By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-24 13:30:39
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。
新奥尔良——德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)很在意。
或许太在意了。
毫无疑问。马刺队很喜欢这位五年级后卫总是尽力做到最好，并将胜利作为首要任务。
但在瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)最近一次令人失望的表现之后，马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)表示，他的责任心可能是导致他陷入五场比赛低迷的原因之一，包括在周日以114-96输给鹈鹕队的比赛中，他在25分钟内得到5分，投篮9中1，三分球6中1的表现。在周日以114-96输给鹈鹕队的比赛中。
“他是一位出色的进攻球员，”约翰逊说。“人们在职业生涯中都会经历这种情况。如果我能传达任何信息，就像我以前告诉过他的那样，我希望他投篮。我希望他投更多球。我希望他以更多的信心和侵略性投篮，我希望他不要太在意。
“有时候，当你拥有优秀的球员，以及那些真正想为球队效力的人时，问题就在这里。在某种程度上，你只需要不在乎。”
换句话说，24岁的瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)可能因为他非常在意而感到压力，尤其是在2023年10月马刺队与他续签了一份为期五年、价值1.35亿美元的合同之后，其中还有额外的1100万美元激励条款。
这份队史最丰厚的合同要求瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)本赛季的基本工资为2930万美元。该合同也没有任何选项，突显了俱乐部相信他是 文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama) 支持阵容中不可或缺的一部分。
在马刺队(24胜31负)于斯穆迪国王中心输给新奥尔良队(14胜43负)的比赛中，第三节领先17分被挥霍后，瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)站在他的储物柜前，被问及他是否认为约翰逊关于他过于在意的评论是准确的。
“是的，我肯定很在意，”他说。“显然，我想赢。我想投进球。我想尽我所能来帮助球队。所以，显然，我在意。”
但他表示，糟糕的运气是导致他周日陷入挣扎的最大原因，当时“球决定不再待在里面了”。
“奥斯汀，我也有很好的机会，但球也进进出出，”瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)指的是马刺队上周四和周五在穆迪中心的两场比赛。
瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)将带着过去五场比赛场均仅得7.8分的表现进入周二晚上与鹈鹕队的再次交锋。在此期间，他以27.5%的命中率出手10.2次，其中包括在三分线外以16%的命中率出手5.0次。
在此之前，他曾连续13场比赛场均得到18.4分，投篮命中率为46.7%，出手15.2次，其中包括39.6%的三分球命中率，并且有7场比赛得分达到20分或更多。他以在2月8日输给奥兰多的比赛中14投11中(三分球4投3中)得到赛季最高的25分结束了这段状态。
本赛季，瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)场均得到15.3分，投篮命中率为42.8%，三分球命中率为34.4%。
“每个人都会经历一段投不进球的时期，而今天太疯狂了，”瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)说。“我投出的球进进出出，几乎完全落入了篮筐又弹了出来。我有一个扣篮，球进了又出来。这些都是你无法控制的事情。但我尝试在其他方面表现出色，在防守端尽我所能，并做好其他一切事情。”
瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)还强调，他并没有气馁，因为他知道即使是最好的球员也会经历困难时期。
“如果我只是放弃所有的投篮，那还另当别论，但当球像那样进进出出时，我必须接受，”他说。“我不能坐在这里沮丧。作为一名射手，我不能停止投篮。我必须继续投篮。”
这是他的队友和教练不断告诉他要做的事情。
“像 凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson) 这样的球员会来找我说，‘德文，打出你的比赛，做你自己，’”瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)说。“所以，每次我得到投篮机会，每个人都希望我完成它。如果我放弃，他们会告诉我我要被换下，所以我必须继续投篮。说实话，我只能这么说了。”
瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)并不是周日晚上唯一投篮不佳的马刺队球员。作为一个整体，马刺队的投篮命中率仅为33%(97投32中)，三分球命中率为29.4%(51投15中)。他们的罚球也只有25投17中(68%)。
达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox) 投篮16中3(三分球7中1)，得到13分。 克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul) 10投1中，包括三分球7投1中，得到4分。新秀 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle) 仅得到2分，10投1中，三分球3投0中，结束了连续12场得分上双的纪录。
在过去的三场比赛中，卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)场均得到8.0分，投篮命中率为29.0%(三分球7投0中)，出手10.3次。本赛季，他场均得到12.6分，投篮命中率为41.3%，其中包括27.9%的三分球命中率。
“这是一个漫长的赛季，”米奇·约翰逊说。“命中率总是会趋于平均。他们(卡斯尔和瓦塞尔)正处于频谱的两端。斯蒂芬是一名年轻球员。没有人期望他能投出他在第一个月所投出的命中率，从三分球投出10%或更低的命中率。他是一名优秀的射手。他投进了球。在全明星赛前的七场比赛中，他的三分球命中率为42.3%。”
“而德文是一名已经在联盟中场均得到20分的球员(上赛季职业生涯最高的19.5分)。我不认为有人期望他继续保持他现在的状态。我只知道这与他历史上的表现不符。”
至于保罗，他建议他和他的队友们忘记周日的比赛，继续前进。
“这个联盟最好的事情是，在大多数情况下，除非你打到(常规赛)的最后一场比赛或季后赛，否则总会有另一场比赛，”这位进入联盟20年的老将说。“这就像一个季后赛系列赛，我们周二再次与他们交手，所以我们必须忘记这场比赛，为那场比赛做好准备。”
瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)说，他已准备好这样做，同时继续在意并继续投篮。
“每个人都对我充满信心，”他说。“我对自己充满信心。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) attempts a dunk against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, center left, looks to shoot a three-point basket over New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III, center right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) attempts a layup between New Orleans Pelicans forward Kelly Olynyk (13) and center Karlo Matkovic (17) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) bow their heads during the National Anthem as they prepare to take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) pulls up for a shot over Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) during the first half of their NBA game with the Denver Nuggets at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 in San Antonio. Denver beat the Spurs 122-111 in overtime.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) passes the ball around Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
点击查看原文：Is 'caring too much' hurting Spurs' Devin Vassell?
