By Tom Orsborn, Staff writers | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-09 10:32:40
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10月7日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的与俄克拉荷马雷霆队的季前赛揭幕战下半场，马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 与后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 交谈。马刺队以107-112负于雷霆队。
马刺队新秀后卫卡斯尔正在充分利用格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 在篮球和生活方面的丰富知识。
“他是一个很棒的人，”19岁的卡斯尔在谈到这位75岁的名人堂成员时说，后者即将进入他在马刺队的第29个赛季。
“你可以问他任何问题。没有什么是愚蠢的问题。我真的尽可能多地利用这一点。他是待在这里时间最长的人。他知道自己在说什么。在我的新秀赛季就能在他手下打球是一种福气。”
卡斯尔还与马刺队新任助理教练兼球员发展总监迈克·诺耶斯 (Mike Noyes) 因他们与康涅狄格州的共同纽带而迅速建立了联系。
诺耶斯是康涅狄格州格兰比人，曾在康涅狄格大学打球并毕业，而卡斯尔在上赛季带领康涅狄格大学获得了全国冠军，并在六月份的选秀大会上被马刺队以第四顺位选中。
马刺队上个月宣布聘用诺耶斯，此前他在孟菲斯灰熊队效力了六个赛季，最近担任球员发展教练。在2015年至2018年期间，他在康涅狄格大学打了三个赛季，当时他只是一名身高5英尺11英寸的后卫，出场时间不多，此前他是作为陪练球员加入球队的。
诺耶斯于2017年毕业，获得数学/精算学学位。
“我们聊过几次康涅狄格州，”卡斯尔说。“我喜欢和迈克相处。他是一个精力非常充沛的人。到目前为止，他一直是我们中非常重要的一员。这也是他的第一年。我迫不及待地想在我们前进的过程中与他建立更深厚的联系。我以前不认识他。我在夏季联赛上认识了他，从那以后我们就一拍即合。”
文班亚马 (Wembanyama) 对WNBA球星克拉克 (Clark) 表示“敬畏”
几乎可以肯定的是，维克多·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和凯特琳·克拉克 (Caitlin Clark) 将在短期内统治各自的联赛。
这位马刺队的20岁超级巨星正在为他的第二个NBA赛季做准备，他对克拉克给予了高度评价。克拉克是2024年WNBA年度最佳新秀，她刚刚结束了自己的职业生涯首秀赛季，带领印第安纳狂热队自2016年以来首次进入季后赛。
当被问及目前哪位WNBA球员最能激励他时，文班亚马选择了同样是状元秀的克拉克。
“当她在大学的时候，她是唯一一个让我真正敬畏的大学球员，你知道，”文班亚马在马刺队官方X账号上发布的一段视频片段中说。“我的意思是，在男子和女子大学篮球界，她可能是最令人印象深刻的。”
克拉克是历史上获奖最多的大学篮球运动员之一。她离开时是NCAA一级联赛的得分王（28.4分）、总得分王（3951分）和三分王（548个），同时在两双榜上排名第二（17次），在助攻榜上排名第三（1144次）。这位三次获得全美一致认可的球员还两次获得了几乎所有主要的国家奖项，包括美联社年度最佳球员和奈史密斯大学年度最佳球员。
就像文班亚马上个赛季所做的那样，克拉克在她的第一个职业赛季就打破了多项纪录，并让联盟其他球队注意到一个新时代已经到来。她在总得分、总助攻、三分球、两双和三双方面都创造了新秀赛季的纪录，同时也创造了WNBA后卫单场得分和单场助攻的新纪录。
克拉克最终也只差一票就能像文班亚马一样获得全票年度最佳新秀。
2024年9月11日，星期三，印第安纳波利斯，在WNBA篮球比赛的下半场，印第安纳狂热队的凯特琳·克拉克 (Caitlin Clark) 对阵拉斯维加斯王牌队时做出了反应。(美联社照片/达伦·卡明斯)
佛罗里达州人关注飓风“米尔顿”
随着4级风暴飓风“米尔顿”逼近佛罗里达州西海岸，马刺队的落选新秀莱利·米尼克斯 (Riley Minix) 一直在与家乡的家人和朋友保持联系。
米尼克斯在维罗海滩长大，在佛罗里达州莱克兰的NAIA学校东南大学打了四个赛季，之后他利用因新冠疫情而给予球员的额外一年时间转学到NCAA一级联赛，并在肯塔基州的莫尔黑德州立大学打球。
“我的家人现在正在为（米尔顿）做准备，我以前在佛罗里达州莱克兰上学，那里离西海岸更近，所以我一直在和那里的几个朋友和人聊天，确保他们的安全，”米尼克斯说。
2024年10月7日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的与俄克拉荷马雷霆队的季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) (0号) 对后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) (5号) 的扣篮做出反应。马刺队以107-112负于雷霆队。
2024年10月7日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的季前赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) (5号) 越过俄克拉荷马雷霆队中锋伊萨亚·哈尔滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein) (55号) 投篮。
周一上午，在维多利亚资本表演中心举行的马刺队媒体日活动中，马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔摆姿势拍照。
2024年7月13日，星期六，在拉斯维加斯夏季联赛上，马刺队以83-77战胜波特兰开拓者队的比赛中，马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔带球突破上篮。
2024年7月6日，加州萨克拉门托：周六，在加州萨克拉门托黄金一号中心举行的加州经典夏季联赛对阵夏洛特黄蜂队的比赛第四节，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 在跑向替补席时与肯尼 (Kenny) 击掌。(雷金纳德·托马斯二世/圣安东尼奥马刺队)
2024年7月6日，加州萨克拉门托：周六，在加州萨克拉门托黄金一号中心举行的加州经典夏季联赛对阵夏洛特黄蜂队的比赛第三节，圣安东尼奥马刺队视频助理教练肯顿·特雷维诺 (Kenton Trevino) 与圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 交谈。(雷金纳德·托马斯二世/圣安东尼奥马刺队)
周六上午，在维多利亚资本表演中心，马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在被介绍给媒体和受邀嘉宾后走下球场。
周六上午，在维多利亚资本表演中心，马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在被介绍给媒体和受邀嘉宾后，练习投三分球。
点击查看原文：Spurs rookie Stephon Castle leaning on Popovich, coaching staff
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle leaning on Popovich, coaching staff
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks to guard Stephon Castle during the second half of the preseason opener against Oklahoma City at the Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Thunder, 112-107.
