By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-27 11:50:00
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。
2024年12月15日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：在圣安东尼奥霜冻银行中心举行的上半场比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)（40号）和维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)（1号）试图阻止明尼苏达森林狼队的传球。
纽约——马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)希望NBA能统计一下球员们大胆突入内线，却在看到文班亚马的身影后紧急掉头的情况。
“他们会统计掩护助攻、干扰投篮等等，”他说，“我认为这是一个值得统计的数据。”
对马刺队来说，幸运的是，虽然有些球员会对挑战这位7尺3寸的中锋三思而后行，但也有其他不明智的球员似乎非常愿意尝试攀登篮球版的珠穆朗玛峰，即使他们的教练警告他们不要如此鲁莽。
“是啊，祝他们好运，”当被问及对手仍然挑战文班亚马时，马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)说道，“我真的不知道他们看到了什么，但我知道我们希望他们这样做。”
文班亚马的盖帽速度惊人——在周五对阵布鲁克林的比赛之前，他在过去五场比赛中送出33次盖帽，以场均4.0次盖帽领跑联盟——但代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)担心，与他同场竞技的其他球员在防守端的“联系”有时不如预期。
“我认为（由于文班亚马的存在）你可以在防守端做一些有创意的事情，但这需要五名球员的紧密联系，”约翰逊说，“如果他只是一个人在那边打球，而其他球员在做别的事情，那就是有时会出现沟通不畅或防守漏洞的地方……但他们在这方面已经有所进步。”
巴恩斯也强调，文班亚马的队友们不能依赖他来弥补他们在防守端的不足。
“显然，维克托一场比赛可以盖掉8个、10个甚至12个球，但一支球队一场比赛仍然会投60、70、80次，所以有很多投丢的机会，”巴恩斯说，“篮板球对我们来说很重要。如果他起跳盖帽，保持对篮板球的控制就非常重要。即使他没有直接参与防守，轮转、补防以及其他防守原则仍然很重要。
“尽管他做了很多，可以弥补很多错误，但你必须确保我们的基本功扎实。”
2024年12月19日，星期四，在圣安东尼奥霜冻银行中心举行的NBA比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯（40号）突破亚特兰大老鹰队后卫特雷·杨（11号）。圣安东尼奥在加时赛中以133-126击败亚特兰大。
数百万人收看了圣诞大战马刺对阵尼克斯的比赛
除了马刺队在圣诞大战中以114-117输给尼克斯队之外，文班亚马很享受这场充满浮华和魅力的节日焦点之战。
“气氛、音乐，一切的一切，”他说，“我感受到了。”
享受这场比赛的不仅仅是文班亚马。根据NBA的数据，马刺队和尼克斯队的比赛平均有491万观众收看，这是13年来收视率最高的圣诞大战揭幕战，比去年同期增长了98%。
这场比赛拉开了五场圣诞大战的序幕，根据尼尔森快速国民统计数据，这五场比赛在美国ABC、ESPN、ESPN2、Disney+和ESPN+的平均收视人数为525万，是五年来收视率最高的圣诞赛程。
洛杉矶湖人队以115-113战胜金州勇士队的比赛是五场比赛中收视率最高的，平均有776万观众收看。这场比赛也云集了未来的名人堂成员勒布朗·詹姆斯和斯蒂芬·库里。这也是五年来收视率最高的NBA常规赛和圣诞大战，比去年同期增长了近500%。
但周三没有哪个球员的表现比文班亚马更好，他在圣诞大战首秀中出场40分钟（职业生涯新高），得到42分、20个篮板、4次助攻和4次盖帽。他的篮板球使他的职业生涯篮板总数达到1011个，这使他成为NBA历史上第一位在前100场比赛中得到2000分以上、1000个篮板以上和200个三分球以上的球员。
NBA历史上唯一一位在前100场比赛中得到2000分以上、1000个篮板以上和350个盖帽以上的球员是马刺队的传奇人物大卫·罗宾逊。
“当所有老球员都退役后，联盟将会掌握在可靠的人手中，”尼克斯队的约什·哈特谈到文班亚马时说，“他与众不同。”
巴恩斯加练
尽管巴恩斯在他职业生涯的第13个赛季中担任首发，但他周四仍在训练结束后留下来与扎克·科林斯(Zach Collins)、布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)、马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)和西迪·西索科(Sidy Cissoko)这些非轮换球员一起对抗马刺队的教练组进行训练赛。
在首发和其他轮换球员都登上第一辆返回球队酒店的巴士很久之后，巴恩斯仍然选择留在巴克莱中心，这凸显了他整个职业生涯所展现的高度职业精神。
“在昨天早场比赛后的今天，只要有机会进行额外训练，你就会去做，”巴恩斯说，“今天大家在这里都非常努力地竞争，所以这是一个变得更好的机会。”
点击查看原文：Spurs defense careful not to rely too much on Wembanyama
Spurs defense careful not to rely too much on Wembanyama
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 15: Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs attempt to stop a pass from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 15, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
NEW YORK – Spurs forward Harrison Barnes would like to see the NBA keep statistics for the times players drive boldly into the paint only to do a U-turn when they see Victor Wembanyama looming.
