By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-03-22 14:11:19
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)#5正在听取代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)的指导。圣安东尼奥马刺队对阵费城76人队的比赛于2025年3月21日星期五在霜冻银行中心举行。
多伦多——在周五以128-120 战胜费城 的比赛还剩一分钟时，马刺队的新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)掌控着球、进攻和比赛。他当时正站在外线。
在镇定地用手指指挥队友跑位后，卡斯尔冲入弧顶，吸引了所有五名防守队员的注意，然后突然停下，将球踢回外线给德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)。瓦塞尔迅速将球转移到右侧底角的空位上的哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)手中，巴恩斯命中三分，在比赛还剩53秒时，马刺队以124-120领先。
“我不想草率出手，尤其是在进攻时间还很充裕的时候，”卡斯尔在谈到自己如何耐心地观察场上局势、研究防守并安排队友站位后才发起进攻时说道。
“只是想帮助我们的球队获得我们想要的投篮机会，”他补充道。
这一回合突显了卡斯尔在比赛结束时的掌控力，他在比赛中打出了作为组织者最佳表现。除了得到17分外，他还送出了赛季最高的14次助攻——比他之前的最高纪录高出6次——同时只有3次失误，此外还有5个篮板、3次抢断和1次盖帽，上场35分钟。
这是本赛季NBA新秀的单场最高助攻数，并追平了克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)在2024-25赛季效力马刺队的单场最高助攻数。这也是自1984年阿尔文·罗伯特森(Alvin Robertson)得到14次助攻以来，马刺队新秀的单场最高助攻数，距离1981年约翰尼·摩尔(Johnny Moore)创下的19次助攻的球队新秀纪录还差5次。
“太棒了，”马刺队后卫布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)在谈到卡斯尔的表现时说道，“他整个赛季都在这样做。看起来一点也不像个新秀。”
马刺队（30胜39负）将在周日对阵猛龙队（24胜46负）的比赛前迎来近六场比赛中的第四场胜利，包括自1月3日击败掘金队、1月31日击败洛杉矶快船队以来首次取得两连胜。
“我们已经很久没有这样做了，”马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)在谈到这波不大但令人满意的连胜时说道。球队在缺少了维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)（赛季报销的血栓）和达隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)（赛季报销的手指手术）两位球星的情况下完成了这一壮举。
但马刺队能够以高昂的士气开启这次包括底特律和克利夫兰在内的三场客场之旅还有另一个原因：卡斯尔几乎锁定了年度最佳新秀的奖项，他本赛季的场均得分和助攻数分别提升到14.0分和3.7次。
“这还有疑问吗？” 杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)说道，他得到了赛季最高的23分，并抢下了9个篮板。
“无论是候选名单上还是与他同级别的球员中，都没有人应该获得这个奖项，”这位前锋补充道。“我肯定这是他的。”
随着赛季接近尾声，卡斯尔正在打出他职业生涯中最好的篮球，在过去的13场比赛中，他场均得到20.5分、4.8次助攻、4.5个篮板和1.2次抢断。他对阵费城76人队的表现突显了他令人印象深刻的技术能力和潜力，随着比赛节奏对他而言越来越慢。
“打球很有趣，感觉很自由，”20岁的卡斯尔说道，“我觉得这来自于整个赛季对队友的真正了解，以及真正将一切融合在一起。”
随着他越来越熟悉球队试图如何防守他，他作为组织者的能力只会变得更好，约翰逊说道。
“他将成为一股不可忽视的动态力量，因为他有传球能力和视野，”约翰逊说道。
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(5)突破上篮得到两分。圣安东尼奥马刺队对阵费城76人队的比赛于2025年3月21日星期五在霜冻银行中心举行。
卡斯尔的队友们也同意教练的看法。
“当他突破时，他所吸引的注意力令人惊讶，” 索汉说道。“他吸引了许多其他球员，所以我们需要出现在正确的位置，让他能够传球并利用这一点。”
卡斯尔在内线创造性地突破上篮的能力现在已经出现在每一份球探报告中，这意味着随着防守向他收缩，他将有很多机会将球踢到外线，就像他助攻巴恩斯命中关键三分球那样。
“从赛季初到现在，我感觉当我持球时，防守的变化幅度更大了，”卡斯尔说道。“我觉得这对我来说是一种优势，能够为我的队友创造投篮机会，或者为我的队友创造机会。在前三节这样做只是为了在比赛后期我们需要得分时打开球场。”
事实上，卡斯尔在第四节表现最好，打满了整个第四节，7投4中得到9分，并送出4次助攻。在76人队（23胜47负）以43-27赢得第三节之后，马刺队在第四节以37-25击败了伤病满营的费城。
“我觉得我早期分配球权在某种程度上打开了比赛后期，”卡斯尔说道。“我们开始在第四节末得到我们想要的东西。”
在卡斯尔的掌控下，在比赛还剩3分31秒时，马刺队在落后8分的情况下打出了一波11-3的攻势。
“他只是用他的节奏控制着比赛，观察场上局势，观察每个人，我们提倡从好到更好（的投篮选择），”瓦塞尔说道。
瓦塞尔在全队最高的37分钟内得到20分，其中三分球8投4中，贡献7次助攻、5个篮板和3次抢断。保罗(Paul)，他命中了7次三分球中的6次，创下赛季新高，凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)各自得到18分。
但卡斯尔组织了这一切，这最为突出。他的14次助攻带来了36分。
总而言之，加上他自己得到的17分，他贡献了球队总得分的41.4%。
“当他打得自由、充满信心、积极主动时，没有人能阻止他，”瓦塞尔说道。“他一直散发着自信，而且他也在场上帮助我们所有人。
“所以，我感到非常兴奋。我很高兴看到我们如何结束今年。我也很高兴看到这支球队能达到什么样的高度。”
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives past Philadelphia 76ers Justin Edwards (19). San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson (0) celebrates with San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio Spurs defeated Philadelphia 76ers 128-120 on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs waits for Philadelphia 76ers Jared Butler (12) to come down before shooting. San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives past Philadelphia 76ers Quentin Grimes (5). San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
点击查看原文：Castle in command as playmaker
Castle in command as playmaker
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs listens to acting head coach Mitch Johnson. San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
TORONTO – With a minute left in Friday’s 128-120 win over Philadelphia, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle had control of the ball, the offense and the game while stationed out on the perimeter.
