By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-22 14:57:10
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 AT&T 中心举行的 NBA 季前赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) (3 号)、中锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) (1 号)、前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) (40 号) 和前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) (0 号) 在观看队友们与俄克拉荷马城雷霆队的比赛时交谈。马刺队以 112-107 负于雷霆队。
对于马刺队的教练组来说，周二的目标是进行一次较为轻松的训练。
这将是球队在比往常更加艰苦的训练营和季前赛之后的最后一次训练，也是球队在启程前往达拉斯参加周四全国直播的赛季揭幕战之前的最后一次在圣安东尼奥的训练。前一天，马刺队已经进行了两个半小时的魔鬼训练。
提前结束当天的训练似乎是一个不错的选择。
但马刺队的球员们却有其他的想法。
“他们想提前结束训练，”前锋杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 说。“我们都想打球，所以我们要求再打几场比赛。”
在五场季前赛中，马刺队的全部主力阵容几乎没有机会一起磨合，所以再来几场对抗赛肯定是有益的。
马刺队只有两场季前赛的比赛中派出了预计的揭幕战首发阵容。而在这两场比赛中，只有上周二在迈阿密输掉的那一场比赛，所有球员都能上场，称得上是一场完整的预演。
由于关键球员轮休，而其他球员则轮番上场，目前还很难确定马刺队在本周晚些时候前往美航中心球馆参加维克托·文班亚马的第二场 NBA 比赛时会是什么样子。
“这不会是完美的，”索汉说。“整个夏天我们都在进行公开训练。这将是一个过程。我们不可能从第一场比赛开始就完美无缺。”
马刺队关键阵容之间的化学反应如何发展？
新控球后卫克里斯·保罗 (克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul)) 如何适应他的新队友？新任首发前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes)) 也是如此？
至于文班亚马，这场盛会的主角：在上赛季仅有的两场季前赛中出场 39 分钟，状态生疏，这位上赛季的年度最佳新秀距离做好比赛准备还有多远？
马刺队将在与卫冕西部冠军独行侠队的比赛中找到这些问题的答案，以及更多答案。
至少，在周一的训练结束后，文班亚马对自己的比赛状态给出乐观的最新消息。
“我感觉很好，”文班亚马说。“只是我要好好休息一下。这就是唯一的区别。”
没有人怀疑这位 20 岁的文班亚马会在赛季进行的过程中变得更加出色。
即使是教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 也暗示，这位身高 7 英尺 3 英寸的中锋在揭幕战之夜可能不会处于最佳状态。
文班亚马在两场季前赛中场均得到 9.5 分、8 个篮板和 2 次盖帽。他的投篮命中率为 33.3%（21 投 7 中），在所有参加过不止一场季前赛的球员中排名垫底，而三分球 9 投仅 1 中。
然而，NBA 观察家们可以随意抛售他们的文班亚马股票，风险自负。
“这是一个漫长的赛季，”文班亚马说。“我们有很多很多机会变得更好，并在攻防两端改进我们的比赛。”
如果马刺队本赛季的目标是至少获得一个附加赛名额，那么他们可能不想等太久才开始团结起来。
马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇承认，随着周四揭幕战的临近，即使对他来说，他的球队也是一个谜。
在新赛季开始之际，波波维奇并不像在蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan)、托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker) 和马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili) 的鼎盛时期那样自在，当时整个球队似乎都在自动驾驶仪的控制下运行。
即便如此，波波维奇表示，与一年前相比，他现在更清楚地知道自己的球队会有什么样的表现。
“不管你信不信，他们在过去两年里已经积累了一些团队经验，”波波维奇说。“我想我很了解他们。”
鉴于马刺队在过去几周的大多数高水平比赛都是在球队训练基地闭门进行的对抗赛中完成的，球迷们只能相信波波维奇的话。
从所有意图和目的来看，大部分篮球迷将在周四晚上的 TNT 直播中，实时观看文班亚马的第二支马刺队的比赛。
尽管在季前赛中所有球员的出场时间都有限，但球员们表示，他们渴望在比赛中展现自己的实力。
“我们在训练中都很努力，所以希望这能延续到比赛中，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)) 说。“我们努力给彼此最真实的对抗，这样在比赛的时候，就能做到游刃有余。”
的确，自 10 月 1 日训练营开始以来，马刺队的训练时间比以往任何一个季前赛都要长，频率也更高。在上周迈阿密比赛前的投篮训练中，通常 30 到 45 分钟的轻松演练变成了整整两个小时的场上训练。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的 NBA 篮球比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇在场边观战。
巴恩斯说，马刺队在季前赛中派出的支离破碎、阵容不整的阵容，最终可能是为常规赛的变幻莫测做好准备的最佳方式。
“我认为这和现实情况一样，”巴恩斯说，他是一位有着 12 年 NBA 经验的老将，在休赛期通过与萨克拉门托国王队的交易加盟马刺队。“总的来说，你会遇到各种各样的机会，球员们将在不同的位置、不同的阵容、不同的时间段内比赛。我认为，我们已经开始感受到那种情况会是什么样子，这很好。”
马刺队希望，无论他们在训练场上培养出什么样的化学反应和节奏，都能在周四带到达拉斯。
“这是一个新的赛季，新的开始，”约翰逊说。“我们已经准备好了。”
