By Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-02-25 16:00:00
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。
马刺寻求复仇，对手同样命运多舛的鹈鹕
对于一支官方宣告进入“后文班亚马时代”的马刺队来说，一切都与预期大相径庭。缺少了这位7尺4寸的天才球员，对整个赛季的架构都产生了深远的影响。
维克托·文班亚马赛季报销的消息无疑给圣安东尼奥蒙上了一层阴影，球队不得不努力寻找新的定位，尤其是在格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)也传出赛季报销（甚至可能结束职业生涯）的消息之后。
原本中锋位置就捉襟见肘的马刺队，本赛季已经遭遇了足够多的伤病（希望如此）。但谢天谢地，他们将与联盟战绩最差的四支球队之一进行两场比赛。
鹈鹕队同样面临着自己的困境，德章泰·穆雷和赫伯·琼斯赛季报销。两支球队都在赛季初充满希望，但现在他们必须临场调整，这场比赛将是一场韧性的较量，而不仅仅是技巧的比拼。
鹈鹕队仍然拥有运动能力和纯粹得分能力的危险组合。锡安·威廉姆森仍然是内线的一股强大力量，而CJ·麦科勒姆则继续是后场的资深领袖。
在最近被交易的布兰登·英格拉姆缺席的情况下，新奥尔良不得不寻找新的进攻方式，更加依赖他们制造失误的天赋（抢断排名第5，盖帽排名第8），以及他们获得罚球机会的能力（罚球尝试次数排名第10），以及快速的节奏（排名第10）来弥补其他方面的不足。
这场比赛的一个关键因素将是篮板球——或者说，哪支球队能够利用对方在篮板方面的劣势。鹈鹕队的篮板球排在联盟末尾，对于一支拥有威廉姆森的前场球队来说，这是一个不寻常的弱点。在没有文班亚马镇守内线的情况下，马刺队需要找到方法来利用二次进攻机会，并控制篮板球以获得优势。
另一个关键对决？ 达龙·福克斯对阵CJ·麦科勒姆。福克斯的速度和组织能力可能是瓦解鹈鹕队防守的关键因素，而麦科勒姆的投篮将考验马刺队的外线防守者。如果圣安东尼奥能够限制麦科勒姆并扰乱新奥尔良的进攻，他们就能给自己一个机会。
毫无疑问，这支鹈鹕队很糟糕，但马刺队在上场比赛第四节被痛击之后，也并没有表现出统治力，鹈鹕队单节拿下了39分。
圣安东尼奥的所有球员都需要拿出更好的表现，尤其是再次陷入低迷的德文·瓦塞尔，他在过去五场比赛中有四场得分是个位数，自2月8日以来，没有一场比赛得分超过13分。
再说，由于两支球队都可能为了更好的选秀顺位而努力，所以没人知道双方的求胜欲望有多强烈。希望米奇·约翰逊和马刺队能将此作为进一步磨合球队并全力以赴的机会。
经过这样一个动荡的赛季后，这才是你真正能要求的。
圣安东尼奥马刺队 vs 新奥尔良鹈鹕队
2025年2月25日 | 中部时间晚上7:00
观看：FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺队伤病情况： 查尔斯·贝西 - 缺席（膝盖），维克托·文班亚马 - 缺席（无法治愈的强大）
鹈鹕队伤病情况： 布兰登·波士顿 - 缺席（生病），赫伯·琼斯 - 缺席（肩膀），德章泰·穆雷 - 缺席（未来15年的失利）
想了解鹈鹕队球迷的观点，请访问The Bird Writes。
PtR的比赛讨论帖将在今晚发布，供那些想在比赛期间聊天的人使用。您也可以通过 PtR的Twitter 关注比赛进程。
点击查看原文：Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans
Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans
The Spurs look for revenge against the similarly snake-bitten Pelicans
Things are looking drastically different than expected for a Spurs team now officially four games into the rest of a Wembanyama-less season. The absence of a 7’4” dynamo has a way of affecting the architecture of an entire season.
The devastating news of Victor Wembanyama’s season-ending blood clot has cast a bit of a shadow over San Antonio, leaving the team scrambling to find its new identity, especially when combined with the end-of-season (and potentially career) news regarding Gregg Popovich’s own recovery.
Already perilously thin at center, the Spurs have taken their share of injury lumps for the season (hopefully). Still, thankfully they’re playing a pair of games against one of the NBA’s four worst teams (by record).
The Pelicans are dealing with own their setbacks, having lost Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones for the season. Both teams entered the year with high hopes, but now they must adjust on the fly, making this match-up a battle of resilience as much as skill.
The Pelicans still have a dangerous mix of athleticism and pure scoring power. Zion Williamson remains a force of nature in the paint, while CJ McCollum continues to be the veteran leader of the back-court.
Without the recently traded Brandon Ingram, New Orleans has had to find new ways to generate offense, relying more on their talent for forcing turnovers (5th in steals — 8th in blocks), their ability to get to the line (10th in free-throws attempted), and a blistering pace (10th) to make up for other shortcomings.
One key factor in this game will be rebounding—or rather, which team can take advantage of the other’s struggles on the glass. The Pelicans find themselves near the bottom of the league in rebounding, an unusual weak spot for a team with Williamson in the frontcourt. Without Wembanyama patrolling the paint, the Spurs will need to find ways to capitalize on second-chance opportunities and control the boards to gain an edge.
Another crucial matchup? De’Aaron Fox against CJ McCollum. Fox’s speed and playmaking ability could be the X-factor in breaking down the Pelicans’ defense, while McCollum’s shot-making will test the Spurs’ perimeter defenders. If San Antonio can contain McCollum and disrupt New Orleans’ offensive flow, they’ll give themselves a fighting chance.
Make no mistake, this Pelicans team is bad, but the Spurs aren’t exactly reigning superior after last game’s fourth-quarter whooping, in which the Pelicans scored 39 points.
More will be needed from all of San Antonio’s players, especially the once-again slumping Devin Vassell, who has scored in single digits in four of the last five games and hasn’t gone off for more than 13 points since the 8th of February.
Then again, with both teams potentially gunning for better draft pick positions, there’s no telling how motivated either team will be to win. Hopefully, Mitch Johnson and the Spurs will look to use this as an opportunity to further gel as a team and give it their best.
After such a tumultuous season by franchise standards, that’s all you can really ask.
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans
February 25th, 2025 | 7:00 CT
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Charles Bassey - Out (Knee), Victor Wembanyama - Out (Incurable Badass)
Pelicans Injuries: Brandon Boston - Out (Illness), Herb Jones - Out (Shoulder), Dejounte Murray - Out (Losing For The Next 15 Years)
For the Pelicans’ fan’s perspective, please visit The Bird Writes.
PtR’s Game thread will be up this evening for those who want to chat through the game. You can also follow along with the action through PtR’s Twitter feed.
By Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock