By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-27 13:52:56
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）在德克萨斯州奥斯汀穆迪中心2025年2月20日星期四的第一节比赛中，完成对菲尼克斯太阳队中锋波尔·波尔(Bol Bol)（11号）的扣篮后，球迷们欢呼雀跃。
当马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在全明星周末归来后的第一周表现挣扎时，他的教练们与他讨论了放慢决策速度的问题。 他的队友们则鼓励他保持自信，相信自己的技术能力。
克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)甚至和他聊了所有的事情。
在各种讨论声中，马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)决定采取一种不同的方式，帮助这位20岁的后卫重回正轨：保持沉默。
“我们可能对斯蒂芬说得太多了，”米奇·约翰逊说。“有时候，对于年轻球员，他们需要指导，需要教育，需要承担责任。”
“但有时候，你也只需要让他们自己去打球。”
对于马刺队来说，卡斯尔打出自己的风格，或许是在周三又一次令人沮丧的“牛仔客场之旅”中唯一的亮点，他们在休斯顿以118-106失利，球队战绩降至24胜33负。
马刺队在牛仔客场之旅中取得了3胜8负的战绩——包括在奥斯汀的两场“主场”比赛中取得的1胜1负。 在周四回到圣安东尼奥的家中短暂休息一晚后，他们将于周五再次踏上客场之旅，并在周六在孟菲斯进行本次客场之旅的最后一场比赛。
在经历了一场被按在板凳席上的失利后，卡斯尔触底反弹，打出了全明星赛后最佳表现：22分、7个篮板、5次助攻、3次抢断，并且没有失误。
“我不会说这是一场反弹之战，”卡斯尔说。“我不认为我脱离了节奏。过去几场比赛我没有发挥出自己的水平。我只是想建立信心，回到全明星赛前的状态。”
两周前，卡斯尔带着良好的状态进入了全明星假期。
在马刺队牛仔客场之旅的前六场比赛中，他场均得到19.3分，重新确立了自己作为年度最佳新秀热门人选的地位。
与大多数队友在假期里得到的休息和放松不同，卡斯尔在旧金山度过了全明星周末，在那里他获得了扣篮大赛的第二名，并带领他的球队赢得了新秀挑战赛的胜利，这反过来又让他的球队在周日的表演赛中面对NBA全明星队。
考虑到卡斯尔的紧凑赛程，他从假期归来后状态不佳，没有发挥出最佳水平也就不足为奇了。
在周三的比赛之前，卡斯尔在全明星赛后前四场比赛中场均得到7分。 在新奥尔良的两场比赛中，他总共只得到6分，14投2中，并出现5次失误。
一直以来，卡斯尔的队友们都对这位新秀的一些“新秀时刻”表现得毫不动摇。
“这是一个漫长的赛季，”后卫凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)说。“我们只是坚定地站在他身边，不断鼓励他。我们知道他会没事的。”
与此同时，米奇·约翰逊和马刺队的教练组也在努力寻找最好的方法，帮助卡斯尔摆脱全明星赛后的低迷状态。
“他是一个年轻球员，正试图摆脱自己脑海中的困境，”米奇·约翰逊说。“当你总是试图做出正确的选择时，有时会扼杀你的本能。而当他凭借本能打球时，就是他以及大多数球员发挥最佳水平的时候。”
问题的核心在于，多少指导才是过度指导？
通过给卡斯尔灌输过多的信息、录像课程和需要改正的地方，马刺队的工作人员是否冒着扼杀这位新秀的篮球直觉的风险，而正是这种直觉让卡斯尔与众不同？
“这有点像父母教育孩子，”米奇·约翰逊说。“你总是想要更多你没有做的事情。”
卡斯尔毫不怀疑他希望教练们在哪个方向上犯错。
“我只想打球，”卡斯尔说。“获得上场机会是最重要的，努力在失误中成长，不要想太多。归根结底，不要因为进球或不进球而得意忘形，更不要让它导致失误和防守端的错误。”
卡斯尔在休斯顿的反弹之战开始于他在进入比赛后不久，错失了一次来自弧顶的空位三分球。 在随后的两个回合中，他冲入人堆，结果被火箭队的两名防守队员包围。
但他很快找到了状态，将球传给杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)得分，并找到空切的凯尔登·约翰逊上篮。
卡斯尔的得分是牛仔客场之旅中的第二高，仅次于2月7日在夏洛特创下的赛季最高的33分。
他还带领全队抢下最多篮板。
“我认为他进入了一种节奏，开始专注于比赛，”米奇·约翰逊说。“我认为我们看到了我们所熟知的斯蒂芬，这很高兴。”
对卡斯尔来说，回到舒适的家是件好事。
在周三的比赛结束后，当被问及他打算如何在二月份在圣安东尼奥休息一天时，卡斯尔的回答意味深长。
“休息，”他说。“仅此而已。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) disagrees with a referee call during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Moody Center on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Austin, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Pistons 125-110.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) shoots a 3-pointer past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) steals the ball from Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) gets past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Bismack Biyombo (18) and guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) and guard Stephon Castle (5) watch the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Moody Center on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Austin, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Pistons 125-110.
