $4.7 million.
As the Spurs continue to build around Wembanyama, however, every cent of future salary cap space makes a difference. The front office will want to spend wisely.
The Spurs could choose to pick up the 2025-26 options on one of Branham and Wesley, on both of them or neither of them. No outcome would qualify as an October surprise.
Branham said his approach to the contract uncertainty is simply to make sure he leaves every ounce of sweat on the practice court.
“I’m going to work hard and do what I need to do,” Branham said. “It just depends on what (the Spurs) want to do.”
Wesley is putting in work too, while also beseeching a higher power for help.
“Just got to continue to stay prayed up,” Wesley said.
With the offseason signing of Chris Paul and the selection of Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick in the June draft, the Spurs’ guard rotation grew more crowded over the summer.
This complicates matters for Branham and Wesley as they look to prove themselves. There are only so many minutes to go around.
For now, the two guards have been attempting to show their worth in practices. Coach Gregg Popovich said he has been pleased so far.
“They are getting older and had a great summer playing,” Popovich said. “They are very competitive guys. It’s a very competitive preseason, and we will have some tough decisions to make.”
In part to help keep their own sanity, Branham and Wesley began incorporating one-on-one games to their workouts over the summer.
They are low-stakes contests for fun, mostly with a defensive bent. The winner is the first to make five stops.
Neither guard has bothered to keep track of the standings between them.
“We’re both getting each other better,” Wesley said. “I want to win, but as long as we’re getting each other better, I’m all for it.”
Whether the two will be around to make each other better past the end of these season remains to be seen.
Year 2 of the Wembanyama Show begins Monday, when the Spurs tip off the preseason with a game against Oklahoma City at the Frost Bank Center. For Branham and Wesley, the goal now is to be allowed to stick around for whatever comes next.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - APRIL 09: Malaki Branham #22 of the San Antonio Spurs drives the lane against Jordan Goodwin #4 of the Memphis Grizzlies \d2h at FedExForum on April 09, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. 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.
San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley (14) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Zavier Simpson in the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News