By Charlie Thaddeus | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-02-27 01:50:39
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。
光芒逐渐褪去
感觉就像所有的齿轮都松掉了。对于马刺的挣扎，除了他们的主要精神支柱突然消失之外，没有其他有趣、具有启发性的答案。我一直告诉自己不要太关注它，但现在观看这些比赛是一种非常奇怪的体验，很难不去关注。这是一支像僵尸一样的球队在黑暗中摸索，寻找可以抓住的东西——任何东西。
你甚至不能真的为此生气。这不是好的篮球，但我们实际上在期待什么？这是一支在全明星赛前岌岌可危的球队，现在那根细线已经断裂。在 文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama) 不可战胜的存在下支撑起的一切都感觉在漂流。 克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul) 的老将领导力只是背景噪音。 德阿隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox) 注入的成熟天赋是对着虚空的呐喊。 瓦塞尔 ， 索汉(Sochan) ， 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle) 和马刺的其他年轻核心，感觉不像是有希望的拼图，更像是无法解决的谜团。在文班亚马缺席的情况下，这一切究竟是什么？
这是核心问题。如果这种情况有什么好处，那就是每个人现在都有机会真正关注每个人能带来什么。计划是什么？目的是什么？为什么是这个人而不是那个人？就我个人而言，我非常喜欢这支球队中的球员。我认为他们是好人，我认为他们努力工作，我认为他们帮助重建了一种悄悄消失在背景中的文化。但喜爱也只能到此为止。在某个时候，这支球队必须变得更好，并且需要做出决定。我爱我的狗，但我确信它们在防守任何人的低位进攻时都毫无用处。我明天就会裁掉它们。
这些都是大局层面的东西，我相信管理层已经在考虑了。我只是在这里空转，因为另一种选择是真正深入研究僵尸马刺是如何在昨晚下半场挥霍了 17 分的领先优势，最终遭遇了对阵鹈鹕的背靠背失利。非常惨淡！撇开关于有效摆烂策略的俏皮玩笑不谈，这仍然不是一个好兆头。
在新闻发布会上， 米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson) 说：“48 分钟的比赛对我们来说现在很长。” 这在本赛季初是一句很有启发性的话。现在？这只会让人沮丧。这些人没有失去状态。他们没有初来乍到。他们已经经历了足够长的时间来理解它是如何运作的，而且在这一点上，每晚付出 48 分钟的努力是他们 可以 控制的唯一事情。马刺会在接下来的很多比赛中遇到天赋比自己强的对手。这没关系。这无所谓。但是，他们几乎没有任何借口可以不努力。
这将是一段艰难的时期。也许我对这些显然正在处理很多事情的球员太苛刻了。也许需要一两周的时间，每个人才能稳定下来，一切才会再次感觉 正常。也许吧。我不知道。现在，我感觉自己只是在太空中漂浮，我们的球员也这样想是合乎逻辑的。
要点总结：
- 除了其他一切之外，我认为我们已经正式进入了斯蒂芬·卡斯尔时代的“新秀墙”阶段——需要明确的是，这不是我担心的，只是让我感到沮丧的事情。他会没事的，但 我，一个马刺球迷，有一段时间无法看到他尽情发挥。没关系。最好现在发生这种情况，因为世界各地的目光都暂时从马刺身上移开了，而不是在季后赛的严酷光芒下。
- 我真正讨厌的一件事：NBA 现在感觉多么 有趣，而马刺队却逐渐消失在背景中。 卢卡(Luka Dončić) 在洛杉矶！勇士队焕发了新生！掘金队正在重新确立自己的地位！雷霆队正在取得进展！而这仅仅是 西部。我像很久以来一样专注于篮球，我认为这些季后赛实际上会非常精彩。我只是希望马刺队也参与其中，仅此而已。很快。很快。
- 对于昨晚关键时刻的德阿隆·福克斯来说，处境艰难。老实说，对于这位马刺队的新成员来说，整体处境都很艰难。你可以感觉到他在施压，试图弥补文班的缺席，而这种额外的自我强加的压力——再加上他仍然不真正 了解 这些人——根本就 不是 成功的秘诀。每个人都需要冷静下来。在本赛季的最后阶段，没有人试图做或完成任何疯狂的事情。让我们都 放松。（这个建议主要针对我。）
- 我有非零的可能性会请愿将本专栏更名为 我们从俾斯麦·比永博中学到了什么 ，并围绕他的光环重新构建本赛季后半程的一切。这是让我保持专注的主要原因。他像绅士一样为他的对手挡拆。他是由天使在实验室里精心制作，从宇宙中小心翼翼地摘取篮板。他投掷 庄严 的双手扣篮——自从一位庄严的 '03 大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 光临我们以来，我就没有见过这种扣篮了。俾斯麦是真相。我现在才准备好听到它。
— 圣安东尼奥马刺队 (@ spurs) 2025 年 2 月 26 日
WWL 赛后新闻发布会
- 您在上面提到，您会从篮球队中裁掉您的狗。
- 我不想这样做，但它们似乎并没有帮助我们赢得比赛。
- 您是否考虑过让它们在低位以外的其他位置打球？它们的身材确实很矮小。
- 如果你见过它们尝试运球上篮，你就不会这么说了。糟糕的运球技术。
- 真的吗？真不想听到这个。
- 是的，一团糟。
点击查看原文：What We Learned from the Spurs loss to the Pelicans
What We Learned from the Spurs loss to the Pelicans
The shine continues to wear off
It just feels like the wheels have come off. There’s no fun, revelatory answer for the Spurs’ struggles beyond the simple fact that their main talisman is very suddenly no longer around. I keep telling myself not to focus on it, but watching these games is such a bizarre experience right now that it’s hard not to. This is a zombie team groping around in the darkness, looking for something—anything—to hold onto.
