By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-01-03 14:53:37
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29日，周日，在明尼阿波利斯举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(5号)带球进攻，明尼苏达森林狼队前锋朱利叶斯·兰德尔(30号)防守。(美联社照片/马特·克罗恩)
丹佛——甚至在斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)登上马刺队飞往丹佛的包机之前，他就已经清楚地知道，一旦球队抵达落基山脉，他的任务是什么。
由于杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)在周五对阵掘金的比赛中再次进入伤病名单，卡斯尔将重回首发阵容。
这次不用染绿头发了。
“这没什么新鲜的，”卡斯尔在球馆的晨间训练后说道。“我们队里的每个人在进入NBA之前，一辈子都是首发。当你得到这些机会时，你真的不能想当然。”
作为去年六月选秀大会的四号秀，来自康涅狄格大学的卡斯尔在索汉因左手拇指骨折缺阵后，在十一月和十二月连续首发了17场比赛。
由于索汉再次缺阵——这次是因为轻微的腰背酸痛——马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊将再次让卡斯尔作为替补首发。
这位20岁的卡斯尔在他第一次首发期间表现近乎明星级别，场均得到14.5分和4.5次助攻，迅速跻身NBA年度最佳新秀的竞争行列。
对于马刺队最初计划让他从替补席开始逐渐适应NBA比赛的球员来说，这是一段具有启示意义的时期。
“早期，由于伤病和阵容的一些情况，我们要求他扮演的角色可能比他预期的要重要，”约翰逊说。“他有点被赶鸭子上架了。我们看到了他日常的一些做法，我们很满意。”
当索汉在12月中旬回到首发阵容，将卡斯尔挤回替补席后，这位新秀的数据有所下降。这很大程度上可以归因于出场机会的变化。卡斯尔从作为首发场均30.5分钟的出场时间下降到作为替补场均18.9分钟。
在15场替补出场的比赛中，卡斯尔场均得到6.9分和2.6次助攻。
“每个新秀都会经历起伏，”卡斯尔说道，他的球队将于周六回到主场再次迎战掘金。“有些比赛你无法以你想要的方式影响比赛。”
卡斯尔在2024年的最后阶段经历了新秀式的过山车。在12月23日以111-106输给费城的比赛中，他出场13分钟得到17分，但在比赛胶着阶段没有上场。
在圣诞节前后对阵纽约和布鲁克林的两场比赛中，他都只得到6分，然后在明尼苏达的比赛中，他可能打出了职业生涯中最糟糕的一场比赛。
在那场以112-110输给森林狼的比赛中，卡斯尔出场8分钟，一分未得，还有4次失误，并且在第四节没有上场。
两天后，卡斯尔在主场对阵洛杉矶快船的比赛中强势反弹，以一场大胜结束了这一年，他得到15分，还有4次助攻、4个篮板、1次抢断和1次盖帽。
对于一个拥有高顺位新秀血统的球员来说，卡斯尔理解在NBA需要努力赢得自己位置的想法，这很不寻常。
“我绝对信任我们的教练和他们做出的任何决定，”卡斯尔说。“无论我上场时间很多还是很少，我都觉得他们是在给我们最好的赢球机会。”
尽管情况经常变化，卡斯尔的资深队友们都很欣赏这位新秀对待工作的态度。
“斯蒂芬做得非常出色，”前锋哈里森·巴恩斯说道。“无论他是首发上场35分钟，为我们结束比赛，还是替补上场，上场时间较少，无论做什么，我都认为他会积极进取，随时准备做出贡献。”
经过33场比赛，随着卡斯尔重回首发阵容，马刺队知道对他的期待是什么。
他会做出一些精彩的表演。他也会犯一些新秀的错误。他会让对方的主要控球手，在丹佛就是贾马尔·穆雷，的日子不好过。
他不会被任何事情吓倒。
无论发生什么，卡斯尔都将准备好迎接他的下一个任务。
“就是要短期记忆，”卡斯尔说。“NBA的好处是，你有多场比赛可以弥补自己。所以你只需要以清醒的头脑和自信的心态进入下一场比赛。”
马刺队获得全国电视直播比赛
NBA周五宣布，马刺队1月17日主场迎战孟菲斯的比赛将在ESPN播出，比赛开始时间改为晚上8:30。
Los Angeles Clippers’ Kris Dunn, left, drives against San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, left, attempts to shoot the ball past Brooklyn Nets’ Noah Clowney, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, left, dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets’ Shake Milton, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Reece Beekman #4 of the Brooklyn Nets and Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs battle for a rebound at Barclays Center on December 27, 2024 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball as Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first quarter at Barclays Center on December 27, 2024 in New York City.
