Spurs Insider Podcast, 2025-04-02 08:24:00
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。
专栏作家迈克·芬格(Mike Finger)和马刺队记者杰夫·麦克唐纳(Jeff McDonald)和汤姆·奥斯本(Tom Orsborn)讨论了马刺队对阵勇士队的比赛中缺乏努力，维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)接受手术，以及灰熊队解雇前奥斯汀公牛队教练泰勒·詹金斯(Taylor Jenkins)一事。
建议阅读：
前马刺球员科里·约瑟夫(Cory Joseph)如何打造蓝领NBA职业生涯
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)第二次荣获西部月度最佳新秀
泰勒·詹金斯(Taylor Jenkins)被解雇在圣安东尼奥引起轩然大波
以下是播客的文字稿：
从南德克萨斯州最高机密地点的安全网络中，这里是马刺内幕。我是来自《圣安东尼奥快报》的迈克·芬格，一如既往地与马刺队记者杰夫·麦克唐纳和汤姆·奥斯本，以及体育编辑尼克·塔尔博特(Nick Talbot)一起。上周，在一个非常特别的马刺内幕节目中，它比节目的听众习惯的更加乐观、更加真诚、更加积极向上。
杰夫·麦克唐纳在最后给我们提出了警告，说我们可能在相当长的一段时间内不会再谈论马刺队的胜利了，杰夫，我知道你几乎不希望自己是对的，但你确实是对的。
我只是想说，这就是为什么对任何事情都不值得乐观的原因。因为，你知道，生活总是会逆转过来，然后狠狠地踢你一脚。现在我们又回到了马刺内幕的品牌形象。
这只是时间安排的问题。我们上周谈到，马刺队实际上没有什么可争取的，完全退出了季后赛，或者说大部分情况下退出了附加赛的争夺，有输球的动力，因为这在NBA选秀抽签中略有帮助。他们无论如何都在赢球，他们打得很努力，他们给我们带来了难忘的时刻，桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)，凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)表现出色，德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)状态上升，你可以看到这一切即将到来。
他们面对的都是不太出色的球队，而现在他们面对的都是正在争夺季后赛席位的球队，汤姆，可预测的事情发生了。
是的，看不到任何缓解的迹象。也许他们会在波特兰获胜。也许他们会在菲尼克斯获胜，他们克制太阳队。所以也许，也许那里会有一些胜利，但是，是的，这是一条艰难的道路。对于我们当地的篮球运动员来说，这是一条艰难的收官之路。
在那些令人信服的比赛之后，在三连胜的每一场比赛结束时。过去一周的这些比赛，当美国大部分地区都在观看NCAA锦标赛和棒球开幕周时，也许，也许这很好，因为即使在这些失利中也没有戏剧性。他们前几天输了多少分？40分？
42分。我高估他们了。
汤姆，你有什么看法？我知道你有时会试图找到光明的一面，但这确实很难看。看着一支球队输42分。不，确实难看。杰夫和我当时就在那里，忍受着这一切。
是啊，你知道，有趣的是，他们前一天晚上和凯尔特人打得还不错。然后，天哪，你知道，勇士队也得到了充分的休息，在那场比赛前休息了两天，他们只是狠狠地打击了他们。
