By Charlie Thaddeus | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-10-26 01:04:37
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。
马刺新赛季的开局,看起来和我们预想的一样。
比赛前,我和一位朋友聊天,他问我,我认为马刺今年会打得怎么样。我故作镇定。“他们可能会在赛季初步履蹒跚,需要一些时间来找到节奏,然后在下半赛季才会真正发力。这看起来会和去年很像。”
我装出一副我所假装的经验丰富的篮球观察家的样子:理性、聪明,还有一点玩世不恭,以保持趣味性。那种你会尊重其意见的人。然而,在我内心深处,我知道这种说法是在撒谎。我一点也不相信。我有一种偷偷摸摸的预感,他们将从一开始就火力全开,击败独行侠,并彻底消除任何认为本赛季不会是毫无保留地重返西部联盟季后赛上层的想法。在没有任何证据的情况下,我准备好了迎接一支全副武装、战力十足的马刺队。
好吧。所以。现在,我已经有几个小时的时间来反思我们在周四晚上经历的当头棒喝,我想现在是时候调整预期,使其更符合事实了。这支球队还很年轻,他们还在互相了解,而NBA的其他球队仍然非常出色。这是一个非常有力的因素,足以让他们在揭幕战中看起来像一个未完成品,而且,天哪,马刺在这方面确实看起来像那么回事。他们被一支非常优秀的独行侠队断然地打回了原形,卢卡·东契奇(Luka Dončić)向维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)表明,尽管围绕着他迅速进入NBA平流层的炒作甚嚣尘上,但他仍然有一些工作要做。
老实说,我不知道自己是怎么了。我知道不应该抱有这样的希望,但我还是整个夏天都在如饥似渴地阅读关于马刺的每一条内容,并让自己陷入狂热之中。斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)将点燃联盟。德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)将实现飞跃。杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)将不再是一名控球后卫。克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)将再次成为28岁。在没有实际篮球比赛可看的情况下,我编造了各种各样关于我们在即将到来的赛季中将要经历的事情的奇思妙想,出于某种原因,我只是屈服了,并相信了它。
我说“出于某种原因”,但原因实际上非常明显,而且非常高大:维克托·文班亚马是一个奇迹。他的存在是一个奇迹,他在篮球场上所做的事情是一个奇迹,最重要的是,他首先是圣安东尼奥马刺队的一员,这一点是一个奇迹。永远不要忘记这一点。我们生活在一个由一群篮球之神保佑的时间线中,他们出于我们无法理解的原因对我们微笑。
不过,这种奇妙的存在是奇怪的。它让你觉得一切皆有可能。我在夏天没有看到任何证据,但为什么维克托不能跳过几个发展步骤,直接在第二年就成为联盟中最好的球员呢?在此之前,没有什么能阻止他。也许他会像斯蒂芬一样投三分,像安特一样扣篮。也许他会像卢卡一样得分,像约基奇一样传球。该死,也许他会在圣诞节前从克里斯·保罗手中接过控球后卫的职责。也许波波维奇会退休,而维克多将成为球员兼教练!一旦你生活在梦境中,你(认为你)能取得的成就就没有限制。
但是,是的,回到现实世界。我们现在正在进行有实际后果的真实比赛。我们巨大的独角兽男孩三分球8投1中,被数量多得令人发指的独行侠球员左突右冲。我们得到克里斯·保罗很有趣,但他也已经39岁了。杰里米·索汉并没有一夜之间变成追梦格林。德文·瓦塞尔仍然受伤。这就是事实,而且是无可争辩的。还有很多工作要做。
维克托·文班亚马的存在可能是一个奇迹,但我们并没有魔法棒可以挥舞,把这个南瓜变成一辆马车。他们必须进入实验室,继续工作。他们必须摆脱铁锈。他们必须发展。对于我们这些可能不小心、可爱地把期望值定得过高的人来说,最初的几场比赛、几周,甚至可能是几个月,都会让人觉得像拔牙一样难受。
但这没关系。更衣室里的那些家伙知道他们是谁,也明白需要做什么工作。毕竟,他们是那些在做这件事的人。我们只需要坐下来,以他们自己的节奏观看奇迹的发生。我最初的预测可能是正确的:他们可能会在赛季初步履蹒跚,需要一些时间来找到节奏,然后在下半赛季才会真正发力。这看起来会和去年很像……但会更好。
要点
- 尽管结果如此,但能够回到赛场上观看真实的NBA篮球比赛还是很有趣的。这感觉像是我记忆中最长的休赛期之一。我想我整个夏天可能每周都会查一次开赛日期,而且每次,它似乎都变得更加遥远了。
- 我知道我们在季前赛中已经见识过了,但不管怎样,天哪,在一场真实的NBA比赛中看到克里斯·保罗穿着马刺队的球衣真是太奇怪了。在第一分钟内,他就拿到了球,直接撞向防守球员的胸口,飞了起来,造成犯规。我本能地从沙发上跳起来抱怨,然后才想起他现在是在为善而用这种邪恶的力量。这真的需要一些调整。加油,克里斯!那家伙把你撞飞了!真是太……呃……吸收了对抗!
