By Marilyn Dubinski | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-11-12 01:00:00
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。
文班的投篮，克里斯·保罗的影响，以及伤病，定义了赛季的前 10 场比赛。
2024-25 赛季已经进行了十场比赛，马刺队的战绩为 4 胜 6 负。赛季开始前，考虑到赛程安排，球迷们可能会觉得这个战绩差可接受，但在看完这 10 场比赛后，大多数人可能都感到失望，其中包括在上周先后遭遇 26 分的领先优势被翻盘以及输给联盟垫底的球队。我们本可以乐观地期待 6 胜 4 负的战绩，结果却在为远非不可能的结果而抱怨。
仅此一点就表明，他们展现出的实力足以让我们期待更多，这是一件好事。现在样本量已经足够大，足以对前 10 场比赛进行一些观察，包括好的和坏的方面，所以让我们开始深入探讨吧。
维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)想成为一名射手
我们先来谈谈最显而易见的问题：文班亚马的三分球。他执着于那些不明智的三分出手，经常在进攻时间很早的时候就出手（而且是在教练组的鼓励下，这一点更让人抓狂）。到目前为止，他场均出手超过 7 次三分球，但命中率仅为 28%。按照这个速度，他本赛季的三分出手次数将达到 575 次左右。作为参考，根据 Stat Muse 的数据，马刺队单赛季三分球出手次数纪录由查克·皮尔森(Chuck Pearson)保持，他在 1994-95 赛季出手了 463 次。然而，皮尔森投中了其中的 172 个（命中率 38.7%），而文班目前的命中数仅为 160 个。
文班表示，他会继续投三分，因为这是他提高的途径，而且格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)也表示，他希望文班更多地面向篮筐投篮（考虑到他背身单打时被抢断的次数，这是可以理解的）。随着文班努力在低位建立自己的优势，他最终（希望如此？）会减少一些三分球出手，但就目前而言，这可能是前 10 场比赛中最引人注目的数据，也是一个值得持续关注的数据。
进攻型 CP3 盘活进攻
马刺队在休赛期出人意料地签下了老对手克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)，这被认为是一次积极的举动，因为他将带来急需的老将领导力，并向队友们展示如何在进攻端找到文班（更不用说弥补马刺队上赛季根本不存在的控球后卫深度）。到目前为止，他在传球方面表现出色，场均 8.1 次助攻，送出了上赛季进攻端从未见过的传球。
然而，当他只想着传球时，进攻仍然停滞不前——类似于上赛季特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)不想投篮时的样子。但当保罗决定投篮时，一切都打开了。他是中距离大师，尽管他本赛季的三分球命中率并不高，但防守者仍然必须尊重他的投篮，这反过来也为其他所有人打开了空间。保罗的职业生涯可能已近尾声，但他越愿意投篮，马刺队就越好。
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)看起来货真价实
在周六对阵爵士队的比赛中砍下 24 分之前，这位马刺队的新秀并没有在得分榜上大放异彩，但不需要太多观察就能看出，他可能在攻防两端都有一些特别之处。有时，即使是新手也能根据新秀的体型、生涩或格格不入来指出他们，但卡斯尔不一样。他已经拥有了 NBA 老将的体型和身材，更不用说他的纪律性，尤其是在防守端。
即使十场比赛后他的得分数据很难看（投篮命中率 37.3%，三分球命中率 19.4%），他每晚都能填满数据单，场均 2.5 个篮板、2.5 次助攻和 1 次抢断。在作为首发的三场比赛中，他看起来也并没有格格不入。一旦德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)回归首发阵容，他是否会继续留在首发阵容中还有待观察，但卡斯尔看起来如此稳健且没有格格不入的事实，对于未来来说是一个非常好的迹象。
我们可能要到一月份才能看到完整的马刺队
目前笼罩在马刺队头顶的最大阴云是伤病。他们已经知道瓦塞尔将缺席最初几周的比赛，虽然他在第 10 场比赛中复出，但他们又失去了特雷·琼斯（脚踝）、杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（拇指）和马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)（脚踝）。琼斯和布拉纳姆都是马刺队替补阵容的重要组成部分，他们应该不会缺席太久，但索汉的缺席是一个巨大的损失。他不仅在进攻端正处于爆发期，而且还是联盟顶级的锋线防守球员之一。在上周对阵快船队的比赛中，他一离场就让人感到他的缺失，在接受拇指手术后，他可能会缺席到今年年底。
然后是波波维奇的突然缺席，他在九天前主场对阵森林狼的比赛前遭遇了未公开的医疗问题，目前无限期休养。这使得助理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)（曾是华盛顿奇才队主教练的最终候选人）在不得不因伤病寻找新阵容的时候临危受命。（对于任何好奇的人来说，根据马克·斯坦(Marc Stein)的说法，布雷特·布朗(Brett Brown)从未被考虑过担任临时主教练，因为他对目前专注于球员发展——以及现在指导约翰逊——的角色感到满意。）
很遗憾，我们可能要到 2025 年才能看到完整的马刺队阵容和理想的轮换，但马刺队应该有足够的深度来度过难关，而不会举白旗进入摆烂模式。如果说有什么不同的话，那就是他们似乎将避免过去两个赛季所特有的那种大规模、早期的两位数连败，这已经是朝着正确方向迈出的一步。
点击查看原文：Observations from the Spurs’ first 10 games of the 2024-25 season
Observations from the Spurs’ first 10 games of the 2024-25 season
Wemby’s shooting, Chris Paul’s impact, and injuries have defined the first 10 games of the season.