Spurs rookie guard Stephon Castle is making good use of Gregg Popovich’s wealth of knowledge about basketball and life.
“He’s a great guy,” Castle, 19, said of the 75-year-old Hall of Famer, who is entering his 29th season as coach of the Spurs.
"You can pick his brain about anything. No question is a bad question. I really just try to utilize that as much as I can. He’s been here the longest. He knows what he’s talking about. Coming in my rookie year and being able to play under him is a blessing.”
Castle has also bonded quickly with first-year Spurs assistant coach/director of player development Mike Noyes over their shared ties to Connecticut.
A native of Granby, Connecticut, Noyes played for and graduated from the UConn, which Castled helped lead to a national championship as a freshman last season before the Spurs drafted him fourth overall in June.
The Spurs announced their hiring of Noyes last month after he spent the past six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, most recently as a player development coach. He played three seasons at UConn as a little-used 5-foot-11 guard from 2015-2018 after starting out with the Huskies as a practice player.
Noyes graduated in 2017 with a degree in math/actuarial science.
“We talked about Connecticut a couple of times," Castle said. "I love dealing with Mike. He’s a super high-energy guy. He’s been a great part of us so far. This is his first year as well. I can’t wait to build a deeper connection with him as we move on. I didn’t know him before. I met him at summer league and we clicked ever since.”
Wembanyama in ‘awe’ of WNBA star Clark
It seems almost certain that Victor Wembanyama and Caitlin Clark will reign atop their respective leagues in short order.
And as the Spurs’ 20-year-old superstar prepares for his second NBA season, he offered some strong praise for Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year who just completed her debut pro season after leading the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Asked recently which current WNBA player most inspires him, Wembanyama opted for fellow No. 1 overall pick, Clark.
“When she was in college, the only college player I was really in awe of their game, you know," Wembanyama said in a video clip posted to the Spurs’ official X account. "I’m saying, in men’s and women’s college basketball she’s probably the most impressive.”
Clark is one of the most decorated college basketball players of all time. She left as the Division I leader in scoring average (28.4), points (3,951) and three-pointers (548) while ranking second in triple-doubles (17) and third in assists (1,144). The three-time unanimous All-American also collected nearly every major national award twice, including Associated Press Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year.
And just as Wembanyama did last season, Clark spent her first year as a pro shattering records and putting the rest of the league on notice that a new era is upon it. She set rookie-season records for total points, total assists, 3-pointers, double-doubles and triple-doubles while also setting new WNBA marks for most points scored by a guard and most assists in a single game.
Clark also finished just one vote shy of joining Wembanyama as a unanimous rookie of the year.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark reacts during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Florida native tracking Hurricane Milton
With Category 4 storm Hurricane Milton closing in on Florida’s west coast, Spurs undrafted rookie Riley Minix has been checking in with family and friends in his home state.
Minix grew up in Vero Beach and played four seasons at Southeastern University, an NAIA school in Lakeland, Florida, before taking advantage of the extra year given to players due to the interference of the COVID-19 pandemic to transfer to NCAA Division I and play for Morehead State in Kentucky.
“They are preparing (for Milton) right now, my family, and I used to go to school in Lakeland, Florida, which is closer to the west coast, so I have been talking to a couple of my friends and people back there making sure they are safe,” Minix said.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) reacts to a dunk made by guard Stephon Castle (5) in the second half of the pre-season NBA match-up against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Thunder, 112-107.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in the first half of the pre-season NBA match-up at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle gets poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day activities 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.
July 6, 2024, Sacramento, CA: San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle high fives /eknny/ as he jogs to the bench during the fourth quarter of the California Classic Summer League game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Golden1 Center in Sacramento, California Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Photo by Reginald Thomas II/San Antonio Spurs)
July 6, 2024, Sacramento, CA: San Antonio Spurs video assistant Kenton Trevino talks to San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle during the third quarter of the California Classic Summer League game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Golden1 Center in Sacramento, California Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Photo by Reginald Thomas II/San Antonio Spurs)
Spurs draft pick Stephon Castle walks off the court after being introduced to the media and invited guests Saturday morning as at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Spurs draft pick Stephon Castle shoots some three-pointers after his introduction to the media and invited guests Saturday at the Victory Capital Performance Center Saturday morning.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writers, via San Antonio Express-News