By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-31 14:06:32
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30日，星期三，在俄克拉荷马城举行的NBA篮球比赛下半场，俄克拉荷马雷霆队后卫阿杰·米切尔(Ajay Mitchell)（25号）试图从圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋文班亚马（右）手中抢断，而雷霆队前锋切特·霍姆格伦（中）正在防守。(美联社照片/内特·比林斯)
无论如何，有些事情并不能简化。
为了开启新赛季，马刺队的新队友哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)招募这位20岁的NBA年度最佳新秀加入了一个读书俱乐部。文班亚马本来就酷爱阅读，欣然接受了邀请。他只有一个要求。
只要有可能，他希望获得小组选择阅读的书籍的法语译本。
“世界上有很多好书，”文班亚马说。“我不想浪费时间啃英文书。”
他解释说，这是一个效率问题。即使他能够理解用第二语言写成的复杂作品，但考虑到他的时间限制，走阻力最小的道路难道不是更有意义吗？
渐渐地，文班亚马开始意识到这个概念可能也适用于其他地方。在他第二个NBA赛季的前四场比赛中，这位7尺3寸的法国人，经常被认为有望改变篮球比赛，反而让比赛看起来……很艰难？
他的整体表现还不错。他在防守和篮板上仍然是个怪兽，并且为队友创造了很多投篮机会。但在季前赛中没有得到太多磨合以找到节奏——这是他和马刺队在繁忙的巴黎奥运会之后做出的让步——文班亚马场均得分只有16.5分，投篮命中率仅为40.7%。
对此，他有一个非常合理的解释。
“我认为，我没有得到足够多的轻松投篮机会，”文班亚马说，“我必须在准备方面做得更好。”
这番自白是周三深夜在他位于Paycom中心的更衣室里说出的，在那里他度过了一个漫长而艰难的夜晚，或许也是他NBA生涯中最令人沮丧的个人比赛。他5投1中，在以93-105输给雷霆队的比赛中仅得到职业生涯最低的6分，而马刺队在周四前往犹他的比赛中力求摆脱1胜3负的困境。
文班在周一输给休斯顿的比赛中身体有些不适，周三听起来好多了。他说他对自己的身体状况没有任何抱怨，并坚称自己并没有因为开局不如预期而感到气馁。
但他承认，有时他和周围的球队在“战术上”迷失了方向，忘记了他们想要做什么。
“我只是认为每个人都精神饱满，”文班亚马说。“但也许，我不知道是不是因为我们年轻，或者是因为我们经验不足，或者我不知道，但也许感觉有点迷茫。”
这在进攻端最为明显，失误一直是全队的顽疾，而文班亚马仍然没有找到他的得分甜区。在季前赛中，他曾宣称会更加重视突破到篮下，但到目前为止，情况并非如此，部分原因在于他的处境。
马刺队最好的射手，也是除文班亚马之外的主要得分威胁，德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)因休赛期脚部手术尚未复出。这意味着防守方可以采用包夹和双人包夹来限制文班亚马，而不用担心后果。
“每支球队都用这种方式防守我，”文班亚马说，“所以我们必须找到解决办法。”
或许是为了应对这种情况，文班亚马——上赛季三分球命中率只有32.5%——本赛季场均出手5.5次三分，但效果不佳。他在三分线外21投4中，对手很乐意让他继续投下去，直到他展现出显著的进步。
从某种意义上说，他在投篮选择上仍然相当于试图用英语阅读哲学书籍。他知道有更简单的方法。当被问及“准备”获得更好的投篮机会是什么意思时，他说这是关于“跑出空位，获得更有利的位置，以及沟通”。
他会成功的，他的新读书俱乐部领袖巴恩斯知道这一点。
“我对文班没有任何担忧，”巴恩斯说。“我近距离看到过他努力的样子……他的心态是正确的。他的注意力很集中。他投入了时间。”
而说到篮球，时间对文班亚马来说仍然很充裕。他和马刺队都想开始赢球，他们也应该赢球，但每个人都明白这支球队还不应该是一支季后赛球队，甚至还不是一支附加赛球队。他们还有很多路要走。
然而，在他的工作之余的活动中，这种耐心并不是必须的。周三晚上，在他更衣室里，一本厚厚的平装本布兰登·桑德森(Brandon Sanderson)的奇幻小说《迷雾之子》(Stormlight Archive)第八部——法语译本——正在等着他。
“我正在飞速阅读这本，”文班亚马说。“我已经读了一半了。”
最终，其他事情也会再次变得如此轻松。
以下图片标题翻译略，与上方图片标题格式一致
点击查看原文：In book club and in basketball, Wembanyama looks to make things easier
In book club and in basketball, Wembanyama looks to make things easier
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) tries to steal the ball from San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, as Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, center, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Not some things, anyway.