“They factor in screen assists, they factor in shots altered, things like that,” he said. “I think it’s a worthy stat.”
Fortunately for the Spurs, for every player thinking twice about challenging the 7-foot-3 center, there are other misguided souls that seem more than willing to try to scale basketball’s version of Mount Everest even as their coaches warn them against such foolhardiness.
“Yeah, good luck,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said when asked about opponents still challenging Wembanyama. “I don’t really know what guys see, but I know we want them to do that.”
But with Wembanyama rejecting shots at a torrid pace – he entered Friday’s game against Brooklyn leading the league in blocks with a 4.0 average after recording 33 over the last five games – acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson worries the rest of the players on the floor with him aren’t as “connected” at times defensively as they should be.
“I think there are some things you can do in a creative way (defensively thanks to Wembanyama’s prescence), but it takes all five of them to be connected,” Johnson said. “If he’s over here just playing on his own and then they’re doing something else, that’s where sometimes the miscommunication or the cracks can come into play. … But they’ve gotten better at it.”
Barnes also stressed the need for Wembanyama’s teammates not to rely on him to bale them out defensively.
“Obviously, Victor can block so many shots – eight, 10, 12 in a game – but, still, a team is going to shoot 60, 70, 80 shots a game as well, so there are plenty of opportunities for missed shots,” Barnes said. "Rebounding has been a big thing for us. If he goes up to block a shot, staying connected with the rebounding is important. And even when he is not involved with the direct play, rotating over, being the low man, different defensive principles like that, are still important.
“Even though he does so much and can cover up for so many mistakes, you just have to make sure our base is solid.”
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard Tre Young (11) 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.
Millions tuned in for Spurs-Knicks on Christmas Day
Outside of the fact the Spurs lost their Christmas Day game 117-114 to the Knicks, Victor Wembanyama enjoyed playing in the marquee holiday game with all its glitz and glamour.
“The mood, the music, everything,” he said. “I felt it.”
Wembanyama wasn’t alone in enjoying it. According to the NBA, the Spurs-Knicks game averaged 4.91 million viewers, making it the most-watched Christmas Day opener in 13 years and up 98% versus the comparable window from last year.
The game kicked off a five-game slate that ended up being the most-watched Christmas schedule in five years, averaging 5.25 million viewers per game in the U.S. across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors, which featured future Hall of Famers’ LeBron James and Stephen Curry - was the most watched of the five, averaging 7.76 million viewers. It was also the most-watched NBA regular season and Christmas Day game in five years and up nearly 500% versus the comparable window last year.
But no player had a better performance Wednesday than Wembanyama, who finished with 42 points, 20 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in a career-high 40 minutes in his Christmas debut. His rebounds gave him 1,011 for his career, making him the first player in NBA history to produce 2,000-plus points, 1,000-plus rebounds and 200-plus 3-pointers in his first 100 games.
The only other player in NBA history to have 2,000-plus points, 1,000-plus rebounds and 350-plus blocks in their first 100 games was Spurs great David Robinson.
“The league will be in good hands when all the old guys are done and they hang it up," the Knicks’ Josh Hart said of Wembanyama. "He’s different.”
Barnes putting in extra work
Despite being a starter in his 13th season, Barnes stayed late at practice Thursday to scrimmage with non-rotation players Zach Collins, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Sidy Cissoko against the Spurs’ developmental staff.
Barnes’ decision to remain at the Barclays Center long after the starters and other rotation players had boarded the first bus to return to the team hotel underscored the high degree of professionalism he has exhibited throughout his career.
“Anytime you have the opportunity to put extra work in on a day like today after the early game yesterday, you do it,” Barnes said. “Guys competed hard here today, so it’s an opportunity to get better.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News