而且从一开始就很糟糕，对吧，杰夫？是的，从一开始。我的意思是，他们连续和克利夫兰和波士顿打得相当不错，我不想，但是就像输掉42分，即使在本赛季的这个阶段，即使这样也是有点不可原谅的。
就像42是一个很大的数字。你不应该发布这样的信息，就像，这好像是球队历史上第六糟糕的失利之类的。就像，你只是，你必须要表现得更好。这不像勇士队会赢得总冠军。
就像他们不是最好的球队，就像凯尔特人可能会，你和他们打得很好。骑士队可能会，你和他们打得很好。勇士队是一支季后赛球队，但他们不会赢得总冠军。
他们不应该出来就那样狠狠地打击你。而且就像是上篮练习。就像他们完全不知道如何防守。我只是，我不知道。这支马刺队并不经常放弃。
这是你总是可以对他们说的一件事，即使在他们一年只赢20场比赛的时代。他们不会轻易放弃，他们总是很有竞争力，而那场比赛完全没有竞争力。是的，前面提到的凯尔登·约翰逊，我们再次向他致敬。
他准备好了。他打得很好。像往常一样充满活力，但其他所有人都陷入了泥潭。是的，上篮练习正是最好的描述方式。
比赛的第一个回合是，你知道，吉米·巴特勒(Jimmy Butler)从后门溜走，斯蒂芬·库里(Steph Curry)给他传了一个你见过的最空的上篮，而德文·瓦塞尔和杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)在那里，就像只是在争论，就像谁搞砸了？
他们只是那样。他们很困惑。我又这样做了吗？对不起。
对不起我们的听众。杰夫会努力。有时他只是不在状态。你知道，这是基础设施的一部分。
这是，我认为他需要为了更好的无线网络而摆烂。是的，很抱歉打断你。你刚才说他们放弃了。
是的，这就是我说的。关于过去一周的马刺队篮球，还有什么比这更多的吗？它始于底特律，汤姆，你在那里为我们上次乐观的播客签到。就像杰夫上周说的那样，我们知道赛程即将变得艰难。
失利即将开始堆积。但除了连续失利之外，还有什么更多的吗？是否存在任何总体主题，任何被低估的发展，是听众可能感兴趣的？最大的发展是在法国，我想或者不在法国，但与我们的法国人有关。
是的，在法国有一个发展，某个国家队的主教练，也许泄露是不准确的，他只是直截了当地说，你知道，文班亚马接受了手术。所以我认为这是一个相当大的发展。马刺队没有承认。他们坚持他们的公司路线，由于他右肩的血栓，不详细谈论文班亚马的健康状况。
但是，是的。更重要的是，他们没有否认。他们没有否认。
没错，是的。根据我收集到的所有报道，这件事确实发生了。所以，是的，最大的发展来自海外。
在马刺队开始客场之旅之前的最后几场比赛中，汤姆，你在东海岸之旅或东部时区之旅中。在参加了很多比赛之后，文班亚马没有参加几场主场比赛，我们中的一些人注意到了他不在场。所以所有这些在时间线上都是有道理的。如果你现在看我们没有看过的比赛。
密尔沃基发生了一件事，达米安·利拉德(Damian Lillard)也因为血栓而缺席。近年来联盟中也出现了一些其他血栓问题，所有这些都符合我们被告知要预期的事情，例如可能的手术。会有一些时候球员会离开球队，所有这些等等，马刺队仍然什么也没说，没有给出任何迹象表明他们不期望维克托·文班亚马在下赛季初就可以上场。
但法国人希望他能在八月前准备好。我不认为有任何可能。我认为法国人在这方面是在自欺欺人。
我喜欢世界历史上发生了一些美国人告诉法国人他们犯错的非常糟糕的时刻。正确。所以我要用这个来开头。就像，我作为一个美国人，远不是要告诉法国人他们做错了什么，因为他们做对了很多事情。
但是，我不认为他们会在这个休赛期得到维克托·文班亚马参加国际比赛。这似乎非常不现实。是的，是的。
嗯。即使维克托·文班亚马没有血栓，我也会这么说。
