By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-20 12:48:49
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 17 日，在休斯顿举行的 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。 (美联社照片/Eric Christian Smith)
和之前的很多人一样，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔从未预料到这一幕的发生。
在周六晚上一年一度的银黑公开对抗赛的上半场，这位备受瞩目的马刺新秀认为自己可以轻松得分，却看到球在文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)突然出现封盖后被钉在了篮板上。
“我根本没看到他，”卡斯尔说。“我以为我有一个空位上篮的机会。但这种事总会发生。对于那种身高，那种全面性，你会慢慢习惯的。”
文班亚马凭空出现的盖帽让在弗罗斯特银行中心观看这场免费比赛的数千名球迷兴奋不已，但他们也很高兴看到卡斯尔从这次盖帽中恢复过来，并贡献了自己的一些精彩表现。
文班亚马的黑队在比赛后期以 74-64 获胜，但卡斯尔才是这场比赛的明星。这位 2023-24 赛季的年度最佳新秀在第三节打了大约 14 分钟后就早早下场休息。
卡斯尔最精彩的时刻出现在他命中一记三分球之后，在第三节结束前，他通过一个为其设计的挡拆战术接球，并在戴维·杜克(David Duke Jr.)头上投进一记压哨中距离跳投。
“防守很好，但我碰巧投进了，”卡斯尔说。
卡斯尔在球场两端的表现一直是季前赛最受关注的故事之一，但在 10 月 24 日于达拉斯开始的赛季揭幕战之前，他的角色定位尚不明确。
“我真的不知道，但这对我来说并不重要，”在谈到格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)打算如何使用他时，他说道。
在六月的选秀大会上，马刺队以第四顺位选中了他，他被认为是球队未来的控球后卫，他在两个后卫位置和小前锋位置上都获得过出场时间。
“我觉得只要能利用我的全面性上场打球就是最重要的，”卡斯尔说道，他曾在康涅狄格大学读大一的时候帮助球队赢得了全国冠军。“就是走上球场，不要给自己设定任何期望。就是试着自由地打球。所以，我觉得最重要的是能够上场，这样我就能找到帮助球队获胜的方法。对我来说，这是一个足够好的角色。”
至于文班亚马，19 岁的卡斯尔认为，在五场季前赛中只打了其中两场，并且这两场比赛的上场时间都有限的情况下，这位 20 岁的队友已经准备好迎接另一个出色的赛季。
“我觉得维克的上限是无限的，”卡斯尔说。“我觉得他可以在场上做任何事，无论是防守、带球推进、掩护、外弹、挡拆后投篮。这真的无关紧要。我很期待他今年的表现。”
米尼克斯获得最后一份双向合同
在经纪人告诉他马刺队已经同意与他签署一份双向合同时，落选新秀莱利·米尼克斯(Riley Minix)立即打电话给他的母亲。
“她一直很棒，”米尼克斯在谈到凯西·米尼克斯(Kathy Minix)时说道。“做出了很多牺牲。她是让我走到今天这一步的重要原因，塑造了我的人格，我的家人、我的父亲和我的三个兄弟也是如此。在整个过程中，他们给了我很多帮助。我要做的就是继续保持自信，做我自己，做他们把我培养成的人。”
马刺队在周六早上宣布，他们已经与这位 24 岁的锋线球员签署了最后一份双向合同。二轮秀后卫/前锋哈里森·英格拉姆(Harrison Ingram)和四年级后卫杜克获得了另外两份双向合同。
在代表莫尔黑德州立大学出战的三场季前赛中，米尼克斯场均得到 7.7 分，投篮命中率高达 70%（12 投 8 中），场均上场 7.8 分钟，因此与他签约在意料之中。
此举加上裁掉了老将后卫布兰登·波士顿(Brandon Boston Jr.)和马拉奇·弗林(Malachi Flynn)，马刺队的阵容已满员，包括 15 份保障合同和 3 名双向合同球员。
身高 6 英尺 7 英寸、体重 230 磅的米尼克斯在佛罗里达州莱克兰市的东南大学效力了四个赛季，这所大学属于 NAIA（美国大学体育协会）。之后，他利用疫情带来的额外一年参赛资格转学到了 NCAA 一级联赛的莫尔黑德州立大学。在肯塔基州的这所学校效力了一个赛季后，他场均得到 22.4 分和 10.1 个篮板，并获得了俄亥俄河谷联盟年度最佳球员。
波波维奇上周表示，他在训练营开始时并不知道米尼克斯是谁。当被问及他是如何进入教练的视野时，米尼克斯说：“保持自信，打出自己的风格，做球队需要我做的任何事情，能够投篮，在空位时把球投进，把我一直在做的事情做好就行了。”
米尼克斯的合同要求他在新秀赛季的大部分时间里为奥斯汀队征战 G 联赛。
“我可以去看看这座城市，看看它有什么，然后和另一群人一起打球，”他说。
球队完成常规操作
马刺队在周五宣布，他们已经执行了杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)、马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)和布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)的第四年球队选项，以及文班亚马的第三年球队选项，这些选项将持续到 2025-26 赛季。
点击查看原文：Spurs rookie Stephon Castle eager to continue to showcase versatility
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle eager to continue to showcase versatility
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)
Like so many others before him, Stephon Castle never saw it coming.
