By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-04 12:26:29
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。
亚利桑那州菲尼克斯——12月3日：圣安东尼奥马刺队的1号球员维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在2024年12月3日于菲尼克斯足迹中心球馆举行的酋长杯对阵菲尼克斯太阳队的比赛上半场暂停期间鼓掌。
周二下午在菲尼克斯，维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)得知自己获得了一项此前闻所未闻的荣誉。
NBA在本赛季新增设了东西部联盟的月最佳防守球员奖。文班亚马被宣布为西部联盟的首位获奖者。
马刺队认为，联盟不妨现在就把这个奖项以他的名字命名。
“文班可能每个月都会得到它，”队友克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)说道。
文班亚马在10月和11月的16场比赛中场均送出联盟最高的3.6次盖帽和1.3次抢断，因此获此殊荣。
在马刺队即将与菲尼克斯太阳队进行一场关键的酋长杯对决之前的几个小时里，文班的手机不断收到祝贺短信，他才意识到这个奖项的存在。
“我收到了很多信息，”文班亚马在马刺104-93失利后说道，“所以我今天才知道这件事。”
在文班亚马看来，他最新的奖项体现了马刺队在防守端的整体进步。
以及他们对未来的展望。
“这只是意味着我们有潜力成为‘那支’防守强队，”文班亚马说，“它提醒了我们能够达到的高度，以及我们很快就能达到的目标。”
马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)表示，马刺队还没有完全成为他们期望中的防守怪兽。
但他们正在朝着这个方向前进。
在本周四于弗罗斯特银行中心对阵芝加哥的比赛之前，马刺队在本赛季的前21场比赛中，每百回合失分111.9分。
这在NBA排名第12位。
这标志着比上赛季有所进步，当时马刺队是联盟防守第五差的球队，每百回合失分115.6分。
“我们肯定在进步，”约翰逊说，“这可能是我们一直以来没有做到完全一致的地方。我们仍在努力实现长期稳定性。”
防守肯定不是马刺队在周二的酋长杯比赛中被淘汰出局的原因。
太阳队没有一个单节得分达到30分，整场比赛也没有达到110分。
通常情况下，这在本赛季一直是马刺队取得成功的秘诀。在前往菲尼克斯之前，他们在将对手得分限制在110分以下的比赛中取得了7胜2负的战绩。
“如果你告诉我我们会把太阳队的得分限制在104分，我会感觉不错的，”约翰逊说。
前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)的回归让马刺队士气大振。索汉在11月4日对阵洛杉矶快船队的比赛中左拇指骨折，缺席了13场比赛。
这位21岁的球员在受伤前开局出色，前七场比赛场均得到15.4分、7.7个篮板和3次助攻。
“期待着他能延续之前的表现，”约翰逊说，“这是很高的期望。显然，他之前打得非常好。”
索汉以一头全新的霓虹绿发型庆祝自己近一个月来的首场比赛，他在对阵菲尼克斯的比赛中替补出场，贡献了14分和12个篮板。
最重要的是，索汉在周二的比赛后对自己的状态感觉良好。
拇指的伤势并没有限制他在恢复期间保持活跃和最佳状态的能力，这对他周二的复出很有帮助。
“和往常一样，第一场比赛回来后，感觉节奏有点快，”索汉说，“我一直保持着状态，所以我觉得还可以。”
在过去的三年选秀中，马刺队先后选中了索汉、文班亚马和今年的新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)，他们希望这三人有望在未来构建起一支精英级别的防守阵容。
这三名球员都能防守多个位置。更重要的是，他们似乎乐此不疲。
索汉用一个词来形容他认为马刺队的防守在完全成型后会有多好。
“可怕，”他说，“我们可以非常具有破坏性，非常有效。”
当然，文班亚马是这一切7尺3寸的核心。
上赛季，文班亚马成为NBA历史上第一位入选最佳防守一阵的新秀。联盟中的一些人认为他应该得到更多的赞誉。
“我认为他去年就应该获得年度最佳防守球员，”保罗谈到这个最终被明尼苏达的鲁迪·戈贝尔(Rudy Gobert)获得的奖项时说道。
进入第二个赛季一个多月后，文班亚马正在为今年的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺奖发起冲击。
本赛季，当文班亚马防守时，对手的投篮命中率为39.7%，如果只计算油漆区内的投篮，这个数字会下降到38.2%。
许多球队已经吸取教训，根本不去挑战文班亚马。根据NBA的追踪数据，当这位法国盖帽高手在场时，对手在篮筐四英尺范围内的出手次数减少了3.3%。
文班亚马的影响力也感染了他的其他队友。马刺队场均送出6.4次盖帽，排名联盟第三。
约翰逊表示，他很高兴看到文班亚马的防守稳定性得到认可。
“就他所能做的一切以及他在比赛中投入的进攻能量而言，他从未在防守端有所懈怠，”约翰逊说，“（他）从不认为自己即使只发挥50%的实力也能成为一名不错的防守者。他从不放松。”
换句话说：对于联盟最新的月度奖项，文班亚马不妨习惯于获胜。
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs battles for a rebound with Mason Plumlee #22 and Royce O’Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal draws an offensive foul on San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Phoenix Suns center Mason Plumlee (22) shoots on San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) drives around San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the second half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after a foul call during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posts up on Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Oso Ighodaro #4 of the Phoenix Suns dunks over Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket against Royce O’Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posts up on Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs attempts a three point shot over Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posts up on Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
点击查看原文：With Victor Wembanyama as centerpiece, Spurs plan defensive monster
With Victor Wembanyama as centerpiece, Spurs plan defensive monster
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs claps during a time out during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Tuesday afternoon in Phoenix, Victor Wembanyama learned he had earned an honor that until that moment he never knew existed.