我知道他喜欢为国家队效力。但这个休赛期本应是他终于有时间赶上进度，有时间休息一下的时候，我认为他的国际比赛时代将在几年内结束，直到下一次奥运会，世界杯，或者类似的事情。但是，是的，我不知道。
如果维克托·文班亚马在再次为马刺队效力之前就为法国队效力，我会感到非常震惊。不，可能不会发生。是的。如果能在某个时候和文班亚马谈谈就好了，也许我们会。
我们希望在本赛季结束前或球队各奔东西之前这样做。我相信他有很多有趣的观点。他总是这样。
我们很乐意听听他的意见。这对我们所有人来说都很重要。我们想回到上周我们热烈讨论的德文·瓦塞尔吗？
关于这一点还有什么要说的吗？他正处于艰难的境地，再次扮演着首席得分手的角色。但是我们觉得他的发展如何，以及当德朗·福克斯(Deran Fox)和维克托·文班亚马下赛季回归时，他将被要求做不同的事情，他如何处理这种情况是否重要？是的，我的意思是，我认为这很重要。
是的，我认为当然重要。是的，你知道，他正在表现出变得更加稳定的迹象。尽管除了凯尔登之外，所有人在对阵金州勇士队的比赛中都放弃了。但是，是的，我的意思是，他打得更好，打出了更好的全面比赛，这正是他们希望从他身上看到的，这也许是他未来的展望的一部分，而不是第二得分手的角色，而只是一个在很多不同领域做出贡献的人。
所以，我认为他在这个时候正在做他们想让他做的事情。杰夫，你的电脑爆炸了吗？嗯。你告诉我。
好吧。只是在和你确认一下。你告诉我。也许我一开始说话它就会熄灭。
好吧，这是这个播客上一个有趣的游戏。杰夫的病毒是否会让你的播客播放器在家中爆炸？马刺内幕又有一些戏剧性了。
但是你想补充一下吗，对汤姆过去五六分钟的讨论提供一些启发，或者一些观点。关于文班亚马。你想插一句吗？我不知道你是否对文班亚马有看法。不，你们说得很好。嗯。
德文就是他那样。我不认为这周有什么比上周更多的要说的。他仍然只是做他所做的事情。你知道，现在很难对马刺队正在发生的任何事情进行过多的评价。
我们现在已经进入了又一个赛季的最后七八场比赛，而这个赛季正朝着彩票的方向发展，是的，很难认为接下来的任何一场比赛中发生的任何事情都会对下个赛季产生任何持久的影响。我的意思是，如果你想看，就像查尔斯·巴锡(Charles Bassi)在地板上，那是一件新鲜事。就像也许他可以在休赛期之前获得一些上场时间。
但即使这样，我也不知道有什么引人注目的地方。现在的戏剧性是克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)和哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)，主要是克里斯·保罗，他们能否保持他们钢铁侠般的连胜纪录完整地完成本赛季？我认为克里斯·保罗会把自己拉到那里。如果克里斯·保罗扭伤了脚踝。
我认为他会把自己拉到那里参加每一场比赛，至少打一分钟。所以他可以达到82场。我认为奇怪的是，并不是奇怪的是，但在他职业生涯的这个阶段，这对他的确很重要。得到82场比赛。
我们能否从一位新闻爆料人那里汇总一些新闻，一位西海岸的新闻爆料人，显然上周抢先报道了克里斯·保罗的消息？这是一个以前住在这里的人，我认为是在新闻发布会上，杰夫，爆出了一些关于克里斯的消息。我根本不知道你在说什么。我以为史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)抢先报道了你的克里斯的消息。
哦，我明白了。我明白了。你有点。是的，史蒂夫认为他明年会回来为马刺队效力？我不知道，也许会回到NBA。