After calmly directing traffic with a pointed finger, Castle dashed inside the arc to draw the attention of all five defenders before he abruptly stopped and kicked the ball back out to the perimeter to Devin Vassell. Vassell then quickly swung it to an open Harrison Barnes in the right corner for a 3-pointer that gave the Spurs a 124-120 lead with 53 seconds remaining.
“I didn’t want to settle for anything, especially too early in the (shot) clock,” Castle said of how he patiently scanned the floor, studied the defense and positioned his teammates before initiating the action.
“Just trying to help our team get the shot we wanted,” he added.
The play underscored how in command Castle was by the end of a game in which he enjoyed his best performance as a playmaker. In addition to scoring 17 points, he finished with a season-best 14 assists – six better than his previous high – against just three turnovers to go along with five rebounds, three steals and one block in 35 minutes.
It was the most assists by an NBA rookie this season and tied Chris Paul for the most by a Spur in 2024-25. It was also the most by a Spurs rookie since Alvin Robertson had 14 in 1984 and was five shy of matching the franchise rookie record of 19 set by Johnny Moore in 1981.
“It was amazing,” Spurs guard Blake Wesley said of Castle’s performance. “He’s been doing this all year. Doesn’t seem like he’s a rookie.”
The Spurs (30-39) enter Sunday’s game against the Raptors (24-46) having won four of their last six games, including two in a row for the first time since beating Denver on Jan. 3 after downing the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 31.
“We haven’t done that in a long time,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the modest but satisfying winning streak, which has been accomplished without stars Victor Wembanyama (season-ending blood clot) and De’Aaron Fox (season-ending finger surgery).
But there’s another reason why the Spurs will begin this three-game trip that includes stops in Detroit and Cleveland on a high: Castle has all but won the race for Rookie of the Year after hiking his season averages to 14.0 points and 3.7 assists.
“Has it been a question?” said Jeremy Sochan, who scored a season-high 23 points and collected nine rebounds.
“There’s no one out there on the ladder or even in his class that should get it," the forward added. "I think it’s his, for sure.”
As the season winds down, Castle is playing the best basketball of his life, averaging 20.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the last 13 games. What he did against Philadelphia highlighted his impressive skill set and potential as the game continues to slow down for him.
“It was just fun to play, just playing free,” Castle, 20, said. “I feel like that just came from really learning my teammates all season, just really putting it all together.”
And he’s only going to get better as a playmaker as he becomes more familiar with how teams are trying to defend him, Johnson said.
“He’ll be a dynamic force to be reckoned with because he has the passing ability and the vision,” Johnson said.
Stephon Castle(5) drives for two. San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
Castle’s teammates agreed with the coach.
“It’s amazing how much attention he brings when he’s driving,” Sochan said. “He’s collecting so many other players with him, so it’s for us to be in the right places for him to make the pass and capitalize on that.”
Castle’s ability to creatively dash through the paint for inside buckets is on every scouting report now, which means as defenses collapse on him, he will have plenty of opportunities to kick the ball out for open shots like he did on the sequence that led to Barnes’ crucial 3.
“From the beginning of the season to now, I feel like the shifts I’ve seen when I’m on the ball are a lot heavier,” Castle said. “I feel like that’s a luxury for me to be able to get my teammate a shot, or to create for my teammate. Doing that in the first three quarters just opens up the court late in the game when we need a bucket.”
Indeed, Castle was at his best in the fourth quarter, playing every minute of the frame to finish with nine points on 4 for 7 and four assists. The Spurs outscored injury-depleted Philadelphia 37-25 after the Sixers (23-47) won the third, 43-27.
“I felt like just me distributing the ball early kind of opened the court late game,” Castle said. “We started to get what we want late in the fourth.”
With Castle in charge, the Spurs finished with an 11-3 run in the final 3:31 after trailing by eight midway through the period.
“He was just controlling the game with his pace, seeing the floor, seeing everybody and we preached good-to-great (shooting),” Vassell said.
In a team-high 37 minutes, Vassell finished with 20 points powered by 4-of-8 accuracy from 3-point range, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Paul, who hit a season 6 shots on 7 attempts from deep, and Keldon Johnson each finished with 18 points.
But Castle orchestrating all of it stood out the most. His 14 assists led to 36 points.
All told, with his 17 points scored, he accounted for 41.4% of the team’s scoring.
“When he plays free and plays confident, aggressive, there’s nobody that’s going to stop him,” Vassell said. "He just keeps oozing with confidence and he’s helping all of us out on the floor too.
“So, I’m just excited. I’m excited to see how we finish off this year. And I’m excited to see where this group can go.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News