By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-26 13:12:40
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12月25日，星期三，在纽约举行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在上半场扣篮后做出反应。
纽约 – 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)还没有撞上可怕的新秀墙。
考虑到自马刺队在今年夏天以第四顺位选中他以来他的出色表现，他很可能永远不会遇到新秀墙。但如果他真的遇到了，他有一个轻松突破的计划。
“每个人都会经历这个，”他说。“你只需要忠于你的训练，不断努力，你就能克服它。”
周五晚上对阵布鲁克林的比赛将是卡斯尔的第30场职业比赛，上个赛季他作为康涅狄格大学的大一新生，在球队连续第二次赢得全国冠军的过程中出场34次。
但他最近得分下降并不反映疲劳。
在连续16场比赛中有15场得分上双后，卡斯尔在过去的五场比赛中只有一次得分达到两位数。在这段时间里，他的投篮命中率也只有38.6%，并且在周三117-114输给纽约尼克斯的比赛的第四节一分钟都没有上场。
但这都不能说明他撞上了新秀墙。
事实上，在贾里德·麦凯恩两周前遭遇赛季报销的膝伤后，卡斯尔与伊夫·米西、杰伦·威尔斯、亚历克斯·萨尔和扎克·埃迪一起被认为是年度最佳新秀的有力竞争者。本赛季，卡斯尔场均得到11.4分和3.8次助攻。
“在82场比赛的漫长赛季中，会有起伏，有高潮也有低谷，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊说。“我认为他一直很棒，并且一直在寻找自己的方向。”
卡斯尔得分下降的因素包括他在杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)从拇指骨折和肩伤中恢复后从首发阵容转到替补席，这次伤病迫使这位佐治亚州人错过了12月13日在波特兰的比赛，并在复出后仍然对他造成了一些困扰。
在11月6日至12月8日作为首发的17场比赛中，卡斯尔场均得到14.6分，出场30.5分钟。自从转为替补后，他场均得到8.0分，出场18.9分钟。
“我们现在有更多球员可用，所以每个人的上场时间都更加分散了，”约翰逊指的是索汉、德文·瓦塞尔和特雷·琼斯都在伤愈复出后或复出后的上场时间限制后完全恢复了健康。
总而言之，卡斯尔正在适应再次替补出场，这是他在球队前七场比赛中的角色。
“我觉得你必须充分利用你的机会，利用我得到的每一分钟，”他说。“我必须尽可能地利用我的机会，所以就是上场，用我得到的任何上场时间去打我的比赛。”
至于卡斯尔没有在对阵尼克斯的第四节比赛中上场，这是教练的决定，原因是琼斯的出色表现。
由于这位五年级控球后卫在第四节出场9分钟，卡斯尔在下半场只出场了17分钟中的5分钟，最终7投2中得到6分，还有3次助攻和2个篮板。
琼斯得到7分和赛季最高的9次助攻。
“特雷·琼斯打得很好，这就是阵容深度带来的好处，”马刺队控球后卫克里斯·保罗谈到他的替补时说。
这对琼斯来说是一个积极的信号，他本赛季由于脚踝和肩伤只打了12场比赛，而且仍然没有完全康复。
“肯定越来越适应，也越来越有节奏了，”他说。“必须继续努力恢复我的体力，像我一样努力打球。有时候确实会累。”
同样，疲劳对卡斯尔来说不是问题。马刺队知道他们可以永远依靠他。无论比赛好坏，他的举止都保持不变，他总是准备好比赛。
“最让我印象深刻的是他的性情，”约翰逊说。“他首发出场过，他替补出场过，他打得好过，他也挣扎过，他总是以最好的方式保持平稳。我认为最近令人欣慰的是，看到他不再重复犯同样的错误，无论是某些传球还是某些防守挡拆时的阅读。”
“他的成熟程度以及记住信息和改进先前错误的能力非常非常宝贵，这归功于他。”
老将前锋哈里森·巴恩斯表示同意，他说：“斯蒂芬做得非常出色，无论他是首发打了35分钟，为我们终结比赛，还是替补出场，上场时间减少，做任何事情。他总是会充满侵略性，随时准备做出贡献。”
尤其是在防守端。
“他有一个非常好的身材，脚步灵活，非常强壮，”琼斯说。“随着他年龄的增长，不断变得更强壮，他开始学习一些关于防守的小技巧，我认为他有一天可以成为我们联盟的精英防守者之一。他拥有所有必要的工具。”
维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)也是如此，他以场均4.0个盖帽领跑联盟，还有杰里米·索汉。这是马刺队寄希望于未来多年成为他们防守核心的三人组。
“（防守）长期以来一直是我们的标志，”约翰逊说。“波波（马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇）对此毫不含糊，也没有任何犹豫。当你拥有像他们这样有可能成为真正优秀防守者的球员时，我认为这有望引领你的球队文化。这就是我们想要成为的样子。一切都契合。”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 23: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket against KJ Martin #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on December 23, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, right, drives to the basket past New York Knicks’ Miles McBride during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in New York.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, from right, tries to get past San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, left, tries to get a shot past Philadelphia 76ers’ KJ Martin during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 23: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on December 23, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
点击查看原文：Spurs' Stephon Castle adjusts to return to bench role
Spurs’ Stephon Castle adjusts to return to bench role
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, top, reacts after dunking the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in New York.
