By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-13 11:46:36
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。
2012年1月5日，在AT&T中心球馆，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在上半场比赛中与圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫托尼·帕克(Tony Parker)（9号）和丹尼·格林(Danny Green)（4号）交谈。
格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)认为丹尼·格林(Danny Green)是马刺“磨石”精神的典范。
格林上周宣布从NBA退役，结束了自己15年的职业生涯，其中包括在马刺效力的8年，并在2014年帮助球队赢得总冠军。他还分别在2019年和2020年随多伦多猛龙队和洛杉矶湖人队夺冠。
“他为之努力过，”波波维奇周六谈到37岁的格林时说道。
格林在2009年第二轮被克利夫兰骑士队选中，在进入联盟的最初两年里，他曾两次被裁掉，之后作为一名三分神射手和强悍的防守者在马刺找到了归宿。
“他在这里和其他地方都失败过几次，但他坚持了下来，表现出了毅力，就像我们在更衣室里说的那样，”波波维奇说。“在经历了101次的打击后，他终于成功了，从那以后，他拥有了一段辉煌的职业生涯。他是个特别的人。”
格林在马刺的职业生涯始于2010年，结束于2018年夏天，当时他作为科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)重磅交易的一部分被送往猛龙队。在马刺效力期间，他场均得到9.1分，三分球命中率为39.6%。
在2013年NBA总决赛中，马刺在7场比赛中输给了迈阿密热火队，格林创造了当时总决赛系列赛三分球命中数的纪录，27投49中，命中率为55.1%，场均得到14.0分。2014年，马刺队卷土重来，在五场比赛中击败热火队夺冠，格林场均得到9.2分，三分球命中率为45.0%（20投9中）。
“他帮助我们赢得了总冠军，他是个很好的人，”波波维奇说。
米尔斯和哈迪再次联手
帕蒂·米尔斯(Patty Mills)与犹他爵士队签约，这使得这位澳大利亚后卫与他的好朋友——爵士队主教练、前马刺队助理教练威尔·哈迪(Will Hardy)重聚。
“能再次和帕蒂在一起真是太棒了，”哈迪说。“我和他在圣安东尼奥一起度过了10年，有很多共同的经历，很多美好的时刻，也有很多艰难的时刻。我和帕蒂同龄（36岁），所以这些年来，我们在球场之外也建立了联系。”
“我很幸运能称他为真正的好朋友，无论是在篮球场上还是在生活中，他都一直在支持我。”
爵士队上个月与米尔斯签署了一份为期一年、价值330万美元的合同，米尔斯曾在2011年至2021年间为马刺队效力了10个赛季。虽然米尔斯本赛季的上场时间可能会受到限制，但这位征战了15个赛季的老将预计将在更衣室中扮演重要的老将角色。
“他的存在感是不可否认的，”哈迪说。“我认为即使是在圣安东尼奥的那些年里，他可能不是球场上的焦点，但他确实是球队的命脉，也是更衣室的能量来源。他一到这里就把这种精神带给了我们。他就像是在扮演着年轻球员的导师，同时也是其他老将球员可以依靠的对象。他很快就产生了影响力。”
“帕蒂并不害羞，很高兴我们的更衣室里有他这样外向的性格。在他的职业生涯中，他经历过很多，也见识过很多，所以他为我们的年轻球员提供了很多智慧。”
波波维奇说，他在周五晚上和哈迪谈到了米尔斯，后者在周六晚上爵士队120-126输给马刺队的比赛中没有上场。
“他在为他们做着和在这里一样的事情，”波波维奇说。“他就是一个招人喜欢的人。每个人都喜欢他。他性格很好，是每个人的良师益友。如果他上场，他会付出100%的努力，倾尽所有。他是个特别的人。”
文班亚马预计将在周二上场
在周三战胜奥兰多魔术队的季前赛首秀后，马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在周六的比赛中轮休。
“他很好，”波波维奇在赛前说道。
当被问及文班亚马是否会参加剩下的两场季前赛——周二对阵迈阿密热火队和周四对阵休斯顿火箭队时，波波维奇说:“我认为他两场都会打。”
在经历了紧张的第一周训练营后，文班亚马只参加了马刺前三场季前赛中的一场。在此之前，这位2024年最佳新秀经历了一个忙碌的夏天，包括代表法国队参加了奥运会。
波波维奇让老将球员们轮休了每一场季前赛，让他们得到休息，也让其他球员有更多上场时间。
阵容缩减
周日，马刺队裁掉了前锋内森·门萨(Nathan Mensah)，他在季前赛中一直受到伤病困扰。
此举过后，他们的训练营名单上还有20名球员。10月21日是确定18人名单的截止日期。
周六是裁掉无保障合同球员且不产生工资帽费用的最后期限。
点击查看原文：Green embodied Spurs' pounding the rock culture
Green embodied Spurs’ pounding the rock culture
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks with San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) and San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (4) during first half action Thursday Jan. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center.