New for this season, the NBA instituted a Defensive Player of the Month award for both conferences. Wembanyama was announced as the inaugural honoree from the Western Conference.
It is an award the Spurs figure the league might as well go ahead and name after him now.
“Victor is probably going to get it every month,” teammate Chris Paul said.
Wembanyama was honored for a 16-game stretch of October and November in which he averaged a league-leading 3.6 blocks to go with 1.3 steals.
He was alerted to the existence of the award when his phone would not stop buzzing with congratulations texts in the hours before the Spurs were set to face the Phoenix Suns in a key Emirates NBA Cup showdown.
Spurs vs. Bulls: How to watch the game, notable stats, player news
“There were a bunch of messages,” Wembanyama said after the Spurs’ 104-93 defeat. “So I learned about it today.”
The way Wembanyama sees it, his latest award says something about how far the Spurs at large have come on the defensive end.
And where they see this all going.
“It just means we have the potential to be ‘that’ defensive team,” Wembanyama said. “It just reminds us where we can go, where we can be soon.”
Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs are not fully the defensive monster they expect to be just yet.
But they are getting there.
Through the first 21 games of the season, heading into Thursday’s contest against Chicago at the Frost Bank Center, the Spurs are allowing 111.9 points per 100 possessions.
That ranks 12th in the NBA.
It marks an improvement over last season, when the Spurs were the league’s fifth-worst defense, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions.
“We’re definitely making improvements,” Johnson said. “It’s something we haven’t probably been as consistent on the whole time. We’re still striving for that long-term consistency.”
Defense was certainly not the reason the Spurs were bounced from NBA Cup play Tuesday.
The Suns failed to produce a single 30-point quarter, and did not reach the 110-point mark for the game.
Typically, that has been a recipe for success for the Spurs this season. Heading into Phoenix, they were 7-2 when holding opponents below 110.
“If you had told me we’d have held the Suns to 104 points, I would have felt good about that,” Johnson said.
The Spurs were boosted by the return of forward Jeremy Sochan, who had missed 13 games while recovering from a left thumb fracture suffered Nov. 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 21-year-old had been off to a stellar start before his injury, averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and three assists in his first seven games.
“Looking forward to kind of hoping he picks up where he left off,” Johnson said. “It’s high expectations. Obviously he was playing very good basketball.”
Celebrating his first game in nearly a month with a fresh neon green hairdo, Sochan provided a jolt off the bench against Phoenix, going for 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Most importantly, Sochan came out of Tuesday’s game feeling good about the state of his conditioning.
The thumb injury did not limit his ability to stay active and in top shape during his recovery, which helped with his return Tuesday.
“Like always, that first game back things feel a little faster,” Sochan said. “I kept in shape, so I thought it was OK.”
In Sochan, Wembanyama and this year’s new rookie, Stephon Castle, the Spurs have spent the past three drafts building what they hope can one day become an elite defense.
All three of those players can guard multiple positions. More telling, they seem to revel in doing so.
Sochan has a word for how good he believes the Spurs’ defense can be once it becomes fully operational.
“Scary,” he said. “We can be really disruptive, really effective.”
Wembanyama, of course, is the 7-foot-3 centerpiece of it all.
A season ago, Wembanyama became the first rookie in NBA history to be named to the All-Defensive first team. There are some around the league who believe he should have been even more lauded.
“I thought he should have been Defensive Player of the Year last year,” Paul said of a bauble that went to Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert.
A month-plus into his second season, Wembanyama is making an early case to take this year’s Hakeem Olajuwon trophy.
Opposing players are shooting 39.7% this season when guarded by Wembanyama, a number that drops to 38.2% when counting shots attempted in the paint.
Many teams have learned not to test Wembanyama at all. According to NBA tracking data, opponents are taking 3.3% fewer shots within four feet of the rim when the Spurs’ French flyswatter is on the floor.
Wembanyama’s impact has rubbed off on the rest of his teammates. The Spurs are averaging 6.4 blocks per game, third-most in the league.
Johnson said he was gratified to see Wembanyama acknowledged for his defensive consistency.
“For all the things he can do and as much as offensive energy he has on the game, he does not ever sacrifice that end,” Johnson said. “(He is) not ever taking it for granted what he could probably do at 50% and still be a decent defender. He does not ever let up on that.”
Translation: When it comes to the league’s newest monthly award, Wembanyama might as well get used to winning.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
