By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-06 13:33:32
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2023 年 10 月 9 日，星期一，在俄克拉荷马城举行的 NBA 季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克多·文班亚马（Victor Wembanyama）（1 号）在上半场面对俄克拉荷马雷霆队后卫卡森·华莱士（Cason Wallace）（22 号）投篮得分后庆祝。(美联社照片/莎拉·菲普斯)
在训练营开始前不久，马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（Stephon Castle）就跨越了人生中的两大里程碑。
首先，他搬出了在圣安东尼奥的酒店房间，整个夏天他都住在那儿。然后，他学会了如何在不借助导航的情况下开车往返于球队训练馆。
“我已经可以在不使用 GPS 的情况下四处走动了，”19 岁的卡斯尔自豪地说。“这里开始有家的感觉了。”
本周一，卡斯尔将能够在他的“大脑地图”上添加另一条路线，因为马刺队将在当天对阵俄克拉荷马雷霆队的比赛中开启他们的季前赛征程。
这将是自今年 6 月马刺队以第四顺位选中这位前康涅狄格州的杰出球员以来，卡斯尔首次正式访问弗罗斯特银行中心球馆。
周一的比赛不会像去年对阵雷霆队的季前赛揭幕战那样万众瞩目。毕竟，那是维克多·文班亚马（Victor Wembanyama）期待已久的 NBA 首秀。
尽管如此，马刺队最近的这位乐透秀已经在训练营的第一周就吸引了人们的目光，其中包括最重要的一个人。
“他很出色，”教练格雷格·波波维奇在谈到这位身高 6 英尺 5 英寸的后卫时说道。
卡斯尔的首次亮相是马刺队在季前赛揭开序幕时的一大看点。但这甚至可能还不是最有趣的。
周一也可能是克里斯·保罗的马刺队首秀，这位 39 岁的传奇控卫在休赛期签约，旨在帮助年轻的马刺队球员了解他们应该做些什么。
除此之外，还有 32 岁的经验丰富的锋线球员哈里森·巴恩斯（Harrison Barnes）的到来——他放弃了交易否决权，从而促成了与萨克拉门托国王队的交易——与上赛季同期相比，马刺队在本赛季的球队会议中可能会听到更多不同的声音。
“有几位经历过磨难的老将坐镇感觉很好，”21 岁的后卫马拉基·布拉纳姆（Malaki Branham）说道，他即将进入自己的第三个赛季。“我只是在尽可能多地向他们学习。”
与上赛季的大部分时间一样，周一九日在弗罗斯特银行中心球馆的主要看点将是文班亚马。
这位身高 7 英尺 3 英寸的法国人将重返他的 NBA 主场，这是他自被一致评为 2023-24 赛季最佳新秀以来的第一次，也是他带领法国国家队在巴黎奥运会上获得银牌以来的第一次。
在马刺队五场季前赛中，波波维奇有很多事情要解决。文班亚马的角色不在其中。
“我认为维克多会首发出场，”波波维奇说。
这条消息并没有在 NBA、全球或马刺队更衣室里掀起轩然大波。
“我有一种预感，”巴恩斯说。“这看起来是理所当然的。”
对于波波维奇来说，确定其他首发五人和替补轮换阵容将是即将到来的季前赛的重点之一。
波波维奇在周六的训练结束后表示，他还没有确定周一九日季前赛揭幕战的阵容，并补充说他需要看看球员们是如何从艰苦的第一周训练营中恢复过来的。
“你可能可以猜到一些首发球员是谁，但我想看看他们从这次（训练营）中恢复得如何，”波波维奇说。“这是艰难的一周，我想看看他们的身体状况如何。”
只要保罗能够上场，他就会是首发球员。巴恩斯在过去两个赛季中都首发了 82 场比赛，并且很有可能在本赛季继续担任类似的角色。
三年级前锋杰里米·索汉（Jeremy Sochan）也很有可能进入首发阵容。对他来说幸运的是，由于休赛期保罗的到来，他不会再打控球后卫了。
上赛季的得分王第二名德文·瓦塞尔（Devin Vassell）也将锁定一个首发位置，但他预计至少要到 11 月才能复出，因为他正在从休赛期的脚部手术中恢复。
这就留下了一个临时的得分后卫首发位置，布拉纳姆或朱利安·尚帕尼（Julian Champagnie）是最有可能填补空缺的人选。
波波维奇明确表示，无论谁顶替瓦塞尔首发，都只是在为这位四年级球员回归前暂时占据这个位置。
“德文很有可能在伤愈复出后重新获得他的位置，”波波维奇说。“这不会是卢·格里克（Lou Gehrig，美国棒球运动员）事件的翻版。”
除了阵容构建的具体细节之外，马刺队希望将季前赛作为一种氛围检验。
在训练营初期，文班亚马表示，他计划以他想在常规赛中展现出的专注和竞争力来对待季前赛。他希望他的队友们也能效仿。
“我们希望以强势表现开启新赛季，”文班亚马说。“我们不希望等到打了 50-60 场比赛后才进入状态。从季前赛开始就要做好准备。”
即使是马刺队中最年长的球员似乎也赞同这种做法。
保罗和巴恩斯的部分工作将是向年轻的马刺队球员展示在 NBA 赢球所需的付出，以便有朝一日这些年轻的马刺队球员能够自己实现目标。
无需 GPS 导航。
“显然，（季前赛）比赛很重要，你会关注这些比赛，”巴恩斯说。“但这也是我们在训练中要做的事情，我们能否改进其中的一些方面？我认为现在每个人的信心和能量都很高，我们希望在进入真正的比赛后能够保持下去。”
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs aim to use preseason as a springboard
San Antonio Spurs aim to use preseason as a springboard
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates after a basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sarah Phipps)
Not long before the start of training camp Spurs rookie Stephon Castle surpassed a pair of personal milestones.