To start this season, new Spurs teammate Harrison Barnes recruited the 20-year-old reigning NBA rookie of the year to join a book club. Already a voracious reader, Wembanyama accepted, with gusto. He had only one request.
When possible, he wants a French translation of whatever the group elects to read.
“There’s so many good books in the world,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t feel like wasting time struggling through an English book.”
This, he explained, is a matter of efficiency. Even though he’s capable of understanding complicated works in his second language, doesn’t it make more sense, given his time constraints, to take the path of less resistance?
Little by little, Wembanyama is starting to see that concept might apply elsewhere, too. Through four games of his second NBA season, the 7-foot-3 Frenchman who’s often appeared poised to change the game of basketball has instead made it look … difficult?
His overall production has been fine. He’s still a monster on defense and on the boards, and he’s creating lots of shots for others. But after not getting much preseason work to find a rhythm — a concession he and the Spurs made after his busy summer at the Paris Olympics — Wembanyama is averaging only 16.5 points per game while shooting a mere 40.7% from the field.
He has a pretty sensible explanation for this.
“I’m not getting enough easy shots, I think,” Wembanyama said, “and I have to be way better at preparing.”
This admission came late Wednesday night at his locker in the Paycom Center, where he’d spent a long evening slogging through perhaps the most frustrating individual game of his NBA tenure. He shot 1-for-5 from the floor, finishing with a career-low six points in a 105-93 loss to the Thunder, and the Spurs headed into Thursday’s game at Utah looking to escape a 1-3 rut.
Wembanyama, who had been under the weather during Monday’s loss to Houston, sounded a lot better Wednesday. He said he had no complaints about his physical condition, and insisted he wasn’t discouraged by his less-than-otherworldly start.
But he conceded there have been times when he and the team around him have lost sight — “tactically,” he said — of what they’re trying to do.
“I just think everybody’s in the right spirit,” Wembanyama said. “But maybe, I don’t know if it’s our youth, or the fact that we’re young, or I don’t know, but maybe feeling a little lost.”
That’s been most apparent on the offensive end, where turnovers have been a consistent team-wide problem while Wembanyama still hasn’t found his scoring sweet spot. After declaring in the preseason that he would place more of an emphasis on getting to the basket, it hasn’t played out that way so far, partly due to his circumstances.
Devin Vassell, the Spurs’ best shooter and main non-Wembanyama scoring threat, hasn’t played yet while recovering from offseason foot surgery. This means defenses can swarm Wembanyama with shell coverages and double-teams without worrying about the consequences.
“Every team has guarded me this way,” Wembanyama said, “so we have to figure it out.”
Perhaps in response to this, Wembanyama — who made only 32.5% of his 3-pointers last year — is launching 5.5 per game this season, and it hasn’t gone well. He’s 4-for-21 from beyond the arc, and opponents will be glad to let him keep firing until he shows significant improvement.
In a sense, he’s still employing the shot-selection equivalent of trying to tackle a philosophy book in English. He knows there’s an easier way. When asked what he meant by “preparing” to get better shots, he said it was about “getting open, getting stronger positions, and communicating.”
He’ll get there, and his new book club leader knows it.
“I have no concerns about Victor,” Barnes said. “I have seen him up close, working. … His mind is right. His focus is there. He puts in the time."
And when it comes to basketball, time is something Wembanyama still has plenty of. He and the Spurs want to start winning, and they should, but everyone understands this isn’t supposed to be a playoff — or even a play-in — team yet. There still are steps to take.
That kind of patience is not required in his after-work activities, however. In his locker Wednesday night, a thick paperback version of the eighth book in Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy Stormlight Archive — the French translation — was waiting for him.
“I’m flying through this one,” Wembanyama said. “I’m already halfway through.”
Eventually, other things will be that easy again, too.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives past San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, front, looks to pass the ball away from San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) passes the ball over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) chases the ball in front of San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, center left, and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, center right, jump for the opening tip-off to start the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket in the second half and commits a foul on Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on October 30, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 105-93.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder fights for a loose ball in the second half against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on October 30, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 105-93.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks for a pass inside during the first half against Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on October 30, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to make a pass inside during the first half against Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on October 30, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs warms up before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on October 30, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News