或者说，至少，他们已经做好了尽可能充分的准备。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，德克萨斯州休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的与休斯顿火箭队的季前赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马和凯尔登·约翰逊在板凳席上做出反应。
2024 年 10 月 7 日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，在 AT&T 中心举行的 NBA 季前赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马 (1 号) 坐在他的新队友后卫克里斯·保罗 (3 号) 和前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (40 号) 之间，面带微笑。马刺队以 112-107 负于雷霆队。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的 NBA 篮球比赛下半场，休斯顿火箭队中锋阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun) (28 号) 试图从圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利 (Sandro Mamukelashvili) (54 号) 和后卫戴维·杜克二世 (David Duke Jr.) (7 号) 手中抢球。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的 NBA 篮球比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) (5 号) 试图在休斯顿火箭队前锋阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) (1 号) 和后卫里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard) (15 号) 的防守下传球。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的 NBA 篮球比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) (30 号) 伸手抢篮板。
2024 年 10 月 17 日，休斯顿，在丰田中心举行的 NBA 篮球比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫马拉基·布拉纳姆 (Malaki Branham) (22 号) 运球绕过休斯顿火箭队后卫里德·谢泼德 (15 号)。
2024 年 10 月 15 日，迈阿密，在 NBA 季前赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马 (1 号) 带球突破迈阿密热火队后卫亚历克·伯克斯 (Alec Burks) (18 号) 的防守。（美联社照片/威尔弗雷多·李）
2024 年 10 月 15 日，迈阿密，在 NBA 季前赛上半场，迈阿密热火队后卫泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro) (2 号) 在圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马 (1 号) 和朱利安·尚帕尼 (30 号) 的防守下投篮。（美联社照片/威尔弗雷多·李）
点击查看原文：Spurs' chemistry project ongoing as season opener nears
Spurs’ chemistry project ongoing as season opener nears
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3), center Victor Wembanyama (1), forward Harrison Barnes (40) and forward Keldon Johnson (0) talk as they watch their teammates take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of a pre-season NBA match-up at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Thunder, 112-107.
For the Spurs coaching staff, the goal for Tuesday was to conduct something of a lighter practice.
It would be the team’s final workout of a more-rugged-than-usual training camp and preseason, the last one in San Antonio until the team departs for Dallas for Thursday’s nationally televised season opener. The Spurs had already sweated through a grueling two and a half hour practice the day before.
Calling it a day a little bit early seemed like a good call.
Spurs players had other ideas.
“They wanted to cut the practice a little short,” forward Jeremy Sochan said. “We all wanted to play, so we asked for a couple more games.”
After a five-game preseason slate in which the Spurs’ full slate of regulars were barely introduced to one another, a couple extra scrimmages couldn’t hurt.