他认为克里斯还没有结束。但他也说，他还没有和克里斯谈过这件事。他只是知道克里斯有多么热爱比赛，不想放弃比赛，如果克里斯自愿放弃在NBA打球，他会感到惊讶。
但看看事情如何发展会很有趣，因为正如我们之前讨论过的，他不仅仅是想来当一名板凳球员，然后看着。如果他要打球，他想打球。那么，是否有很多球队愿意让他这样做呢？
我不知道。我不知道有什么球队。你认为你的马刺队会吗？我不认为他是那种明年会来这里首发82场比赛的人，你知道。
我不认为这是他们一定想要的，或者甚至会有益处。就像你已经有了德朗·福克斯，你已经有了斯蒂芬·卡斯尔。就像克里斯对这支球队来说意义重大。
你知道，我们已经谈了很多关于他是如何向球员展示如何打比赛，如何对待比赛的。但我不认为你想让他再次成为你下赛季的首发控球后卫，因为现在是建立德朗·福克斯、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、文班亚马核心的时候了，我不认为克里斯适合作为首发球员。如果你想让他成为一名板凳球员，我认为那里有一些空间让他发挥，但再说一遍，这不是他想做的事情。
所以看看他的选择是什么将会很有趣。会的。而且我认为这是克里斯整个职业生涯中遇到的另一种情况，他已经完成了他的工作。一支感恩的球队。
我认为他从来没有在不愉快的条件下离开过任何地方，不是吗？一支感恩的球队感谢他的服务，然后继续前进。只是在德朗·福克斯被收购后，克里斯·保罗在本赛季之后未来的命运已经注定了。如果马刺队没有在德朗·福克斯身上找到新的控球后卫，或者，你知道，如果福克斯的事情没有发生，如果他们在即将到来的夏天没有这样做，那么你可以看到克里斯回来并重演这个角色。
但是一旦他们得到了德朗，就像你有了你想要的球员一样，不是问题，而是自从福克斯被收购之后，我们讨论过的问题是，你不能经常一起打德朗·福克斯和克里斯·保罗。就像让他们首发并不是最好的选择。我不知道你想再经历一年这样的事情。
你知道。我只是不认为这对任何人都有好处。就像我说的那样，如果克里斯愿意在40岁时再次成为一名板凳球员，我认为大多数40岁的NBA球员，这都是他们签约时的处境，除非你是勒布朗，否则这就是你作为一名40岁的NBA球员签约时的处境。除非他愿意这样做，否则我认为他在圣安东尼奥没有位置。
然后我一直在想，谁是2024年夏天的马刺队，2025年谁会是需要克里斯·保罗的球队。就像哪支年轻的球队正在崛起，只是需要一位经验丰富的球员来训练他们。我不知道那是哪支球队。我不确定火箭队是否符合这种模式，我也不知道他们的长期计划，就像这些都是我个人的看法。但假设首发的工作没有了，而且对于一位40岁的NBA控球后卫来说，找到首发的工作变得越来越难，如果这位40岁的球员只是想尽可能多地打球，因为说我想打球并且我想首发是一回事。
但然后你说，要么我首发，要么我退役，就像那根本就不是在打球了。你想打一点球，对吧？所以，我认为如果他想在某个地方找一份替补工作，那将会很有趣，我认为回到快船队。因为那是他生活的地方，他的家人在那里。
那会是一件很有趣的事。因为我们今年早些时候去了英图伊特穹顶，从洛杉矶在那里的人们谈论的情况来看，他对他在洛杉矶快船队的时光并没有那么友好，但表达得足够清楚。就像那里有一种圆满时刻的感觉，他很感激，他说了积极的事情，他们也说了关于他的积极的事情。
我不会押注他不会回到快船队。这很有趣。并打一些替补控球后卫的比赛。如果你听了克里斯今年所说的话，实际上是两件事。就像我有点把话放在他嘴里，但就像我不想当替补，我想当首发。