First, he moved out of the San Antonio hotel room he had called home for most of the summer. Then, he learned to drive from there to the team practice facility from memory.
“I’ve been able to get around without using the GPS anymore,” the 19-year-old Castle said with pride. “It’s starting to feel like home.”
Come Monday, Castle will be able to add another route to his mental MapQuest as the Spurs open their preseason slate with a game against Oklahoma City.
It will mark Castle’s first official visit to the Frost Bank Center since the Spurs drafted the former Connecticut standout fourth overall in June.
Monday’s game won’t come with the same level of hype as last year’s preseason opener against the Thunder. After all, that was Victor Wembanyama’s long-awaited NBA debut.
Still, the Spurs’ most recent lottery pick has already turned heads in the first week of camp practices, including the most important head of all.
“He is a good one,” coach Gregg Popovich said of the 6-foot-5 combo guard.
Castle’s debut is one silver-and-black storyline as the Spurs raise the curtain on the exhibition season. It might not even be the most interesting.
Monday could also mark the Spurs debut of Chris Paul, the 39-year-old point guard legend signed over the offseason to help the young Spurs learn what the heck they are supposed to be doing.
Add to that the arrival of 32-year-old veteran forward Harrison Barnes – who eschewed a no-trade clause to enable to deal with Sacramento – and the Spurs are apt to have a few deeper voices in their huddle than they did at this time last season.
“It feels good to have some vets that have been through the hardships,” said 21-year-old guard Malaki Branham, who is entering his third season. “I’m just learning as much as I can from them.”
As it was for much of last season, the main attraction at the Frost Bank Center on Monday will be Wembanyama.
The 7-foot-3 Frenchman is set to return to his home NBA building for the first time since being named the unanimous 2023-24 Rookie of the Year, and for the first time since leading his French national team to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Popovich has much to sort out over the five games that comprise the Spurs’ preseason slate. Wembanyama’s role is not one of them.
“I’m thinking Victor’s going to start,” Popovich said.
That news did not exactly stop presses across the NBA or the globe or within the walls of the Spurs’ locker room.
“I had a feeling,” Barnes said. “That seems about right.”
For Popovich, ironing out the rest of the starting five and the rotations behind it will be one focus of the preseason to come.
Popovich said after practice Saturday he had not nailed down a lineup for Monday’s exhibition opener, adding he would have to see how players survived a rigorous first week of camp.
“You can probably guess who some of the starters are, but I want to see how they come out of this (camp),” Popovich said. “It was a tough week and I want to see what their bodies look like.”
Paul is cemented as a starter for as many games as he is able to play. Barnes has started 82 games apiece in each of the past two seasons, and is a strong candidate to fill a similar role this season.
Third-year forward Jeremy Sochan is likely ticketed for a starting role. Thankfully for him, it won’t be at point guard thanks to the offseason arrival of Paul.
Last season’s second-leading scorer, Devin Vassell, would be a lock for a starting job as well, except he is expected to be out until at least November while recovering from offseason foot surgery.
That leaves a temporary starting spot open at shooting guard, with either Branham or Julian Champagnie the likeliest choices to fill the void.
Popovich made clear whoever starts for Vassell will be merely keeping the spot warm until the fourth-year pro returns.
“Chances are Devin will have his spot back when he is healthy,” Popovich said. “It’s not going to be the Lou Gerhig thing.”
More than the nuts-and-bolts of lineup construction, the Spurs hope to use the preseason as something of a vibe check.
Early in camp, Wembanyama said he plans to approach the exhibition games with the focus and competitiveness he wants to bring to the regular season. He hopes his teammates will follow suit.
“We want to start the year strong,” Wembanyama said. “We don’t want it to be 50-60 games in to lock in. It starts in the preseason.”
Even the Spurs’ eldest statesmen appear to be on board with that approach.
Part of the job for Paul and Barnes will be to demonstrate to the younger Spurs the commitment it takes to win in the NBA, so that one day those younger Spurs can get there themselves.
No GPS required.
“Obviously, the (preseason) games are important and you are going to look at those,” Barnes said. “But it is also what we are doing in practice and can we clean up some of those things?. I think right now that everyone’s confidence and energy is high, and we want to maintain that once we get into real games.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News