- 很明显,斯蒂芬·卡斯尔还不是一个成品,而且可能不会一蹴而就地成为一个巨大的差异制造者。但是!我真的很喜欢看他打球。他看起来并不害怕参与其中,而且在NBA的球场上看起来也并不格格不入。他很强硬,身体素质也很好,而且他仍然在做所有那些有趣的小跳投和运球突破,就像他去年在康涅狄格大学展示的那样。有一次,他完成了一次有趣的、有运动能力的抛投,我当时就想:“哦!我在YouTube的集锦里看到过这个!”你可以想象,在选秀前的整个夏天,我都在非常专注地“研究录像”。总之,斯蒂芬·卡斯尔——一个有趣的选秀!很兴奋!
- 我希望这主要是生疏造成的,但我发誓,如果我们还要再看一个赛季这支球队每场比赛失误20次,我就要走进大海,茫然地盯着地平线看上无限长的时间。别考验我,马刺!我快要陷入沉思了,你不会喜欢的。
WWL 赛后新闻发布会
- 你的夏天过得怎么样?
- 嗯,我不知道。我想我还没有消化它。
- 你还没有消化它?
- 是的,我是说,它才刚刚发生!我怎么知道它是怎么样的?我还没有深入研究我各种来来往往的细节。我还没有把我八月份那次旅行的感受画出来。我还没有把我七月份吃过的那个三明治写进日记。我甚至还没有把我对六月份天气的感受写成歌。所以,是的。我是说,我的夏天过得怎么样?我根本无从说起。
- 有些人只会说“好”。
- 有些人的情感带宽和蜗牛一样窄。
点击查看原文:What we learned from the Spurs loss to the Mavericks
What we learned from the Spurs loss to the Mavericks
Spurs open the season looking like we probably thought that they should look.
Before the game, I was talking to a friend, and he asked me how I thought the Spurs would do this year. I played it cool. “They’ll probably scuffle out of the gates and take some time to find their footing before really coming on strong in the second half. It’s going to look a lot like last year.”
I put on the air of the seasoned basketball watcher I like to pretend to be: rational, smart, and just a touch of cynicism to keep it spicy. The kind of person whose opinion you would respect. However, in my heart of hearts, I knew this take was a lie. I didn’t believe it at all. I had this sneaking suspicion that they were going to come out of the gate on fire, blow away the Mavericks, and put to bed any notion that this season would be anything but an unqualified return to the upper echelons of the Western Conference playoff hierarchy. Based on no evidence whatsoever, I was prepared for the Spurs to be a fully armed and operational battle station.
Right. So. Now that I’ve had a few hours to reflect after the cold wake-up call we experienced Thursday night, I guess it’s probably time to adjust expectations to align more closely with the facts. This team is still pretty young, they’re still getting to know each other, and the rest of the NBA is still very good. That’s a pretty potent recipe for looking like an unfinished product on opening night, and boy, did the Spurs sure look the part in that respect. They were decisively put in their place by a very good Mavericks team, and Luka Dončić showed Victor Wembanyama that, despite all the hype around his rapid ascent into the NBA stratosphere, he still has some work to do.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, honestly. I know better than to get my hopes up like this, and still, I spent all summer devouring every piece of content I could about the Spurs and getting revved up into a frenzy. Stephon Castle was going to light the league on fire. Devin Vassell was going to take a leap. Jeremy Sochan was going to stop being a point guard. Chris Paul was going to be 28 years old again. In the absence of actual basketball being played, I spun up all kinds of fantastical notions about what we were about to experience in the upcoming season, and for some reason, I just gave in and believed it.
I say “for some reason,” but the reason is actually very obvious and very tall: Victor Wembanyama is a miracle. It’s a miracle that he exists, that he can do the things he does on a basketball court, and, most importantly, that he is even a member of the San Antonio Spurs in the first place. Never forget that. We are living in a timeline blessed by a cadre of basketball gods who have smiled upon us for some reason beyond our comprehension.
This fantastical existence is weird, though. It makes you think anything might be possible. I didn’t see any evidence of it over the summer, but why couldn’t Victor skip a few developmental steps and just become the best player in the league in year two? Nothing has stopped him before. Maybe he’ll shoot threes like Steph and throw down dunks like Ant. Maybe he’ll pour in buckets like Luka and throw passes like Jokic. Shoot, maybe he’ll take over point guard duties from Chris Paul by Christmas. Maybe Pop will retire, and Vic will slot in as player-coach! Once you’re living in dreamland, there’s no limit to what you (think you) can achieve.
But yeah, back to the real world. We’re playing real games now with real consequences. Our giant unicorn boy is shooting 1-8 from three and getting stripped left and right by an infuriating number of Mavericks. Our Chris Paul acquisition is fun but also 39 years old. Jeremy Sochan didn’t turn into Draymond Green overnight. Devin Vassell is still hurt. These are the facts, and they are indisputable. There is work to be done.
Victor Wembanyama’s very existence might be a miracle, but there’s no magic wand we get to wave to turn this pumpkin into a carriage. They have to get in the lab and keep working. They have to shake off the rust. They have to develop. These first couple of games, weeks, and maybe even months are going to feel like pulling teeth for those of us who maybe, accidentally and adorably, set our expectations a smidge too high.
But that’s okay. The guys in that locker room know who they are and understand the work that needs to be done. They are, after all, the ones who are doing it. We just get to sit back and watch the miracles roll in at their own pace. My original prediction was probably the correct one: they’ll likely scuffle out of the gates and take some time to find their footing before really coming on strong in the second half. It’s going to look a lot like last year… but better.
Takeaways
- In spite of the result, it was fun to get back in the ring and watch actual NBA basketball again. This has felt like one of the longest offseasons I can remember. I think I probably looked up the opening night date once a week over the summer, and every time, it seemed to get even further away.
- I know we saw it in the preseason and whatever, but holy hell, was it weird to see Chris Paul in a Spurs jersey during a real, live NBA game. Within the first minute, he got the ball and charged directly into the chest of a defender, flying to the ground and drawing a foul. I instinctively leapt off my couch to complain before remembering that he’s using this kind of evil for good now. That’s really going to take some adjustment. Go, Chris! That guy manhandled you! Way to, uh, absorb the contact!
- Stephon Castle is obviously not a finished project and probably won’t walk in and be a massive difference-maker from day one. But! I really enjoyed watching him out there. He didn’t look scared to be in the mix, and he didn’t look out of place on an NBA court. He’s tough and physical, and he’s still doing all the fun little jumps and weaves into the lane that he showcased at UConn last year. At one point, he executed a fun, athletic floater, and I was like, “Oh! I recognize that from YouTube compilations I watched!” As you can imagine, I was very dedicated to “grinding tape” this summer in the lead-up to the draft. Anyway, Stephon Castle—fun pick! Excited about it!
- I’m hoping it was mostly rust, but I swear if we have to watch another season of this team turning the ball over 20 times a game, I’m going to walk into the ocean and stare pensively out at the horizon for an indeterminate amount of time. Don’t test me, Spurs! I’m about to be so pensive, and you’re not going to like it.
WWL Post Game Press Conference
- How was the summer?
- Well, um, I dunno. I don’t think I’ve processed it yet.
- You haven’t processed it yet?
- Yeah, I mean, it just happened! How am I supposed to know how it was? I haven’t gone in and studied the ins and outs of my various comings and goings. I haven’t painted my emotions from that trip I took in August yet. I haven’t journaled about that sandwich I ate in July. I haven’t even come close to putting my feelings about the weather in June to song. So, yeah. I mean, how was my summer? I couldn’t even begin to tell you.
- Some people would just say “good.”
- Some people have the emotional bandwidth of a snail.
By Charlie Thaddeus, via Pounding The Rock