By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-23 13:17:03
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)在2024年12月6日星期五于圣安东尼奥举行的NBA篮球比赛下半场对阵萨克拉门托国王队的比赛中，因犯规而看向裁判。（美联社照片/Eric Gay）
费城——洛克菲勒中心的圣诞树。梅西百货公司的橱窗装饰。中央公园的沃尔曼溜冰场。
还有杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)的绿头发？
在圣诞节当天于麦迪逊广场花园对阵尼克斯队之前，马刺队在纽约市休假一天。届时，这位我行我素、极具破坏力的马刺队前锋，在漫步于哥谭市节日气氛浓厚的街道时，将会与周围环境完美融合。
没错，索汉已经准备好把大苹果城染成绿色了。
当被问到在联盟圣诞大战的揭幕战中，当全国电视的聚光灯都集中在马刺队身上时，他是否还会顶着他的绿色头发时，索汉回答说：“我想我会保持这样。”
“有点像格林奇的感觉，”索汉补充道。“很节日。”
这位贝勒大学的毕业生继续保持他的绿色头发可能还有一个竞技优势：当他切入篮下时，他的队友更容易发现他。
“它太显眼了，”他说。“你能一眼就看到它，这很有趣。”
特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)说：“很容易就能找到他，除非你在人群中看到其他人也染了绿头发。现在有很多假发。但是，是的，很容易看到他。他一直在场上飞奔，非常活跃。”
哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)则这样说：“绿色意味着前进。”
21岁的索汉说，看到主场和客场看台上的球迷都顶着绿色的头发，他感到很高兴。
“这是爱，”他说。“我很感激球迷，以及他们给予我们的爱……这真的很酷。”
尽管左拇指骨折迫使他在11月6日至12月1日期间缺席了13场比赛，但索汉正在享受着他自2022年在贝勒大学读完大一年后被马刺队以第九顺位选中以来的最佳赛季。在周一夜对阵76人队的比赛前，他场均得到职业生涯最高的14.7分，职业生涯最高的8.3个篮板，2.9次助攻和职业生涯最高的1.1次抢断。
这与上个赛季大不相同，当时他经历了一个起伏不定的赛季，而这一切都始于马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇试图把他改造成控球后卫的失败实验。
“他对我们来说非常棒，”巴恩斯说。“他的防守能力、篮板球、在进攻端占据空间，无论是挡拆、空切、终结，诸如此类的事情。所以，我认为如果说今年谁比其他人更值得赞赏，我想可能就是杰里米。”
尚帕尼准备迎接喧闹的东海岸球迷
在布鲁克林长大后，马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)曾在皇后区的圣约翰大学打球，因此他完全有能力应对这次从费城、纽约和布鲁克林开始的四场比赛的东海岸之旅中那些说话强硬的球迷。
他在2022-23赛季作为落选新秀在富国银行中心为76人队打了几场比赛，这也对他有所帮助。
“我清楚地记得费城的球迷，”尚帕尼说。“这是一个充满激情的人群，一种不同的氛围。他们很有侵略性，很喧闹。我会感觉像在自己家一样。纽约也是这样的。这应该会很有趣。这会给比赛带来一种不同的刺激。”
马刺队计划在周一的比赛结束后乘火车前往曼哈顿。
卡斯尔回忆在费城的大学比赛
周一的比赛是马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)今年在富国银行中心的第二场比赛。
1月20日，在南费城场馆座无虚席的情况下，卡斯尔首发出战，在康涅狄格大学与维拉诺瓦大学的一场惊心动魄的大东区比赛中得到6分、3个篮板、2次助攻和1次抢断，帮助康涅狄格大学以66-65战胜维拉诺瓦大学。
在最终的全国冠军队在美联社前25名民意调查中排名第一之后，亚历克斯·卡拉班(Alex Karaban)在最后几分钟为康涅狄格大学投进了一个关键的三分球，特里斯坦·牛顿(Tristen Newton)得到25分，帮助爱斯基摩犬队取得了两连胜。
“我知道维拉诺瓦大学的实力，所以我必须做好精神和身体上的准备，应对这场艰难的比赛，”卡斯尔在周一于宾夕法尼亚大学校园内古老的帕莱斯特拉体育馆进行投篮训练后说道。“这是一场精彩的比赛，大部分时间比分都很胶着。我们必须全力以赴。”
在卡斯尔结束他在爱斯基摩犬队的大一赛季后，马刺队以第四顺位选中了他。
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) drives between Atlanta Hawks guard Tre Young (11) and forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Atlanta 133-126 in overtime.