The Spurs’ prize rookie thought he had an easy bucket in the first half of the annual Silver & Black Open Scrimmage on Saturday night only to see the ball pinned against the backboard after Victor Wembanyama swooped in to smother the shot.
“I didn’t even see him,” Castle said. “I thought I had a wide-open layup. But it happens. That kind of size, that kind of versatility, you get used to it.”
Wembanyama’s out-of-nowhere rejection thrilled the thousands of fans in attendance at the free event at Frost Bank Center, but they were also happy to see Castle rebound from it to provide a few highlights of his own.
Wembanyama’s Black team pulled away late for a 74-64 win, but it was Castle who emerged as the affair’s star after the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year exited for good in the third quarter after logging about 14 minutes.
Castle’s biggest moments came when he swished a shot from the top of the arc before swishing a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper over David Duke Jr. at the end of the third on a designed pick-and-roll play to get the rookie the ball.
“It was good defense, but I just happened to make it,” Castle said.
Castle’s play on both ends of the court has been one of the biggest stories of the preseason, but it ended without a clear picture of what his role will be when the season kicks off in Dallas on Oct. 24.
“I don’t really know, but it doesn’t really matter to me,” he said of how Gregg Popovich plans to use him.
Labeled as the team’s point guard of the future, he saw time at both guard spots and at small forward after the Spurs picked him fourth overall in the June draft.
“I feel like just using my versatility to be on the court is the main thing,” said Castle, who helped Connecticut win the national title as a freshman last season. “Just going out there and not really giving myself any kind of expectations. Just kind of trying to play free. So, I feel like the biggest thing is being on the court so I can find a way to help us win. That’s a good enough role for me.”
As for Wembanyama, the 19-year-old Castle believes his 20-year-old teammate is ready for another outstanding season after playing in just two of the five preseason games and having limited minutes in his pair of outings.
“I feel like Vic’s ceiling is limitless,” Castle said. “I feel like he can do everything on the court, whether it’s defend or bring the ball up, pick or pop, shoot off ball screens. It really doesn’t matter. I am excited for the year he is going to have.”
Minix earns final two-way spot
Undrafted rookie Riley Minix phoned his mother immediately after his agent told him the Spurs had agreed to sign the Florida native to a two-way contract.
“She’s been great,” Minix said of Kathy Minix. “A lot of sacrifice. She’s a big part of how I got here and the man I am today, along with the rest of my family, my father and my three brothers. They have helped me a lot throughout this whole process. Just continuing to stay confident with who I am and who they raised me to be.”
The Spurs announced Saturday morning they had signed the 24-year-old forward to their final two-way contract. Second-round rookie guard/forward Harrison Ingram and fourth-year guard Duke have the other two-way deals.
The signing of Minix was expected after the Morehead State product averaged 7.7 points and made 70% of his field goals (8 of 12) in an average of 7.8 minutes over three exhibition contests.
The move, coupled with the waiving of veteran guards Brandon Boston Jr. and Malachi Flynn, gave the Spurs a full roster, with 15 guaranteed NBA contracts and the three players on two-way deals.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Minix played four seasons at NAIA Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., before using the extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic to transfer to Division I Morehead State, where he earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 22.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in his one season at the Kentucky school.
Popovich said last week he didn’t know who Minix was at the start of the camp. Asked how he got on the coach’s radar, Minix said, “Just staying confident, playing my game, doing whatever the team needed, being able to shoot the ball, make shots when I was open, just all the little things I have been doing all my life.”
Minix’s contract calls for him to spend the bulk of his rookie season with Austin in the G League.
“I get to see the city and see what it has to offer and then play with another group of guys,” he said.
Team takes care of housekeeping moves
The Spurs announced Friday they had exercised their fourth-year team option on Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley and their third-year option on Wembanyama for the 2025-26 season.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News