NEW YORK – Stephon Castle has not hit the dreaded rookie wall.
Given how well he has performed since the Spurs drafted him fourth overall this past summer, it’s quite possible he never will. But if he does, he’s got a plan to break through with ease.
“Everybody goes through it,” he said. “You just have to stay true to your work and keep grinding and you’ll get over it.”
Friday night’s game against Brooklyn will mark Castle’s 30th as a pro after playing in 34 games last season as a freshman for Connecticut in the Huskies run to winning a second straight national championship.
But a dip in his scoring of late doesn’t reflect fatigue.
After posting double-digit scoring games in 15 of 16 outings, Castle has tallied 10 or more just once in his last five games. He’s also shooting just 38.6% from the floor in that span and did not play a single minute in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 117-114 loss to the New York Knicks.
But none of that reflects banging into the rookie wall.
Indeed, Castle is regarded as a frontrunner in the rookie of the year race along with Yves Missi, Jaylen Wells, Alex Sarr and Zach Edey after Jared McCain suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. For the season, Castle is averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 assists.
“In the gamut of an an 82-game season, there are ebbs and flows, ups and downs,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think he’s been great and has just continued to find his way.”
The factors in Castle’s drop off in scoring include his move from the starting lineup to the bench after Jeremy Sochan returned from a fractured thumb and a shoulder injury that forced the Georgia native to miss a game in Portland on Dec. 13 and continued to bother him a bit after he returned.
In his 17 games as a starter from Nov. 6 through Dec. 8, Castle averaged 14.6 points and 30.5 minutes per game. Since moving to the bench, he’s averaged 8.0 points and 18.9 minutes.
“We have more people available, so everybody’s minutes are a little bit more spread out now,” Johnson said, referring to Sochan, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones all returning to full health after either being out because of injuries or on minutes restrictions after their returns.
Bottom line, Castle is adjusting to coming off the bench again, a role he had in the team’s first seven games.
“I feel like you have to just get the most with your opportunities, with the minutes that I get,” he said. “I just have to use my opportunities as much as I can, so it’s just going in there and playing my game with however many minutes I get.”
As far as Castle not playing in the fourth quarter against the Knicks, it was a coach’s decision that stemmed from how well Jones was playing.
With the fifth-year point guard getting nine minutes of action in the fourth quarter, Castle logged just five of his 17 minutes in the second half to finish with six points on 2 for 7 from the field to go along with three assists and two rebounds.
Jones finished with seven points and a season-high nine assists.
“Tre Jones was hooping, and that’s the benefit of having so much depth,” Spurs point guard Chris Paul said of his backup.
It was a positive sign for Jones, who has been limited to just 12 games this season due to ankle and shoulder injuries and is still not 100 percent.
“Definitely getting more and more comfortable and into a rhythm,” he said. “Got to just continue to try to get my wind there, playing as hard as I do. Definitely get tired at times.”
Again, fatigue isn’t a problem for Castle. The Spurs know they can always count on him. Good game or bad game, his demeanor stays the same and he’s always ready to compete.
“The thing that’s impressed me the most is his temperament,” Johnson said. "He’s started games, he’s come off the bench, he’s played well, he’s struggled, and he just kind of flat lines in the best way possible. I think recently what’s been nice is to see him not making the same mistakes repeatedly, whether that’s certain passes or certain reads in pick-and-roll coverages on defense.
“His level of maturity and (ability) to retain information and to improve upon previous mistakes is very, very valuable and a credit to him.”
Veteran forward Harrison Barnes agreed, saying, “Steph has done a tremendous job, whether he’s starting and playing 35 minutes, closing out games for us, or whether he’s coming of the bench, playing less, doing whatever. He’s always going to be aggressive and ready to make an impact.”
Especially defensively.
“He is a really good frame, can move his feet, is pretty strong,” Jones said. “As he gets older and continues to get stronger and he starts to learn little things about playing defense, I think he can be one of the elite defenders in our league one day. He has all the tools.”
As does Victor Wembanyama, who leads the league in blocks with a 4.0 average, and Jeremy Sochan. It’s a trio the Spurs are counting on to be their defensive core for years to come.
“(Defense) has been our identity for a long time,” Johnson said. “Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) has made no qualms or indecision about that. When you have the potential for individual people to be really good defenders like them, I think hopefully that can lead to your team identity. And that’s what we want to be. It all fits.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News