但另一部分是，就像有一个警告。那就是，如果我要离开我的家人一年82场比赛，几个月的时间，那么我不想，我想首发。我不想去当替补，或者我不想去观看。就像如果我要做出牺牲，我的家人也要为我做出牺牲，我想让每个人都觉得值得，在他看来那就是打球。
现在，如果他和家人在洛杉矶，也许那个我必须首发的事情就会退居次要地位，因为这不是我要离开我的家人六个月的时间去当一名板凳球员。而是我经常在家里，而且我仍然可以打一些篮球。所以，是的，那会是一件很有趣的事。
那会是一个很有趣的事。我们这周不会有一个超级长的播客，因为我们正在进入最后阶段。我们正处于与NBA相关的许多人都凑合着干的时候。
我们尽量不在这里凑合着干，但是，你知道，很难避免这种萎靡不振。但是，如果我们想进入一些争议，一些热门话题，我们可以谈论本周联盟中发生的另一件事，孟菲斯发生的让整个联盟都在谈论的事情，前奥斯汀马刺队教练泰勒·詹金斯有点吃亏。泰勒·詹金斯，如果两个月前你问我，就像格雷格·波波维奇(Greg Popovich)的理想替代者，假设米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)不这样做。
我认为米奇·约翰逊做得很好，并且仍然参与所有这些讨论。但如果你可以从联盟中选择一个人，如果马刺队有一个主教练选秀，他们可能会在接近顶端的位置选择谁。就像泰勒·詹金斯，杰夫，我认为你可以确认这一点，汤姆，也许我们，我已经谈到过，你知道，这似乎是他们会很乐意拥有的一个人。
两个月后，他被解雇了。而且不是因为某种场外恶作剧？是否有我们需要了解的更多的事情，以理解为什么会发生这种情况？
显然只是因为他们不喜欢他所做的工作。我知道那里有一些与约翰·莫兰特(John Morant)的关系，以及组织内部的一些运作，他们彻底改革了他们的进攻，而且在过去的几周里他们并没有打出最好的篮球。但是，是的，你和米奇，以及一些在城里的教练谈过关于泰勒的事情，每个人似乎都认为这是一个令人震惊的举动，对吧？
是的，而且当晚的两位教练，米奇·约翰逊和乔·马祖拉(Joe Mazzulla)，都未经要求地说，是的，他想工作的话随时都可以找到工作。就像任何一支球队都会很幸运能有他作为他们任何空缺职位的主教练，即将在夏天开放的任何空缺职位，他都会在所有这些职位的候选名单上，如果他想的话。所以，我的意思是，在圣安东尼奥，马刺队主教练职位的未来不确定，这是一件有趣的事情。
我的意思是，我认为可以公平地说，波普发布的最后一份公开声明，是马刺队发布的一份书面声明，表明如果他的健康允许，他仍然渴望在明年回来执教，这就是他正在努力的方向。但是如果没有发生，下一个问题是鉴于米奇·约翰逊今年在非常艰难的情况下所做的事情，他是否应该接管这个职位，让球队保持在一起。问题就在这里。如果不是米奇·约翰逊的工作，那么它就会开放，我认为泰勒会在那个名单上。
但是有很多不确定性，这使得情况难以判断。问题就在这里。我已经对此做出了贡献。我已经在《圣安东尼奥快报》的网页上，在Expressnews.com，马刺国家通讯中写了这件事，汤姆和杰夫的出色报道也在那里。
格雷格·波波维奇非常想再次执教。他已经是执教NBA比赛的最年长的教练了。自从他遭受轻微中风以来，已经过去了几个月，将近六个月的时间。
他正在拼命地回来。他想在明年执教。马刺队想给他这个机会。就像他已经赢得了想执教多久就执教多久的权利。
问题是，好吧，他明年回来了。这很好。这是每个人都会高兴的结果。
格雷格·波波维奇康复了。他将在明年十月在霜冻银行中心参加新赛季的揭幕战。这是一个，而且他正在执教维克托·文班亚马和德朗·福克斯，马刺队正在冲击季后赛。这是每个人的梦想场景，这是首选方案。