点击查看原文：Spurs' Stephon Castle steels for final rookie-season push
Spurs’ Stephon Castle steels for final rookie-season push
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) reacts as fans cheer following his dunk over Phoenix Suns center Bol Bol (11) during the first quarter at Moody Center on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
As Spurs rookie Stephon Castle struggled through much of his first week back from the All-Star break, his coaches talked to him about slowing down his decision-making. His teammates talked to him about keeping his head up and having faith in his skill set.
Chris Paul talked to him about, well, everything.
At some point amid the chatter, Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson decided on a different approach to help get the 20-year-old guard back on track: silence.
“We’ve been talking to Steph maybe too much,” Johnson said. “Sometimes with young guys, they need to be coached and they need to be educated and they need to be held accountable.
“And sometimes you also just need to let ‘em play.”
For the Spurs, Castle playing like Castle was perhaps the lone bright spot in another rodeo road trip nightmare Wednesday, a 118-106 loss at Houston that sent the club’s record to 24-33.
The Spurs are 3-8 on their rodeo trek – including a 1-1 split of a pair of “home” games in Austin. They returned to San Antonio for a quick night in their own beds Thursday before heading back out on the road Friday for the final game of the trip Saturday in Memphis.
A night after being benched in a loss at New Orleans, Castle rebounded with his best performance since the break: 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and zero turnovers.
“I wouldn’t say it was a bounce-back game,” Castle said. “I don’t think I fell too far out of rhythm. The last couple (games) I didn’t play like myself. Just trying to build confidence and get back to the way we were playing before the break.”
Two weeks ago, Castle headed into the All-Star hiatus on a high.
He averaged 19.3 points during the Spurs’ first six games of the road trip, reasserting himself as a possible frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors.
In lieu of the rest and relaxation most of his teammates received during the break, Castle spent All-Star weekend in San Francisco, where he finished second in the slam-dunk contest and led his team to a Rising Stars victory, which in turn put his squad on the floor to face the NBA All-Stars in Sunday’s showcase tournament.
Given Castle’s packed schedule, it was not a surprise he returned from the break not exactly refreshed and playing his best basketball.
Heading into Wednesday, Castle had averaged seven points in his first four games back from the hiatus. He was coming off consecutive games in New Orleans in which he totaled six points on 2 of 14 shooting with five turnovers.
All along, Castle’s teammates remained unfazed by their rookie’s rookie moments.
“It’s a long season,” guard Keldon Johnson said. “We just stay right by his side and keep encouraging him. We know he’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Mitch Johnson and the Spurs coaching staff wrestled with how to best coax Castle out of his post-break doldrums.
“He’s a young player who is trying to get out of a rough patch, so to speak, in his own head,” Mitch Johnson said. “When you’re trying to make the right play all the time, sometimes it takes away your instincts. That’s when he and most players are playing at their best.”
At the heart of the matter was the question of how much coaching is too much coaching.
By overloading Castle with information and film sessions and corrections to make, did the Spurs’ staff risk taking away the basketball intuition that made the rookie special?
“It’s kind of like parenting,” Mitch Johnson said. “You always want a little bit more whatever you’re not doing at the time.”
Castle has no doubt on which side of that line he would prefer coaches to err.
“I just want to play,” Castle said. “Just getting the reps is the most important thing, trying to work through mistakes, not trying to overthink too much. At the end of the day, not getting too big headed on makes and misses and letting that lead to turnovers and mistakes on the defensive end.”
Castle began his bounce-back game in Houston by missing an open 3-pointer from the top of the key a few moments after checking in. Two possessions later, he drove into traffic only to be swallowed up by a pair of Rockets defenders.
He found his footing soon thereafter, hitting Jeremy Sochan for a basket and finding a cutting Keldon Johnson for a layup.
Castle finished with his second-highest scoring game of the rodeo trip, trailing only the season-best 33 points he put up in Charlotte on Feb. 7.
He also led the team in rebounding.
“I think he got into a rhythm where he just played,” Mitch Johnson said. “I thought we saw some of the Steph that we all know, which is good to see.”
For Castle, it will be good to see the comforts of home.
Asked after Wednesday’s game what he planned to do with his one day off in San Antonio in the month of February, Castle’s answer was telling.
“Rest,” he said. “That’s about it.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News