By MateoMayorga | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-03-04 05:00:00
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。
既然2024-25赛季已经基本结束，现在是时候展望马刺队在休赛期如何提升实力了。
尽管通过交易引进了达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)，球队的第二位球星，但2024-25赛季的马刺队经历了一场过山车，不幸的是，这还没有结束。格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在经历中风后不得不离开，而维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的血栓也让这个赛季大打折扣。请放心，美好的时光即将到来。
本赛季末的目标是培养年轻人，找到富有成效的组合和战术，以便延续到下个赛季。而休赛期的目标是取得显著的进步，他们可以在这方面取得重大进展。
让我们回顾一下球队的需求，以便迈出下一步。
获得一位合格的替补内线
杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)可以打替补内线，但这并不能让他充分发挥自己的能力，尤其是当他对位那些更高大的、技术更全面的球员时。索汉最好专注于防守外线，并作为后防线的次要协助者。
球队需要一位能胜任的替补内线，这样在没有文班亚马的出场时间里，球队才不会受到影响。请考虑以下情况：根据Cleaning the Glass的数据，马刺队只有七套阵容的出场次数至少达到100个回合。文班亚马在其中六套阵容中，唯一一套没有他的阵容包括克里斯·保罗、福克斯、德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)、哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)和俾斯麦·比永博(Bismack Biyombo)。这是一个糟糕的轮换阵容，每100回合得到102.4分，排在联盟的第9个百分位。
比永博是一名身材矮小的球员，没有可靠的进攻手段。查尔斯·巴锡(Charles Bassey)只能通过补篮或者罕见的挡拆得分，而且他在这方面也不擅长。文班亚马的替补必须具备足够的技能，这样对手才不会停止对他进行防守。理想情况下，这名球员还应该具备额外的多功能性，能够与文班亚马进行高低位配合，并且不是挡拆防守中的薄弱环节。
索汉、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)和瓦塞尔在训练中取得重大进步
球队需要索汉不断提高他的进攻技巧，因为他有潜力成为NBA中最有影响力的攻防兼备的角色球员之一。在2024-25赛季，索汉的三分球出手次数创下职业生涯新低，命中率为32.8%。当他最近的防守者距离他6英尺或更远时，他的命中率会上升到37.5%，但他每晚只出手1.3次，这还不够。
但远距离跳投并不是他所需要的一切。他投篮比例第二高的区域是禁区非限制区，但他只有29.4%的命中率。抛投和勾手非常适合这个中间区域。如果能把其中一种作为他的常用手段，很可能会让他的上场时间至少达到每晚30分钟。
至于卡斯尔，成为一个稳定的篮下终结者和一个危险的外线选择将使他成为一名精英球员。然而，他已经展现了做到这两点的潜力。他的问题在于手感，因为他有加速和力量到达他想去的地方。
他的接球投篮命中率为29.2%，三分球命中率为26.7%。如果他能将前者的命中率提高到接近40%，后者的命中率提高到40%以上，那么就无法将他作为一名替补球员使用。
而瓦塞尔至少需要恢复到他以前的进攻威胁。从伤病中恢复是一个因素，但他的场均得分和命中率每年都在上升，直到今年。他的得分产量下降了4.1分，他的真实命中率下降了4.5分。
想办法提高球队的三分球命中率
文班亚马、保罗、朱利安·尚帕涅(Julian Champagnie)和巴恩斯是仅有的几位三分球命中率达到或高于联盟平均水平的轮换球员。即使文班亚马缺席了过去六场比赛，他的队友们在本赛季的三分球命中数也没有超过他。此外，这四人中最好的射手是巴恩斯，他在圣安东尼奥打出了职业生涯最高的效率，真实命中率达到了58.9%。但是这个炮兵部队并没有给对手带来太大的恐惧。
出于需要，保罗需要以老将底薪的合同回归，担任替补角色。最重要的是，马刺队需要通过交易或签下拥有中产阶级条款的人来寻求帮助。
充分利用今年的选秀权
马刺队在2025年选秀中有两个首轮选秀权——他们自己的和亚特兰大不受保护的——以及他们的二轮选秀权。根据Tanktathon网站，该网站为NBA、WNBA、NFL、MLB和NHL提供实时更新的乐透模拟器，该队将在前10名中获得两个FRP。老鹰队有可能通过附加赛进入季后赛，这将使选秀权落在彩票之外，但这是一个小问题。
根据需求进行选秀是一个错误，所以他们需要选择最好的球员，即使他们已经在那个位置上有人了，比如控球后卫或中锋。例如，克利夫兰骑士队在2012年没有选择达米安·利拉德(Damian Lillard)，因为他们有凯里·欧文(Kyrie Irving)，而是愚蠢地选择了迪昂·韦特斯(Dion Waiters)，因为他打的是另一个后卫位置。此后，骑士队的表现一直不错，但他们本可以拥有自克莱德·弗雷泽(Clyde Frazier)和厄尔·门罗(Earl the Pearl)以来最棒的后场组合之一，所以他们可能希望能够挽回这个选择。
据报道，这是一个有深度的选秀班子，所以一个中等水平的首轮选秀权就可以了。但请记住，完成这些选秀有额外的压力，因为引进福克斯的交易加快了球队的获胜时间表。不能再小打小闹了。
点击查看原文：How the Spurs can improve this offseason
How the Spurs can improve this offseason
With the 2024-25 season a wash at this point, it’s time to look at how the Spurs can improve this offseason.