Is ‘caring too much’ hurting Spurs’ Devin Vassell?
NEW ORLEANS – Devin Vassell cares.
Perhaps too much.
Make no mistake. The Spurs love how the fifth-year guard always tries to do his best and has made winning his top priority.
But acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson suggested after Vassell’s latest disappointing performance that his conscientiousness could be a factor in a five-game slump that included a five-point, 1-for-9 from the field, 1-for-6 from 3-point range performance over 25 minutes in Sunday’s 114-96 loss to the Pelicans.
“He is a tremendous offensive player,” Johnson said. "People go through that in their career. If I could have any message, which I’ve told him before, I hope he shoots the ball. I hope he shoots it more. I hope he shoots it with more confidence, with more aggressiveness, and I wish he would not care so much.
“And that’s sometimes the problem when you got good guys and people that really want to play for their team. At some point, you just got to not give a you know what.”
In other words, Vassell, 24, could be pressing because he cares so deeply, especially after the Spurs gave him a five-year contract extension in October 2023 guaranteed to pay him $135 million, with an additional $11 million in incentives.
The richest deal in franchise history calls for Vassell to receive a base salary of $29.3 million this season. The deal also contains no options, highlighting the club’s belief that he is an essential part of Victor Wembanyama’s supporting cast.
Standing in front of his locker at Smoothie King Center after the Spurs (24-31) blew a 17-point third quarter lead in losing to New Orleans (14-43), Vassell was asked whether he thought Johnson’s comments about him caring too much were accurate.
“Yeah, I definitely care,” he said. “Obviously, I want to win. I want to make shots. I want to do whatever I can to help the team. So, obviously, I care.”
But he suggested bad luck was what contributed the most to his struggles Sunday when the “ball decided not to stay in again.”
“Austin, I had good looks too, and it went in and out too,” Vassell said, referring to the two games the Spurs played at Moody Center last Thursday and Friday.
Vassell will enter Tuesday night’s rematch with the Pelicans having averaged just 7.8 points over the last five games. In that span, he shot 27.5% on 10.2 attempts from the floor, including a wretched 16 % on 5.0 attempts from beyond the arc.
The slump came after a 13-game stretch in which he averaged 18.4 points while shooting 46.7% on 15.2 attempts from the floor, including 39.6% from distance, and had seven games of 20 or more points. He capped that run by matching his season high of 25 points on 11 of 14 (3 of 4 from the 3-point stripe) in a loss at Orlando on Feb. 8.
For the season, Vassell is averaging 15.3 points on 42.8% shooting from the field and 34.4% from downtown.
“Everybody goes through a stretch where they can’t make shots, and today was crazy,” Vassell said. “I had shots go in and out, that were pretty much down all the way and came back out. I had a dunk that goes in and comes back out. It’s just stuff you can’t control. But I try and play well with everything else, play as hard as I can on the defensive end and just do everything else.”
Vassell also stressed that he’s not discouraged, knowing even the best players go through rough patches.
“It’d be one thing if I’m just passing up all my shots and everything, but when it’s shots like that, that are in and out, I got to live with that,” he said. “I can’t sit here and be upset. I can’t stop shooting as a shooter. I got to keep shooting the ball.”
It’s something his teammates and coaches constantly tell him to do.
"I have people like KJ (reserve forward Keldon Johnson) coming up to me and being like, ‘Dev, just play your game and be you,’ " Vassell said. “So, every time I get a shot, everybody wants me to finish it. If I turn it down, they tell me I’m coming out, so I got to keep shooting. That’s all I can say truthfully.”,
Vassell wasn’t the only Spur to shoot poorly Sunday night. As a team, the Spurs connected on just 33% (32 of 97) from the field and 29.4% (15 of 51) from 3-point territory. They were also just 17 for 25 (68%) from the free throw stripe.
De’Aaron Fox hit just 3 of 16 from the floor (1 for 7 from deep) on his way to 13 points. Chris Paul was 1 for 10, including 1 for 7 from distance, in scoring four points. Rookie Stephon Castle had only two points on 1 for 10 and 0 for 3 in ending a streak of 12 consecutive double-digit scoring games.
Over his last three games, Castle has averaged 8.0 points on 29.0% from the field (0 for 7 from downtown) on 10.3 attempts. For the season, he’s averaging 12.6 points on 41.3% shooting, including 27.9% from distance.
“It’s a long season,” Mitch Johnson said. “Percentages always are going to even out. They (Castle and Vassell) are kind of on opposite sides of the spectrum. Steph’s a young player. No one expects him to shoot whatever he shot in the first month, 10% or whatever from three. He’s a good shooter. He has made shots. He shot (42.3 from beyond the arc in seven games before the All-Star break).”
“And Devin is a guy that has averaged 20 points in the league (a career-best 19.5 last season). I don’t think anybody expects him to continue to have whatever run he’s on. I just know it’s not up to what he’s done historically.”
As for Paul, he suggested he and his teammates forget about Sunday and move on.
“The good thing about this league for the most part is until you get to the last game of the (regular) season or the playoffs, there is always another game,” the 20th-year pro said. “This is like a playoff series where we play 'em again Tuesday, so we got to flush this one and get ready for that one.”
Vassell said he’s ready to do just that while continuing to care and continue to shoot.
“Everybody has confidence in me,” he said. “I have confidence in myself.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
