By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-18 23:15:16
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。
佛罗里达州迈阿密 - 10 月 15 日：2024 年 10 月 15 日，在佛罗里达州迈阿密凯撒中心举行的季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的克里斯·保罗（3 号）在对阵迈阿密热火的比赛第三节运球。
- 季后赛仍然只是黄粱一梦吗？
马刺已经连续五个赛季无缘季后赛，这是球队历史上最长的季后赛荒。即使球队整体有所提升，但本赛季马刺可能仍然无法打破这一魔咒。
这要归咎于西部联盟的深度和天赋。
上赛季，金州勇士队取得了 46 胜 36 负的战绩，足以排名西部第 10，获得了最后一个附加赛名额。
马刺在上赛季 22 胜 60 负的基础上可能增加 15 场胜利，这已经是一个巨大的进步了，但这仍然无法让他们接近季后赛门槛。
如果马刺在东部，他们将有更大的机会突破重围，上赛季亚特兰大老鹰队以 36 胜 46 负的战绩就打进了附加赛。
然而，身处竞争激烈的西部，马刺似乎至少还需要一年的时间才能在季后赛中发出真正的呐喊。如果他们在明年四月发现自己还在为一个附加赛席位而战，那也算是一个成功的赛季了。
- 克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)如何才能“身兼两职”？
没错，这位 39 岁的老将将为这支稚嫩的马刺更衣室带来 19 个赛季的 NBA 经验和篮球智慧。
保罗在金州勇士队替补席上度过上个赛季后，选择加盟马刺的原因是格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)给了他一个打球的机会。
保罗本赛季将坐稳马刺队首发控球后卫的位置，而现任控卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)则将替补出场。只要身体允许，他就会首发出场并尽可能多地参加比赛，而自 2015-16 赛季以来，他每个赛季的出场次数都没有超过 70 场。
毫无疑问，当保罗在场上时，他会提升马刺的篮球智商，尤其是在上赛季经常困扰他们的第四节关键时刻。
不要搞错了，保罗在场外的指导对年轻的马刺来说也很有价值。
他和 32 岁的哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)被带到球队是为了给年轻人提供一些如何成为职业球员的领导力，同时也为了得分和助攻。
保罗和马刺队都相信，他可以胜任这两项工作。
- 马刺能连续第二年获得年度最佳新秀奖吗？
与一年前的文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)不同，马刺本赛季的状元秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)并不是年度最佳新秀奖的热门人选。 然而，在新赛季开始时，他应该出现在每个预测者的候选名单上。
这位身高 6 英尺 5 英寸的后卫在整个季前赛中都给人留下了深刻的印象，他展现出了顽强的防守、超乎寻常的成熟以及对半场进攻的早熟感觉。
卡斯尔将在赛季初替补出场，这可能会影响他获得年度最佳新秀的机会。
但好消息是，今年的新秀中并没有像文班亚马那样锁定胜局的球员，这对卡斯尔很有帮助。
前两名新秀——亚特兰大老鹰队的扎卡里·里萨切(Zaccharie Risacher)和华盛顿奇才队的阿莱克斯·萨尔(Alex Sarr)，都是法国人——被认为是长期项目，可能不会立即产生巨大的影响。休斯顿火箭队以探花签选中的里德·谢泼德(Reed Sheppard)被寄予厚望，但在火箭队这支年轻而才华横溢的后卫阵容中，他可能会面临出场时间不足的问题。
其他有力的竞争者包括孟菲斯灰熊队的扎克·埃迪(Zach Edey)、犹他爵士队的科迪·威廉姆斯(Cody Williams)和洛杉矶湖人队的达尔顿·克内希特(Dalton Knecht)。
卡斯尔可能不是成为马刺队连续第二位年度最佳新秀的最热门人选，但如果他真的做到了，也没人会感到惊讶。
- 德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)的身体状况能允许他上场吗？
在这一点上，很难说这位马刺队的首发得分后卫是容易受伤还是仅仅运气不好。
在他 NBA 的前四个赛季中，瓦塞尔只有一个赛季的出场次数超过了 70 场。
这位 24 岁的球员在上赛季因脚部应力性反应缺席了最后 8 场比赛，并在休赛期接受了手术。预计他至少要到 11 月才能开始他的第五个 NBA 赛季。
在上赛季因伤缺阵的比赛中，瓦塞尔的场均得分达到了 19.5 分，很明显，当他上场时，他是球队中表现第二好的球员。只是他上场的次数没有大家希望的那么多。
好消息是，瓦塞尔说他这个休赛期的感觉比以往任何时候都好。如果他本赛季能够保持健康并从头到尾都出现在球队的阵容中，这将对马刺队取得成功起到很大的帮助。
- 凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)还能在马刺效力多久？
令他自己都感到惊讶的是，这位 25 岁的最佳第六人即将进入他在马刺的第六个赛季，他已经成为球队中效力时间最长的球员。
为了保住这一头衔，他不得不忍受休赛期铺天盖地的交易传闻。
更有可能的是，在 2 月份的交易截止日期之前，约翰逊的名字将继续成为谣言的素材。
这并不是说马刺队对约翰逊感到失望。这位精力充沛的前锋在训练营中展现出了他职业生涯中最好的状态，并且似乎准备好在本赛季再次成为马刺替补席上的关键一员。
约翰逊的合同在交易资产方面处于一个比较有利的位置。他的合同还剩三年，价值 5400 万美元，这笔钱足以在潜在的交易中匹配到一份可观的薪水，同时在当今 NBA 的经济环境下，这份合同的金额也不算太高。
马刺不会为了交易而交易约翰逊，但在他 们愿意交易的球员中（也就是不包括文班亚马），他仍然是他们最有价值的筹码。