Gregg Popovich views Danny Green as the poster boy for the Spurs’ pounding the rock ethos.
Green announced his retirement from the NBA last week after 15 seasons, including an eight-year run with the Spurs highlighted by helping the team win a championship in 2014. He also won titles with Toronto in 2019 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
“He worked for it,” Popovich said Saturday of Green, 37.
A second-round pick by Cleveland in 2009, Green was waived twice in his first two years in the league before finding a home with the Spurs as a 3-point sharpshooter and rugged defender.
“He failed a couple of times here and elsewhere, and he just stuck with it and showed persistence, kind of like the saying we have in the locker room,” Popovich said. “On that 101st blow, it happened for him and he had a great career from then on. A special guy.”
Green’s run with the Spurs began in 2010 and ended in summer 2018 when he was sent to the Raptors as part of the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster trade. He averaged 9.1 points while shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range with the Silver & Black.
During the 2013 NBA Finals, which the Spurs lost in seven games to Miami, Green set a then-record for most 3-point field goals made in a Finals series with 27 (27 of 49, 55.1%) while averaging 14.0 points. The Spurs rebounded to beat the Heat in five games for the title in 2014, with Green averaging 9.2 points per game and shooting 45.0% (9 for 20) from distance.
“He helped us win championships, and he’s a sweet man,” Popovich said.
Mills, Hardy together again
Patty Mills signing with Utah reunited the Australian guard with a good friend: Jazz coach and former Spurs assistant Will Hardy.
“It’s been amazing to be with Patty again,” Hardy said. "He and I spent 10 years together here in San Antonio, a lot of shared experiences, a lot of good moments, a lot of hard moments. Patty and I are the same age (36), so we have built a connection over the years beyond the court.
“I am lucky to call him a really good friend and he has been here for me in basketball moments and in life moments.”
The Jazz signed Mills, who played 10 seasons for the Spurs from 2011-2021 to a one-year, $3.3 million contract last month. While his playing time likely will be limited this season, the 15-year veteran is expected to play a vital role as an elder statesman in the locker room.
“His presence is undeniable,” Hardy said. "I think even in a bunch of those years here in San Antonio, where he may have not been the focal point on the court, he was really the lifeblood of the team and kind of the energy source of the locker room. He has brought that to us immediately. He is kind of walking the line of being a mentor to some of the young guys and also being somebody the other veteran players can lean on. He has made his impact felt very quickly.
“Patty is not shy and it’s nice to have his extroverted personality in our locker room. And he has been through a lot and seen a lot through his career, so he is offering a lot of wisdom to our young players.”
Popovich said he had a conversation with Hardy on Friday night about Mills, who sat out Utah’s 126-120 loss to the Spurs on Saturday night.
“He is doing the same thing, for them that he did here,” Popovich said. “He’s just a lovable dude. Everybody loves him. Great personality, great mentor for everybody. If he gets in a game, he will be 100 percent, giving everything he can. He is just a special guy.”
Wembanyama expected to play Tuesday
After making his preseason debut in Wednesday’s win over Orlando, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama sat out Saturday’s game a healthy scratch.
“He’s fine,” Popovich said before the game.
Asked if he would play in the remaining two preseason games - at Miami on Tuesday and at Houston on Thursday - Popovich said, “I think he will play in both of them.”
Wembanyama has suited up for only one of the Spurs’ first three exhibition games after an intense first week of training camp that followed a busy summer for the 2024 Rookie of the Year that included playing for France in the Olympics.
Popovich has held veterans out of each of the preseason games for rest and to give other players more minutes.
Roster trimmed
The Spurs waived forward Nathan Mensah, who was slowed in the preseason by injury, on Sunday.
The move leaves them with 20 players on their camp roster. Oct. 21 is the deadline to set the 18-man roster.
Saturday is the deadline to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts and not incur a cap charge
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News