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, left, passes the ball off as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and center Julius Randle (30) look on during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024.
点击查看原文：Sochan ready to paint Big Apple green
Sochan ready to paint Big Apple green
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) looks to an official after he was called for a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in San Antonio, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
PHILADELPHIA – The tree at Rockefeller Center. Macy’s window decorations. Wollman Rink at Central Park.
Jeremy Sochan’s green hair?
When the Spurs have an off day in New York City before they face the Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden, the disruptive I’ve-got-to-be-me Spurs forward will fit right in while strolling along Gotham’s festive holiday streets.
Yes, Sochan is ready to paint the Big Apple green.
“I think I’m going to keep it like this,” Sochan said when asked if he would still be sporting his green-dyed hair when the national TV spotlight is on the Spurs for the kickoff game of the league’s holiday slate.
“Grinch kind of vibes,” Sochan added. “Festive.”
There could be a competitive advantage to the Baylor-ex continuing to keep his green do: It’s easier for his teammates to spot him when he’s cutting to the basket.
“It’s pretty out there,” he said. “You can see it, so it’s funny.”
Said Tre Jones, “It’s pretty easy to find him unless you see someone in the crowd. There’s a lot of wigs going on right now. But, yeah, it’s easy to see him. He’s kind of flying around all the time. Very active.”
Harrison Barnes put it this way: “Green means go.”
Sochan, 21, said he takes pleasure in seeing fans in the stands at home and on the road sporting green mops.
“That’s love,” he said. “I appreciate the crowd and how much love they give us…That’s pretty cool.”
Despite suffering a fractured left thumb that forced him to miss 13 games between Nov. 6 and Dec. 1, Sochan is enjoying his best season since the Spurs drafted him ninth overall in 2022 after his freshman season at Baylor. He entered Monday’ night’s game against the Sixers averaging a career-best 14.7 points, a career-high 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a career-high 1.1 steals.
It’s a far cry from last season when he struggled through an up-and-down season that began with a failed experiment by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to turn him into a point guard.
“He’s been great for us,” Barnes said. “His defensive ability, rebounding, just occupying space on the offensive floor, whether it’s rolling, whether it’s striving, finishing, things like that. So, I think if anyone has appreciated this year more than anyone else, I think it’s probably Jeremy.”
Champagnie ready for rowdy East Coast fans
Having played at St. John’s in Queens after growing up in Brooklyn, Spurs forward Julian Champagnie is more than equipped to handle tough talking fans on the East Coast during this four-game trip that begins with games against Philadelphia, New York and Brooklyn.
It also helps that he played a few games for the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center as an undrafted rookie in 2022-23.
“I remember Philly’s crowd very well,” Champagnie said. "It’s an amped-up crowd, a different type of atmosphere. It’s aggressive. It’s rowdy. I’m going to feel like I’m at home. That’s kind of like how New York is. It should be fun. It will bring a different type of edge to the game.”
The Spurs were scheduled to travel by train to Manhattan after Monday’s game.
Castle recalls college game in Philly
Monday’s game marked Spurs rookie Stephen Castle’s second contest at the Wells Fargo Center this year.
Castle started and had six points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in Connecticut’s 66-65 win over Villanova in a thrilling Big East matchup before a packed house at the South Philadelphia venue on Jan. 20.
Alex Karaban hit a big 3-pointer for UConn in the final minutes and Tristen Newton scored 25 points to give the Huskies their second win in a row after the eventual national champions had hit No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
“I knew going into the game how good Villanova was, so I had to be mentally and physically prepared for how tough of a game it would be,” Castle said after Monday’s shootaround at the venerable Palestra on the University of Pennsylvania campus. “It was a good, close game most of the game. We had to fight it out.”
The Spurs drafted Castle fourth overall after he left the Huskies following his freshman season.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News