2024 年 10 月 12 日，星期六，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇（右）在下半场与马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗（3 号）交谈。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，星期四，在休斯顿丰田中心举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5 号）试图在休斯顿火箭队前锋阿门·汤普森（1 号）和后卫里德·谢泼德（15 号）的防守下传球。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，星期四，在休斯顿举行的一场 NBA 季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5 号）在休斯顿火箭队中锋史蒂文·亚当斯（12 号）的防守下投篮。
2024 年 10 月 7 日，星期一，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的弗罗斯特银行中心举行的 NBA 季前赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗（3 号）、维克多·文班亚马（1 号）和德文·瓦塞尔（24 号）观看队友对阵俄克拉荷马城雷霆队的比赛。
2024 年 3 月 29 日，星期五，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的 NBA 比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克多·文班亚马（右）在以 130-126 的比分加时战胜纽约尼克斯队后与后卫德文·瓦塞尔拥抱。
2024 年 3 月 29 日，星期五，在弗罗斯特银行中心与纽约尼克斯队进行的 NBA 比赛的上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔带球突破纽约尼克斯队后卫迈尔斯·麦克布莱德的防守。瓦塞尔得到 23 分，帮助马刺队以 130-126 的比分在加时赛中战胜尼克斯队。
佛罗里达州迈阿密 - 10 月 15 日：2024 年 10 月 15 日，在佛罗里达州迈阿密凯撒中心举行的季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（0 号）在对阵迈阿密热火的比赛第三节中带球突破德鲁·史密斯（12 号）的防守。
2024 年 10 月 7 日，星期一，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的 NBA 季前赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（0 号）为队友加油助威。马刺队以 107-112 负于雷霆队。
2024 年 10 月 12 日，星期六，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（左）与犹他爵士队的凯尔·菲利波夫斯基（22 号）和德鲁·尤班克斯纠缠在一起。
2024 年 10 月 15 日，星期二，在迈阿密举行的一场 NBA 季前赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克多·文班亚马（1 号）在对阵迈阿密热火队后卫亚历克·伯克斯（18 号）时带球突破。
2024 年 10 月 15 日，星期二，在迈阿密举行的一场 NBA 季前赛中，迈阿密热火队后卫特里·罗齐尔三世（2 号）在圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克多·文班亚马（1 号）和朱利安·尚帕尼（30 号）的防守下跳投。
点击查看原文：The five biggest questions for the Spurs' upcoming season answered
The five biggest questions for the Spurs’ upcoming season answered
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 15: Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the third quarter of a preseason game at Kaseya Center on October 15, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
1. Are the playoffs still only a pipe dream?
The Spurs have not made the playoffs in five seasons, the longest drought in franchise history. Even with improvement across the board, this might not be the year the Spurs break the string.
Blame the depth and talent of the Western Conference.
Last season, Golden State finished 46-36 – good enough for 10th place and the final bid to the conference play-in tournament.
The Spurs could add 15 wins from last season’s 22-60 record – a massive year-over-year jump – and that still wouldn’t put them anywhere near that threshold.
The Spurs would have a better chance of breaking through in the East, where Atlanta made the play-in at 36-46 last season.
Stuck in the West, however, the Spurs appear at least a year away from making serious noise in the postseason race. If they find themselves still fighting for a play-in berth come April, consider it a successful season.