The Spurs played only two of the five exhibition games with their projected opening-night starting lineup available. Only one of those games – last Tuesday’s loss in Miami – constituted what could be called a full-dress rehearsal, with the entire roster available.
With crucial players sitting while others played, and vice versa, it is hard to know what the Spurs might look like when they roll into the American Airlines Center to tipoff Victor Wembanyama’s second NBA campaign later this week.
“It’s not going to be perfect,” Sochan said. “All summer we’ve been playing in open gyms. It’s going to be a process. We’re not going to be perfect from Game 1.”
How is the chemistry developing between the Spurs’ key lineup configurations?
How is new point guard Chris Paul adjusting to his new teammates? Same question for new starting forward Harrison Barnes?
And as for Wembanyama, the star of the whole shebang: How close to being game ready is last season’s Rookie of the Year after logging only 39 rusty minutes across a pair of preseason contests?
The Spurs are set to find out the answers to those questions and more against the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks.
Wembanyama, at least, provided an optimistic update about the state of his game after Monday’s practice.
“I am good,” Wembanyama said. “It’s just that I am going to be rested. That’s the only difference.”
Nobody doubts the 20-year-old Wembanyama will be even better than good as the season progresses.
Even coach Gregg Popovich suggests the 7-foot-3 center might not be at his absolute best on opening night.
Wembanyama averaged 9.5 points, eight rebounds and two blocks across a pair of preseason cameos. He made 33.3% of his field goals (7 of 21), worst on the team among players who played in more than one preseason contest, while connecting on only 1 of 9 3-pointers.
NBA observers are free to sell their Wembanyama stock at their own peril, however.
“It’s such a long season,” Wembanyama said. “We have many, many chances to get better and to fix our game on both sides of the floor.”
If the Spurs aim to compete for at least a play-in spot this season, they might not want to wait too long to get things together.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admits his team is something of a mystery even to him as Thursday’s opener nears.
Heading into the new season, Popovich isn’t quite as comfortable as he was during the Tim Duncan-Tony Parker-Manu Ginobili heyday, when the entire program seemed to run on autopilot.
Even so, Popovich said he feels like he knows what to expect from his team now than he did a year ago.
“They have got a little bit of corporate knowledge now – believe it or not – from the last two years,” Popovich said. “I think I know them pretty well.”
Given most of the Spurs’ most competitive moments of the past few weeks have come during scrimmages behind closed doors of the team’s practice facility, fans will have to take Popovich’s word for it.
For all intents and purposes, much of the basketball-watching world will be meeting Wembanyama’s second Spurs team in real time Thursday night on TNT.
Despite limited minutes all together in preseason games, players say they are eager for their grand unveiling.
“We play hard in practice, so hopefully that carries over to the game,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “We try to give each other the most realistic looks so that when it comes to game time, it’s second nature.”
It is true the Spurs’ practices since the opening of camp Oct. 1 have gone longer and been more frequent than in previous preseasons. At shootaround before last week’s game in Miami, what is usually a 30- to 45-minute light walkthrough morphed into a full two-hour session on the court.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston.
Barnes said the disjointed, mismatched lineups the Spurs deployed during preseason games might end up being the best kind of preparation for the vagaries of the regular season.
“I think that’s as realistic as it’s going to be,” said Barnes, a 12-year veteran who arrived via offseason trade with Sacramento. “In general, you’re going to have different opportunities where guys are going to be playing different positions, different lineups, different periods of time. I think it’s good that we’re already getting the feel for what that’s going to be like.”
The Spurs are hopeful whatever chemistry and rhythm that can be mustered on the practice floor travels to Dallas on Thursday.
“It’s a new season, new start,” Johnson said. “We’re ready to go.”
Or, at least, as ready as they’ll ever be.
Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs react from the bench during the second half of a preseason game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) smiles as he sits between his new teammates guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during 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.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) tries to hang onto the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) and guard David Duke Jr. (7) 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) 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 forward Julian Champagnie (30) reaches for a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston.
San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) drives around Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston.
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