We are ten games into the 2024-25 season with the Spurs sitting at 4-6. Before the season started, fans probably would have seen that record as acceptable when looking at the schedule, but most are likely disappointed after actually watching those 10 games, which included both blowing a 26-point lead and losing to the worst team in the league in the last week alone. Instead of sitting on an optimistic 6-4 record, we’re grumbling about an outcome that was far from outside the realm of possibility.
That alone is a sign that they’ve shown us enough that we expect more, which is a good thing. The sample size is now big enough to go over some observations from the first 10 games, both good and bad, so let’s dive right in.
Victor Wembanyama wants to be a shooter
We’ll get the elephant in the room out of the way first: Victor Wembanyama’s three-point shooting. His willingness to take ill-advised threes, often early in the shot clock (and with the coaching staff’s encouragement, no less) has been maddening at times. So far, he is taking over 7 threes per game while hitting them at just a 28-percent rate. At this rate, he is headed for about 575 attempts for the season. For reference, the franchise record for most three-point attempts in a single season is owned by Chuck Pearson, who took 463 in the 1994-95 season, per Stat Muse. However, Pearson made 172 of them (or 38.7%), Wemby is on pace to make just 160.
Wemby has said he will keep shooting threes because that’s how he will improve, plus Gregg Popovich has said he wants him to face the basket and shoot more (understandable considering how much he gets stripped with his back to the basket). Wemby will eventually (hopefully?) reign back some of the three-point shooting as he works to establish himself down low more, but for now, it’s probably the most notable stat of the first 10 games and one to keep watching.
Aggressive CP3 unlocks the offense
The Spurs somewhat surprisingly signed longtime rival Chris Paul in the offseason, and it was considered a positive move as he would bring much-needed veteran leadership and show his teammates how to find Wemby on offense (not to mention shore up the Spurs’ non-existent point guard depth from last season). So far, he has delivered on the passing front, averaging 8.1 assists while making passes the offense just didn’t see last season.
However, when he’s only looking to pass, the offense remains bogged down — similar to how they looked last season when Tre Jones wasn’t looking to shoot. But when Paul does decide to shoot, everything opens up. He is a master in the midrange, and although he hasn’t been great shooting the three this season, defenders still have to respect his shot, which in turn opens up the floor for everyone else. Paul may be on the tail end of his career, but the more willing he is to shoot, the better off the Spurs are.
Stephon Castle looks like the real deal
Before his 24-point breakout against the Jazz on Saturday, the Spurs’ rookie hadn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard, but it doesn’t take too much watching to see he could be something special on both ends of the court. Sometimes even a novice could point out rookies based on their size, rawness, or just looking out of place, but not Castle. He already has the size and build of an NBA veteran, not to mention the discipline, especially on defense.
Even if his scoring numbers are ugly after ten games (37.3% from the field, 19.4% from three), he stuffs the stat sheet every night, averaging 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal per game. He also hasn’t looked out of place in three games as a starter. Whether or not he remains with the first unit even once Devin Vassell returns to the starting unit remains to be seen, but the fact that Castle has looked so solid and not out of place is a very good sign going forward.
We likely won’t see the complete Spurs until January
The biggest cloud hanging over the Spurs head right now is injuries. They already knew they’d be missing Vassell for the first couple of weeks, and while returned for game 10, they also lost Tre Jones (ankle), Jeremy Sochan (thumb) and Malaki Branham (ankle). Jones and Branham, who are both important cogs to the Spurs’ bench unit, don’t figure to be out much longer, but Sochan is a big loss. Not only was he in the midst of a breakout season on offense, but he was also one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. He was missed the instant he left last week’s game against the Clippers, and he will likely be out for the rest of the calendar year after undergoing surgery on his thumb.
Then there’s the sudden absence of Pop, who suffered an undisclosed medical issue before their home game against Minnesota nine days ago and is out indefinitely to recuperate. This has thrown assistant coach Mitch Johnson (who was a finalist for the Washington Wizards coaching job) into the fire during a time when he’s having to find new lineups due to all the injuries. (And for anyone who is wondering, according to Marc Stein, Brett Brown was never considered for interim head coach since he is happy in his current role of focusing on player development — and now, mentoring Johnson.)
It’s unfortunate that we likely won’t see a complete Spurs roster and desired rotations until 2025, but the Spurs should have the depth to get by without waiving the white flag going into tank mode. If nothing else, it appears they will avoid the massive, early double-digit losing streaks that came to define the last two seasons, and that is already a step in the right direction.
By Marilyn Dubinski, via Pounding The Rock