2. How well does Chris Paul wear two hats?
Yes, the 39-year-old will bring 19 seasons worth of NBA experience and basketball know-how to the callow Spurs locker room.
The reason Paul chose to come to the Spurs, after spending last season coming off the bench in Golden State, was that Gregg Popovich offered him a chance to play.
Paul is cemented as the Spurs’ starting point guard this season, bumping incumbent Tre Jones to the bench. He will start and play in as many games as his body will allow, which hasn’t been more than 70 since 2015-16.
When he is on the court, Paul will no doubt upgrade the Spurs’ basketball IQ, particularly during the tight fourth-quarter situations that often vexed them last season.
Make no mistake. Paul’s off-the-court mentorship will be valuable to the younger Spurs as well.
He and 32-year-old Harrison Barnes were brought in to provide some how-to-be-a-pro leadership, as well as score points and log assists.
Paul and the Spurs are confident he can do both jobs.
3. Can the Spurs claim a second consecutive Rookie of the Year award?
Unlike Wembanyama a year ago, the Spurs’ top draft pick this season, Stephon Castle, isn’t a consensus favorite for Rookie of the Year honors. He ought to be on every handicapper’s short list to begin the season, however.
The 6-foot-5 guard was quietly impressive throughout the preseason, showcasing his dogged defense, uncommon maturity and a precocious feel for the halfcourt game.
Castle is set to come off the bench to start the season, which could hurt his Rookie of the Year chances.
It helps his odds that there isn’t a Wembanyama-style lock in this year’s rookie class.
The top two picks – Atlanta’s Zaccahrie Risacher and Washington’s Alex Sarr, both Frenchmen – are considered longer-term projects who might not make a massive immediate splash. Reed Sheppard, selected No. 3 by Houston, is highly touted but could find playing time scarce amongst the Rockets young and talented guard corps.
Dark horse candidates include Memphis’ Zach Edey, Utah’s Cody Williams and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht.
Castle might not be the outright favorite to becomes the second straight Spur to win Rookie of the Year honors, but nobody would be shocked if it happens.
4. Will Devin Vassell’s body cooperate?
At this point, it is difficult to tell if the Spurs’ starting shooting guard is injury prone or just unlucky.
Over his first four NBA seasons, Vassell has surpassed 70 games played only once.
The 24-year-old missed the final eight contests last season with a stress reaction in his foot, which required surgery to repair in the offseason. He is not expected to be ready to begin his fifth NBA season until at least November.
Vassell averaged 19.5 points last season in between trips to the injured list and was clearly the team’s second-best player when he was on the floor. That just wasn’t as often as anyone would have liked.
The good news is Vassell says he feels better this offseason than he has in a while. If he can remain upright and in the lineup from start to finish this season, it would go a long way toward helping the Spurs reach their ceiling.
5. How long will Keldon Johnson remain the Spurs’ longest tenured player?
To the surprise of even himself, the 25-year-old Sixth Man enters his sixth season having been with the Spurs longer than anyone else on the roster.
He had to endure a raft of offseason trade chatter to retain that designation.
More than likely, Johnson’s name will continue to provide grist for the rumor mill right up until the February trade deadline.
It is not that the Spurs are disillusioned with Johnson. The high-energy forward showed up to training camp in the shape of his life, and appears poised to be a key piece off the Spurs’ bench again this season.
Johnson’s contract is in something of a sweet spot when it comes to trade assets. With three years and $54 million remaining, it is large enough to be useful to match a significant salary in potential deal, while low enough to be viewed as good value in the modern NBA economy.
The Spurs will not trade Johnson just to trade him, but he remains their most valuable chip among players they would be willing to deal (i.e. not named Wembanyama).
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, right, speaks with Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) tries to pass against Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) and guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) shoots as Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) defends during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3), Victor Wembanyama (1) and Devin Vassell (24) watch their teammates take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of the pre-season NBA match-up at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, embraces guard Devin Vassell at the conclusion of their 130-126 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, March 29, 2024.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell drives past New York Knicks guard Miles McBride during the first half of their NBA game with the New York Knicks at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, March 29, 2024. Vassell scored 23 points to help the Spurs beat the Knicks 130-126 in overtime.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 15: Keldon Johnson #0 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against Dru Smith #12 of the Miami Heat during the third quarter of a preseason game at Kaseya Center on October 15, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) cheers on his teammates 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’ Keldon Johnson, left, tangles with Utah Jazz’s Kyle Filipowski (22) and Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives up against Miami Heat guard Alec Burks (18) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III (2) goes up for a shot against San Antonio Spurs forwards Victor Wembanyama (1) and Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News