Despite the trade that brought in De’Aaron Fox, the team’s second star, the 2024-25 Spurs have gone through a rollercoaster and, unfortunately, it’s not over yet. Gregg Popovich had to step away after his stroke, and the season was undercut because of Victor Wembanyama‘s blood clot. Rest assured, better times are on the horizon.
The end of this campaign is about developing the youngsters, finding fruitful combinations and schemes that can carry over into next year. And the offseason is about making significant improvements, which they can make serious strides in.
Let’s review the team’s needs to take the next step.
Get a competent backup big man
Jeremy Sochan can play the backup big role, but it doesn’t put him in the best position to showcase his abilities, especially if he’s matched up on the taller players with moves. Sochan is best focusing on guarding the perimeter and being a secondary helper for the back line.
The team needs a serviceable reserve big so that they are not compromised in the non-Victor Wembanyama minutes. Consider this: The Spurs only had seven lineups that played at least 100 possessions. Wembanyama was in six of those, per Cleaning the Glass. The only one without him consists of Chris Paul, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes and Bismack Biyombo. It’s an atrocious rotation, scoring 102.4 points per 100 possessions, putting them in the 9th percentile.
Biyombo is an undersized player without reliable moves. Charles Bassey can only score on tip-ins or the rare screen roll, and he’s not good at it. Wemby’s sub must have enough skills so the opponent doesn’t stop guarding them. Ideally, this player would have the extra versatility to run high-low action with Wembanyama and is not a weak link in screen roll defense.
Jeremy Sochan, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell make a big jump in the lab
The team needs Sochan to keep improving his offensive skills because he has the potential to be one of the most impactful two-way role players in the NBA. In 2024-25, Sochan is attempting a career low in 3-point shots, making 32.8 percent. When his closest defender is 6 feet away or farther, his accuracy rises to 37.5 percent, but he only takes 1.3 of these per night, which is not enough.
But a long-range jumper isn’t all he needs. The second-highest percentage of his shot diet was in the paint nonrestricted area, and he only made 29.4 percent of those attempts. A floater and hook are perfect for this in-between area. Having one of those as a go-to will likely catapult his minutes to at least 30 a night.
As for Castle, becoming a constant finisher at the rim and a dangerous outside option will make him an elite player. Yet, he’s shown flashes of doing both. His issue is about touch because he has the acceleration and strength to get where he wants.
His catch-and-shoot splits are at 29.2 percent from 3-point range and he is making 26.7 percent of pull-up shots. If he gets the former near 40 percent and the latter in the mid-40s and above, it will be impossible to use him as a bench player.
And Vassell needs to at least get back to being the offensive threat he used to be. Recovering from injuries has been a factor, but his points per game and accuracy rose every year until this one. His scoring production decreased by 4.1 points and his EFG percentage dropped by 4.5 points.
Find a way to upgrade the team’s 3-point shooting
Wembanyama, Paul, Julian Champagnie and Barnes were the only rotation players who recorded at least league average in 3-point shooting or better. Even with Wembanyama missing the last six games, none of his teammates have passed him in made triples this season. Furthermore, the best marksman of the four was Barnes, who is putting up a career-high in efficiency in San Antonio with a 58.9 effective field goal percentage. But this artillery unit does not raise much fear in the opponent.
Out of necessity, Paul needs to come back on another veteran minimum deal for a reserve role. On top of that, the Spurs will need to bring in help through trades or signing someone with the mid-level exception.
Put this year’s draft picks to good use
The Spurs have two first-round picks in the 2025 draft- their own and Atlanta’s unprotected- and their second-round pick. According to Tanktathon, a website that provides live updating for the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB and NHL with lottery simulators, has the team snagging two FRPs in the top 10. There’s a possibility that the Hawks could make the playoffs via the Play-In tournament, which would make the pick fall outside the lottery, but this is a minor concern.
Drafting for a need is a mistake, so they’ll need to take the best players available, even if they already have someone at that spot, like at point guard or center. For example, the Cavaliers didn’t pick Damian Lillard in 2012 because they had Kyrie Irving and instead foolishly chose Dion Waiters because he played the other guard position. Things have gone pretty well for the Cavaliers since, but they could’ve had one of the sauciest backcourts since Clyde Frazier and Earl the Pearl, so that’s probably one they’d like to have back.
This is reportedly a deep class of prospects, so a mid-first-round pick is fine. But keep in mind, there’s extra pressure to nail these picks because the trade to bring in Fox accelerated the timeline for winning. No more baby steps.
By MateoMayorga, via Pounding The Rock