By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-11-20 14:08:50
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。
德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市 - 11月7日：在2024年11月7日于德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市弗罗斯特银行中心举行的比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队的5号球员斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在对阵波特兰开拓者队的比赛中扣篮。
如果扎克·科林斯(Zach Collins)是文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)，或许这次进攻就能成功。
如果科林斯再高几英寸，或者至少有个梯子、蹦床或者半品脱的飞天万能胶，他就能用一次空中接力扣篮让弗罗斯特银行中心沸腾起来。
然而，周二，新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的空中传球越过了身高6英尺11英寸的科林斯伸出的手臂，葬送了马刺在第四节关键时刻对阵俄克拉荷马城雷霆的五打三快攻机会。
赛后，科林斯很坦然地承担了责任，因为他就是他。
“我跳不动了，”经常被地球引力束缚的科林斯耸耸肩说道。
卡斯尔心里清楚是怎么回事。
“我告诉他，那次是我的错，”卡斯尔说。
对于马刺来说，卡斯尔在这场最终以110-104获胜的比赛中表现最棒的地方不在于他们最年轻的首发球员打出了一场完美的比赛。
而在于他并没有打出完美的比赛。
“没有经历就没有经验，”马刺代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“这是一个微妙的问题。”
作为去年夏天选秀大会的4号秀，卡斯尔在他NBA生涯的前15场比赛中表现出色，他的职业生涯将在周四于弗罗斯特银行中心对阵犹他的比赛中继续。
从数据上看，周二的比赛是卡斯尔职业生涯迄今为止最艰难的夜晚之一。
这位20岁的后卫13次投篮出手只命中了3球，很多投篮都是在面对雷霆密集防守的突破中徒劳无功。他的三分球7投1中。
他出现了职业生涯最高的7次失误，其中5次发生在第四节，让马刺的领先优势变得岌岌可危。
然而，卡斯尔仍然留在场上，作为马刺的收官阵容的一员，经常被托付控球，帮助球队在酋长杯的比赛中战胜了当天以西部最佳战绩开始比赛的雷霆队。
“他在攻防两端都非常非常出色，”老将控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)谈到这位前康涅狄格大学的杰出球员时说道。“他整场比赛都充满竞争力。当他犯错时，我们能够接受，因为他的出发点总是好的。”
事实上，马刺发现卡斯尔最好的品质之一就是“健忘”。
无论他打得好还是不好，他都已经在准备下一回合了。
“一场比赛是由很多回合组成的，”卡斯尔说。“你只是尽量不要在一个回合上过度纠结。”
这种沉稳的心态在周二的第四节比赛中得到了充分体现，而这一节比赛本来可能对卡斯尔和马刺来说都是一场灾难。
马刺在这一节比赛初段曾领先21分。部分由于卡斯尔对球的漫不经心，雷霆队迅速追了上来。
卡斯尔救赎的第一个重要时刻出现在第四节中段。
此前已经投丢了6个三分球——包括马刺队上一个回合——卡斯尔再次出手，并在比赛还剩6分08秒时命中了他的第7次三分球，帮助球队以103-88领先。
比赛后期，雷霆将分差缩小到6分，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)正试图通过快攻将分差缩小到4分。
卡斯尔与这位雷霆队的全明星球员并驾齐驱，最终在比赛还剩20.3秒时在篮下送出了一记封盖，阻止了对方的快攻上篮。
“我就是不想让他完全绕过我，”卡斯尔说。“我不知道他会从哪一侧上篮，但我努力不让他绕过我，或者把我撞出比赛。”
在一个噩梦般的第四节之后，卡斯尔仍然留在场上并做出了这样的防守，这充分说明了马刺队对他的信任。
卡斯尔在保罗NBA首秀的那天（2004年11月1日）庆祝了自己的一岁生日。
尽管如此，保罗认为卡斯尔拥有老将的篮球灵魂。
“他才刚满20岁，”保罗说。“但他看起来像个30岁的男人。”
这也是马刺不介意让卡斯尔在关键时刻留在场上的原因之一。他打得像个老将，即使他并不是。
约翰逊坚持让卡斯尔留在场上值得称赞。
“如果你被换下场，你可能会突然开始想太多，”老将前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)说。“这可能会成为一个问题。你可能会为此耿耿于怀。但是当你能够在场上克服它时，你就能够克服它，现在它就变成了一次学习的经历。”
尽管经历了比一般新秀更多的“菜鸟时刻”，卡斯尔在周二的比赛中仍然得到了10分和赛季最高的8次助攻。
他是马刺队在NBA酋长杯比赛中取得首胜的必要功臣。
如果卡斯尔可以选择一个重新来过的回合，那一定是那记鲁莽的、传偏了的传球给科林斯。
“那是在比赛中一个糟糕的时机传球，”卡斯尔说。“我可能应该把球控制在自己手里。”
卡斯尔会学习，因为马刺会给他充足的机会去学习。
这位新秀将继续在与联盟中最具天赋的球队对抗的关键时刻留在场上，通过一次又一次的比赛积累经验，一步一个脚印。
“他就是能创造机会，”约翰逊说。“他传出了那记我们会批评他的空中接力，但他已经翻篇了。这就是他一直以来做得非常好的地方。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is announced as a starter in a home game against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (0), Chris Paul (3), Stephon Castle (5) and Harrison Barnes (40) come onto the court after a time out during the second half of their NBA game with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 110-104.
Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy celebrates a dunk in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Dallas. Dallas won 110-93. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Keldon Johnson (0) defend as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives into the lane during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 110-104.
点击查看原文：Spurs' rookie Stephon Castle learning, one play at a time
Spurs’ rookie Stephon Castle learning, one play at a time
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 7: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half at Frost Bank Center on November 7, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
If Zach Collins had been Victor Wembanyama, maybe the play would have worked out.
If Collins were only a couple inches taller, or at least had access to a step ladder or a trampoline or a half pint of Flubber, he could have brought the Frost Bank Center house down with an alley-oop dunk.
Instead, rookie Stephon Castle’s lob pass sailed over the 6-foot-11 Collin’s outstretched arm Tuesday, ruining a Spurs five-on-three fast break in a key fourth-quarter spot against Oklahoma City.
Afterward, Collins gamely took the blame for being himself.
“I ran out of hops,” the oft earthbound Collins said with a shrug.
Castle knew better.
“I told him that was on me,” Castle said.
For the Spurs, the best part about Castle’s night in what became a 110-104 victory was not that their youngest starter played a perfect game.
It’s that he didn’t.
“There’s no way to get experience without experience,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s one of those tricky deals.”
The No. 4 pick in last summer’s draft, Castle has been a revelation during the first 15 games of his NBA career, which continues Thursday against Utah at the Frost Bank Center.
On paper, Tuesday marked one of Castle’s roughest nights as a professional so far.
The 20-year-old guard missed 10 of his 13 field goals tries, many on fruitless drives into the teeth of OKC’s swarming defense. He was 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
He committed a season-high seven turnovers, including five during a fourth quarter that grew too tight for the Spurs’ liking.
And yet Castle remained on the court as part of the Spurs’ closing unit, often entrusted with the ball to help close out an Emirates NBA Cup victory against a Thunder squad that began the day with the Western Conference’s best record.
“He’s really, really good at both ends of the court,” veteran point guard Chris Paul said of the former Connecticut standout. “He’s a competitor all game long. When he makes mistakes, we live with it because it’s always coming from a good place.”
Indeed, the Spurs are finding one of Castle’s best traits to be a short memory.
Whether he makes a good play or bad play, he is already moving on to the next play.
“There’s a lot of plays that make up a game,” Castle said. “You just try to not get overworked about one possession.”
That even-keeled approach was on display Tuesday during a fourth quarter that could have been a disaster for both Castle and the Spurs.
The Spurs led by 21 points early in the frame. Thanks in part to Castle’s carelessness with the ball, the Thunder came zooming back.
Castle’s first big moment of redemption came midway through the quarter.
Having already clanked six 3-point tries – including one on the Spurs’ previous possession – Castle stepped up and swished his seventh attempt to put his team ahead 103-88 with 6:08 remaining.
Later in the game, OKC was within six points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on a fast break mission to cut the deficit to four.
Castle stayed stride-for-stride with the Thunder All-Star as he barged downcourt, eventually coming up with a layup-thwarting block at the rim with 20.3 seconds to go.
“I just didn’t want him to get all the way around me,” Castle said. “I didn’t know what side he would go up on, but I was trying to not let him get around me or bump me out of the play.”
That Castle was on the floor to make such a play after what had otherwise been a nightmare of a fourth quarter speaks volumes about the faith the Spurs already have in him.
Castle celebrated his first birthday the day Paul made his NBA debut – Nov. 1, 2004.
Still, Paul considers Castle to be an old basketball soul.
“He just turned 20,” Paul said. “But he seems like a 30-year-old man.”
That is one of the reasons the Spurs don’t mind having Castle on the floor in crunch time. He plays like a veteran, even if he isn’t.
Give Johnson credit for sticking with Castle on Tuesday.
“If you get pulled out, all of a sudden you may start to think about it too much,” veteran forward Harrison Barnes said. “It may become a thing. You may obsess about it. But when you’re able to play through it, you’re able to get over that and now it’s a learning experience.”
Despite a greater-than-average share of rookie moments, Castle finished Tuesday with 10 points and a season-best eight assists.
He was a necessary participant in the Spurs’ first-ever win in NBA Cup action.
If Castle could pick one play to have back, it would have been the ill-advised, off-target lob to Collins.
“It was a bad point in the game to throw it,” Castle said. “I probably should have held on to that one.”
Castle will learn, because the Spurs will give him ample opportunity to do so.
The rookie will continue to be on the court in tight spots against the league’s most talented teams, gaining experience by gaining experience, one play at a time.
“He just makes plays,” Johnson said. “He threw that lob that we’ll slap his wrist for, but he moved on. That’s what he’s been really good at.”
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is announced as a starter in a home game against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (0), Chris Paul (3), Stephon Castle (5) and Harrison Barnes (40) come onto the court after a time out during the second half of their NBA game with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 110-104.
Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy celebrates a dunk in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Dallas. Dallas won 110-93. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Keldon Johnson (0) defend as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives into the lane during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 110-104.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News