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle ready to start, again
San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle ready to start, again
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
DENVER – Even before Stephon Castle boarded the Spurs’ charter flight to Denver, he had a good idea what his assignment would be once the team reached the Rocky Mountains.
With Jeremy Sochan back on the injured list for Friday’s game against the Nuggets, Castle was headed back to the starting lineup.
Green hair dye not included.
“It’s nothing new,” Castle said after a morning walkthrough at Ball Arena. “Everybody on our team has been starting their whole life before coming to the NBA. When you get those opportunities, you really can’t take it for granted.”
The No. 4 draft pick out of Connecticut last June, Castle started 17 consecutive games in November and December after Sochan went on the shelf with a broken left thumb.
With Sochan sidelined again – this time with minor lower back soreness – Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson will again turn to the Castle as a fill-in starter.
The 20-year-old Castle was a borderline star in his first turn with the starting five, averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 assists while rocketing toward the front of the pack in the NBA Rookie of the Year race.
It was a revealing stretch for a player the Spurs drafted with a plan for him to initially to dip his toes into NBA waters off the bench.
“Early on, we asked him to play probably a larger role than he was expecting because of injuries and some circumstances with the roster,” Johnson said. “He was thrown into the fire a little bit. We got to see some of his day-to-day approach, and we were pleased.”
When Sochan returned to the starting lineup in mid-December, bumping Castle back to the bench, the rookie’s numbers dropped. Much of that can be traced to a change in opportunity. Castle went from playing 30.5 minutes per game as a starter to 18.9 per game as a reserve.
In 15 games coming off the bench, Castle averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists.
“Every rookie goes through it, the ups and downs,” said Castle, whose team returns home for another game against the Nuggets on Saturday. “Some games you are not going to be able to affect the game how you want to.”
Castle’s finish to 2024 was something of a rookie roller coaster. He scored 17 points in 13 minutes of a 111-106 loss at Philadelphia on Dec. 23, but did not play down the stretch of a tight game.
He had pair of six-point games at New York and Brooklyn around Christmas, then turned in a game in Minnesota that might have been the worst of his budding career.
Castle had zero points and four turnovers in eight minutes of a 112-110 loss to the Timberwolves, and did not play in the fourth quarter.
Two nights later, Castle rang out the calendar year with a bounce-back effort at home against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 15 points with four assists, four rebounds, a steal and block in the Spurs’ runaway victory.
Rare for a rookie with a high-lottery pedigree, Castle understands the idea of having to earn his stripes in the NBA.
“I have the ultimate trust in our coaches and any decision they make,” Castle said. “Whether I play a lot or don’t play a lot, I feel like they’re giving us the best chance to win.”
Castle’s veteran teammates have appreciated the rookie’s approach to his job, despite oft changing circumstances.
“Steph has done a tremendous job,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “Whether he’s starting and playing 35 minutes, closing games for us, whether he’s coming off the bench, playing less, doing whatever, I always think he’s going to be aggressive and ready to make an impact.”
After 33 games and counting, the Spurs know what to expect from Castle as he returns to the starting lineup.
He will make some spectacular plays. He will make some rookie mistakes. He will make life hard on the other team’s primary ball-handler, in Denver’s case Jamal Murray.
He will be fazed by nothing.
And no matter what happens, Castle will be ready for his next assignment.
“It’s just having a short-term memory,” Castle said. “The good thing about the NBA is that you have multiple games to redeem yourself. So you just come into the next game with a clear mind and play confident.”
Spurs earn national TV game
The Spurs’ home game Jan. 17 against Memphis will be broadcast by ESPN, with the tipoff time moved to 8:30 p.m., the NBA announced Friday.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News