And you can’t even really be mad at it. It’s not good basketball, but what are we actually expecting here? This was a team hanging by a thread before the All-Star break, and that thread has now snapped. All of the pieces that held together under Victor’s indomitable presence feel adrift. Chris Paul’s veteran leadership is background noise. De’Aaron Fox’s infusion of polished talent is a shout into the void. Vassell, Sochan, Castle, and the rest of the Spurs’ young core feel less like promising pieces of a puzzle and more like an unsolvable mystery. In the absence of Victor Wembanyama, what even is all of this?
That’s the central question. If there’s any upside to this situation, it’s that everyone will now get the opportunity to really focus on what each of these guys brings to the table. What’s the plan? What’s the purpose? Why this person and not that person? Personally, I have a lot of affection for the guys on this roster. I think they’re good dudes, I think they work hard, and I think they’ve helped rebuild a culture that had quietly faded into the background. But affection only goes so far. At some point, this team has to get better, and decisions will need to be made. I love my dogs, but I know for a fact they’d be useless guarding anyone in the post. I’d cut them tomorrow.
That’s all big-picture stuff, and I’m sure the front office is already thinking about it. I’m just spinning my wheels here because the alternative is to really dig into how the zombie Spurs blew a 17-point lead in the second half last night en route to their second straight loss to the Pelicans. Pretty bleak! Glib jokes about effective tanking strategy aside, it’s still not a great look.
In his presser, Mitch Johnson said, “The 48-minute game is long for us right now.” That was an illuminating quote early in the season. Now? It’s just frustrating. These guys aren’t out of shape. They aren’t getting their feet wet. They’ve been at this long enough to understand how it works, and at this point, giving 48 minutes of effort every night is about the only thing they can control. The Spurs are going to get out-talented in a lot of games down the stretch. That’s fine. That’s whatever. But there is virtually no excuse for them to get out-efforted.
It’s going to be a slog for a while. Maybe I’m being too hard on these guys who are clearly dealing with a lot. It’s possible that it takes a week or two before everyone stabilizes and things start feeling normal-ish again. Maybe. I dunno. Right now, I feel like I’m just floating in space, and it stands to reason that our guys are feeling that way too.
Takeaways:
- On top of everything else, I think we’ve officially entered the “Rookie Wall” portion of the Stephon Castle era—which, to be clear, is not something I’m worried about, just something I’m bummed about. He’s going to be fine, but I, a Spurs fan, won’t get to watch him ball out for a while. It’s cool. Probably for the best that it’s happening now, when the eyes of the world are turning away from the Spurs for a bit, instead of during the harsh glare of a playoff push.
- A thing I really hate: how interesting the NBA feels right now, just as the Spurs are fading into the background. Luka in LA! The Warriors have new life! The Nuggets are reasserting themselves! OKC is coming into their own! And that’s just the West. I’m as locked in with basketball as I’ve been in a long time, and I think these playoffs are actually going to be excellent. I just wish the Spurs were in the mix, is all. Soon. Soon enough.
- Tough hang for De’Aaron Fox in crunch time last night. Honestly, tough hang overall for the newest Spur in this one. You can feel him pressing, trying to make up for Victor’s absence, and that extra self-imposed pressure—combined with the fact that he still doesn’t really know any of these dudes yet—is just not a recipe for success. Everyone needs to calm all the way down. No one is trying to do or accomplish anything crazy during this final stretch of the season. Let’s all just relax. (This advice is mostly directed at me.)
- There’s a nonzero chance I petition to rename this column What We Learned About Bismack Biyombo and just reframe everything about the back half of this season around his aura. It’s the main thing keeping me locked in. He screens his opponents the way a gentleman does. He was crafted in a lab by angels to delicately pluck rebounds from the cosmos. He throws down dignified two-handed dunks—the likes of which I haven’t seen since a stately ‘03 David Robinson graced our presence. Bismack is the truth. I’m only just now ready to hear it.
Flyin’ high
pic.twitter.com/sRaJdLjjo4
— San Antonio Spurs (@ spurs) February 26, 2025
WWL Post Game Press Conference
- You mentioned up there that you would cut your dogs from the basketball team.
- I don’t want to do it, but they just don’t seem to be helping us win right now.
- Have you considered playing them somewhere else besides the post? They are pretty undersized.
- You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d ever seen them trying to bring the ball up. Terrible handles.
- Really? Hate to hear that.
- Yea, it’s a mess.
By Charlie Thaddeus, via Pounding The Rock