By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-06 13:07:39
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。
球迷们将在当地时间周一晚7点马刺队在弗罗斯特银行中心迎战俄克拉荷马雷霆队的季前赛中，第一次近距离观看新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的表现。
如果说格雷格·波波维奇教练对这位前康涅狄格后卫的评价有什么指导意义的话，那就是球迷们会喜欢他们所看到的。
“印象非常深刻，”在训练营第一周结束后，当被问及对这位四号秀的看法时，这位教练周六说道。
“非常成熟的年轻人，”波波维奇补充道。“他举止得体，很有风度，会专注于下一个回合，篮球智商很高，而且很强壮。他学东西很快。他是个好苗子。”
卡斯尔的角色还不确定。在去年帮助哈士奇队赢得全国冠军之前，他曾是乔治亚州科温顿市牛顿高中的五星级控球后卫，上赛季作为一名新生则更多地出现在无球的位置上。
波波维奇表示，卡斯尔的多才多艺将使马刺队能够在这位身高6英尺5英寸、体重210磅的19岁球员身上尝试各种角色。
“他现在可以打一、二、三号位，”波波维奇说道，他指的是控球后卫、得分后卫和小前锋的位置。
在签下未来名人堂控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)一份为期一年的合同后，马刺队可以慢慢决定如何最好地利用卡斯尔的技能。与此同时，他正在从保罗那里学到很多东西，保罗以11894次助攻的职业生涯数据进入新赛季，在现役球员中排名第一，在历史总榜上仅次于约翰·斯托克顿(15806次)和贾森·基德(12091次)。
“每个人都和克里斯形成了师徒关系，因为克里斯就是克里斯，”波波维奇说。“他的经验和智慧，正如我们所知，是超乎寻常的。他不只是和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔说话，他和球场上的每个人说话，无论是大个子还是小个子，在这方面他都做得非常出色。坦率地说，他基本上是在一边打球一边执教。”
更苗条的约翰逊引人注目
凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)减重10磅给波波维奇留下了深刻印象。
“他来的时候状态惊人，真的非常精瘦，”他说。“我不知道他的体脂率是多少，但他看起来是这几年来最好的。”
马刺队在训练营名单上将这位六年级后卫/前锋的体重列为215磅，而上赛季他的体重为225磅。减重在他训练中的表现方式上很明显。
“他一直很有竞争力，非常专注，目标非常明确，”波波维奇说。
约翰逊说，饮食和锻炼帮助他达到了“人生中最好的状态”。他的减肥计划包括放弃去Buc-ees吃烤肉拼盘。
“你必须做出牺牲，”他说。“这就是我一直以来的目标。我很享受我现在的生活方式，享受我的饮食方式，以及我作为一名职业球员的行为举止。”
默默无闻的球员中没有惊喜
波波维奇表示，训练营的第一周结束后，那些试训的球员并没有脱颖而出。
当被问及马拉奇·弗林(Malachi Flynn)和布兰登·波士顿二世(Brandon Boston Jr.)这两名后卫，以及落选新秀前锋莱利·米尼克斯(Riley Minix)的情况时，波波维奇说：“他们和其他所有人一样，都非常积极地参与了竞争，但我认为他们不会赢得一个首发位置。十月不会有什么惊喜。”马刺队今年夏天与弗林和波士顿这两位老将签署了一份为期一年、非保障的合同，而米尼克斯则在9月份球队裁掉控球后卫贾马里·布耶(Jamaree Bouyea)后，正在为一份双向合同而战。
身高6英尺7英寸、体重230磅的米尼克斯曾是马刺队夏季联赛阵容中的一员，在上赛季莫尔黑德州立大学的大四赛季中，他场均得到20.9分、9.7个篮板和2.2次助攻。
马刺新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在周一上午于胜利资本训练中心举行的马刺媒体日上摆姿势拍照。
在2024年7月13日周六拉斯维加斯夏季联赛马刺队83-77战胜波特兰队的比赛中，马刺新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔带球突破上篮。
点击查看原文：Gregg Popovich 'very impressed' with Spurs rookie Stephon Castle
Gregg Popovich ‘very impressed’ with Spurs rookie Stephon Castle
Fans at the Frost Bank Center will get their first up-close look at rookie Stephon Castle when the Spurs open preseason play against Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Monday.
If Gregg Popovich’s assessment of the former Connecticut guard is any guide, they are going to like what they see.
“Very impressed,” the coach said when asked for his thoughts on the fourth overall pick Saturday after the first week of training camp.
“Really mature young man,” Popovich added. “Has a great demeanor and way about him, goes to the next play, has a good basketball IQ, is strong. He learns quickly. He is a good one.”
Castle’s role is uncertain. He was a five-star recruit at Newton High in Covington, Ga., as a point guard before playing off the ball as a freshman last season while helping the Huskies win a national title.
Popovich indicated Castle’s versatility will allow the Spurs to use the 6-foot-5, 210-pound 19 year old in a variety of roles.
“He can play one, two and three right now,” Popovich said, referring to the point guard, shooting guard and small forward spots.
After signing future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul to a one-year deal, the Spurs can take their time deciding how best to utilize Castle’s skills. In the meantime, he’s learning plenty from Paul, who enters the season first among active players in career assists with 11,894 and third all-time behind John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).
“There has been a mentorship dynamic with everybody because Chris is Chris,” Popovich said. “His experience and his intelligence, as we know, is off the charts. He doesn’t just talk to Steph Castle, he talks to everybody on the court, big, little, just been fantastic in that regard. He’s basically been coaching along with playing, very honestly.”
Slimmer Johnson stands out
Keldon Johnson’s 10-pound weight loss has made an impression on Popovich.
“He was spectacular coming in, really, really trim,” he said. “I don’t know what his body fat was, but it’s the best he’s looked in a couple of years.”
The Spurs have the 6-5 sixth-year guard/forward at 215 pounds on their camp roster after listing him at 225 last season. The reduction in weight has been noticeable in the way he’s played in practice.
“He has been very competitive, very focused, very purposeful,” Popovich said.
Johnson said diet and exercise helped him get into the “best shape of his life.” His weight-loss program included giving up trips to Buc-ees for barbecue plates.
“You’ve got to make sacrifices,” he said. "That’s what it’s always about. I enjoy my lifestyle that I have right now and the way I eat and carry myself as a professional.”
No surprises among unheralded players
The first week of practice ended without the players in camp on a try-out basis distinguishing themselves, Popovich indicated.
Asked specifically about guards Malachi Flynn and Brandon Boston Jr., a pair of veterans the Spurs signed this summer to one-year, non-guaranteed contracts, and undrafted rookie forward Riley Minix, who is competing for a two-way contract after the team cut point guard Jamaree Bouyea in September, Popovich said, “They participated very competitively like everybody else, but I don’t think they are going to win a starting position. There is no October surprise.”
The 6-7, 230-pound Minix was part of the Spurs summer league squad after averaging 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior at Morehead State last season.
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day on Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle drives to the basket in the Spurs’ 83-77 victory over Portland at the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News