By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-03-11 16:41:48
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。
在霜冻银行中心（Frost Bank Center）举行的“自制汉堡”比赛，你首先需要了解的是，它进行得非常快。
两个穿着超大汉堡面包服装的成年人，一动不动地躺在地板的一端。他们的搭档则在球场上来回奔跑，搬运并堆叠超大的牛肉饼、超大的奶酪、超大的生菜和超大的番茄，然后把自己也塞进超大的面包服装里，跳到伙伴身上，通常会产生非常滑稽的效果。
如果你是一位身穿球衣、正在比赛的现役NBA球员，专注于利用暂停时间与队友和教练讨论战术调整，“自制汉堡”比赛可能根本不会引起你的注意。
但周一晚上，一位身材高大，身穿非常宽大且可能非常昂贵的栗色运动服的球员，却一直忍不住观看。他试图专注于眼前的球员围在一起的讨论。但他不停地回头，目不转睛。
也许他被人类汉堡面包的竞争精神所感染。
也许他饿了。
或者，也许维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)只是希望一切都能建造得如此迅速。
如果打造一支有竞争力的球队，也能像堆叠一些东西，然后猛扑到朋友身上，接受掌声那样简单就好了。如果它也能如此有趣就好了。
然而，正如马刺队一次又一次被提醒的那样，他们的组建过程需要更多的时间，而且往往不像“自制汉堡”比赛那样受观众欢迎。
周一他们输给阵容不整、正在泥潭中挣扎的小牛队？那场比赛实在令人难以忍受。
本赛季的最后一个月，文班亚马已经缺席，杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)也受伤病困扰，而达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)可能即将接受手指手术？那段时间可能也不会好过。
考虑到今年选秀大会的实力，这并不是世界上最糟糕的结果，但这也不是马刺队希望的春天。在召回年度最佳新秀，再加上可能会赢得今年该奖项的那个孩子，并加入一些有能力的经验丰富的球员后，目标是在赛季末打很多有意义的篮球比赛。
现在看来，这种情况不太可能发生。而且为了承认一个基本事实：是的，这令人失望。当一场NBA比赛中最令人难忘的时刻，是观看联盟里最好的球员看着球迷们装扮成Whataburgers汉堡，然后主队被一个拿着双向合同的球员打爆时，这绝对不是一个好兆头。
但从这个角度来看，情况可能会更糟。马刺队只需要看看周一击败他们的球队，他们将在周三重返霜冻银行中心，进行另一场沉闷的比赛。
在进入NBA总决赛不到一年后，小牛队以极低的代价交易了联盟前五的球员之一，当时他才25岁。当他们的球迷可以理解地反抗时，他们的管理层告知他们，目标是现在就赢球，但他们为了实现这一目标而引进的、臭名昭著的容易受伤的老球员现在，嗯，受伤了。
小牛队今年不会争夺总冠军。他们在不久的将来也不会争夺任何总冠军。他们的球迷刚刚得知票价正在上涨。而且他们现在必须看着他们梦寐以求永远属于自己的球队偶像，给一个他们憎恨的西部赛区对手注入新的活力。
亲爱的读者们，这才是令人沮丧。
马刺队在过去的几个月里遭遇了一些糟糕的运气。但他们仍然有一个长期的计划，而且他们仍然拥有大量的未来价值。达拉斯，NBA中的特斯拉股票，会毫不犹豫地与他们交换位置。
只是把一切整合在一起可能需要一段时间。在六月份，马刺队应该会增加一两个有价值的球员。如果他们在选秀抽签中运气好，无论是在他们自己的选秀权上，还是在他们应该从亚特兰大获得的选秀权上，他们都有可能连续第三年获得年度最佳新秀。
不过，他们正在构建的远不止一个汉堡。如果他们本赛季以32或33场胜利结束，那么在2026年达到胜率50%可能是一个合理的目标。到2027年进入季后赛第二轮，然后总冠军的争夺可能很快就会到来，这听起来像是很久以后的事情，但考虑到这会让他们按计划进行，一切都说得通了。
现在已经没有球星能在他的第七个赛季之前带领球队赢得NBA总冠军了。杰森·塔图姆(Jayson Tatum)没有做到，尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokic)没有做到，扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)也没有做到。自从十年前斯蒂芬·库里(Steph Curry)在他的第六个赛季赢得总冠军以来，这种情况就没有发生过，而文班亚马要赶上这一点，他可以等到2029年。
他想更快地做到吗？当然。马刺队在他回归后迈出下一步重要吗？当然重要。
但如果你有兴趣在接下来的一个月左右看到快速进展的切实迹象？
最好的办法可能是效仿文班亚马的做法。
然后观看“自制汉堡”比赛。
Dallas Mavericks forward Kessler Edwards (20) and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) fight for the rebound during an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, March 10, 2025. The Spurs fell to the Mavericks, 133-129.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) reacts after rebounding and making a shot over the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, March 10, 2025. The Spurs fell to the Mavericks, 133-129.
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson talks to San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, March 10, 2025. The Spurs fell to the Mavericks, 133-129.
点击查看原文：Building more than a burger, Spurs' progress hits a rough patch
Building more than a burger, Spurs’ progress hits a rough patch
The first thing you need to know about the build-a-burger race at Frost Bank Center is that it happens fast.
Two adults zippered into oversized bun costumes lie down at one end of the floor. Their partners run back and forth across the court to retrieve and stack oversized beef patties, oversized cheese, oversized lettuce and oversized tomatoes, before zipping themselves into their own oversized bun costume and jumping on top, usually to great comedic effect.
If you are an active NBA player in uniform, intent on using timeouts to discuss adjustments with teammates and coaches, the build-a-burger race probably is something you’d never notice.
But Monday night, one tall player in a very large and presumably very expensive maroon sweatsuit could not stop watching. He tried to focus on the huddle in front of him. But he kept looking back, riveted.
Maybe he was inspired by the human buns’ competitive spirit.
Maybe he was hungry.
Or maybe Victor Wembanyama just wished everything could be built so quickly.
If only building a contender were as simple as stacking some stuff together, bellyflopping on top of a friend, and soaking up the applause. If only it were that entertaining.
As the Spurs are being reminded of all over again, though, their assembly process requires a lot more time, and tends not to be as crowd-pleasing.
Their loss to the shorthanded, drain-circling Mavericks on Monday? That was tough to watch.
The last month of this season, with Wembanyama already out, Jeremy Sochan and Stephon Castle banged up, and De’Aaron Fox possibly closing in on finger surgery? That might not be much more fun.
Considering the strength of this year’s draft class, this isn’t the worst outcome in the world, but it’s also not how the Spurs hoped this spring would go. After bringing back the rookie of the year, adding the kid who might win that award this year, and mixing in some competent veterans, the goal was to play lots of meaningful basketball down the stretch.
It doesn’t look like that will be happening. And just to acknowledge a basic truth here: yes, that’s a disappointment. It’s never a great sign when the most memorable moment of an NBA game involves watching the best player in the building watch fans dress up as Whataburgers before the home team gets torched by a guy on a two-way contract.
But here’s where some perspective helps. Things could be much, much worse, and for evidence of that, all the Spurs have to do is look over at the team that beat them Monday and returns to the Frost Bank Center for what figures to be another barn-borer on Wednesday.
Less than a year after making the NBA Finals, the Mavericks traded one of the five best players in the league at the age of 25 for pennies on the dollar. When their fans revolted, understandably, they were informed by their front office that the goal was to win now, but the notoriously injury-prone old players they acquired to achieve that goal are now, well, injured.
The Mavs aren’t going to compete for a championship this year. They’re not going to compete for any championships in the near future. Their fans just learned ticket prices are being raised. And they now have to watch the franchise idol they dreamed would be theirs forever breathe new life into a loathed Western Conference adversary.
That, dear readers, is bleak.
The Spurs have had a rough few months of rotten luck. But they still have a long-term plan, and they’re still overflowing in future value. Dallas, the Tesla stock of the NBA, would switch places with them in a heartbeat.
It just might take a while to put everything together. In June, the Spurs should add another worthwhile piece or two. And if they get lucky in the lottery with either their pick or the one they’re due to receive from Atlanta, it’s not inconceivable that they’ll wind up with a third consecutive rookie of the year.
They’re building more than a burger, though. If they finish this season with 32 or 33 victories, then getting to .500 might be a reasonable goal in 2026. Get to the second round of the playoffs by 2027, and then title contention could come soon thereafter, which sounds like a long way off until you consider it would put them right on schedule.
No star leads a team to an NBA championship before his seventh season anymore. Jayson Tatum didn’t do it, Nikola Jokic didn’t do it, and Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t do it. It hasn’t happened since a decade ago, when Steph Curry won a title in his sixth, and for Wembanyama to match that he can wait until 2029.
Would he like to do it sooner? Of course. Is it important for the Spurs to take another step when he returns? Definitely.
But if you’re interested in seeing tangible signs of quick progress in the next month or so?
The best move might be to follow Wembanyama’s lead.
And watch the burger race.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News