这很好。现在，为了现实起见，还有其他可能性。其中一种可能性是，格雷格·波波维奇尝试再尝试，在赛季开始前决定他无法回来，也许他需要更多的时间。在这种情况下，米奇·约翰逊继续担任看守者，继续担任勤奋的员工，顺便说一句，他有着光明的教练未来，他今年做了一些伟大的事情，我认为他会成为一名优秀的教练，他已经表现出了很多技巧，很多精明，以及管理更衣室的能力，等等。
在这种情况下，米奇继续接管，也许仍然是临时主教练，他们称之为代理主教练。好吧，这是一件事。另一种情况是，格雷格·波波维奇在这个休赛期决定他无法做到。他宣布他正式退休。
这就有点尴尬了，我只是说实话，我不是想制造争议之类的。对于每个人来说，直到马刺队知道波普的事情如何解决，他们才能去尝试签下，尝试聘请像泰勒·詹金斯这种级别的精英级主教练，你知道，说出你今年休赛期的其他候选人。只是因为你不能在波普离开之前取代波普。
再说一遍，我想重申，每个人在这里的首选方案是波普回来并在明年执教。但是因为球队在等待他回来，所以有一个奇怪的尴尬的中间地带，在这种情况下，你无法找到他的备用计划。在格雷格·波波维奇退休之前，根本无法找到备用计划。所以这就是障碍。
就在过去一周，有人问我关于泰勒·詹金斯的事情，关于谁将成为马刺队的下一任教练。在你知道格雷格·波波维奇明年要做什么之前，你无法做出那个决定。因此，在那之前，我认为你掌握在有能力的米奇·约翰逊手中。
这不是世界上最糟糕的事情。今年有好处。球员们喜欢他，球队非常喜欢他。你知道，我的意思是，组织非常喜欢他。只是，如果你正在寻找一个问题的答案，关于谁将在明年十月执教马刺队，就像我们现在无法给你答案一样。
对于NBA球队来说，在这些情况下最糟糕的事情就是含糊不清和不确定性。这就是马刺队现在所处的位置。一旦他们能够澄清任何这些事情，无论答案是什么，都会更好。
但是很难弄清楚，因为这取决于波普和他的医疗状况，以及他认为自己能做什么。因为在这种情况下，我假设你不知道自己能做什么，除非你被允许这样做。所以这里面有很多含糊不清的地方，对于NBA球队来说，当涉及到这样一个重大的问题，重大的位置时，这很难。
顺便说一句，如果他坐在家里听这个，他肯定不会，但是我觉得格雷格·波波维奇正在听内幕消息，这在我脑海中是一个非常搞笑的画面。他现在肯定在大声咒骂，说根本没有含糊不清。我明年会回来。这就是他看待这件事的方式。就像我知道你不能，正如杰夫所说，你不能预测。
这并不是对任何人的轻视，只是无法预测，是的，是的。我知道你不想以任何方式参与到任何有争议的事情中。好的，你是读心术者吗，迈克？我明白了。说吧。
是的，有很多不确定性。但是，是的，你知道，我告诉人们问我这件事，我说，我永远不会反对格雷格·波波维奇的。你不能这样做，你知道，你说他做不到。
哦，他有轻微中风。他76岁了，等等等等。他能做到，你知道。他能做到。所以，你知道，我会说，情况似乎更倾向于他做到，因为到目前为止他所发出的所有信号都表明他想这样做，我同意你的看法。
只是，你知道，问题在于如果他做不到。我也想知道，在他回来之前，你要如何完成剩下的工作。这不仅仅是聘请另一位主教练的问题，而是你要以一种方式来填补你的教练组，你知道，助理教练也必须而且你还在假设，还有一个。这还假设米奇会想这样做。如果米奇在夏天得到了更好的报价怎么办？
对，对。你知道我的意思吗？你可能会失去他。我并不是，再说一遍，我们都只是在假设。是的。总之，在我们走之前，我想告诉你们，我之前和科里·约瑟夫谈过。
我今天要写关于他的文章，因为魔术队来到了这里。他说他在圣安东尼奥的时光非常美好。这是他生活的重要组成部分，也是他职业生涯的重要组成部分，在那里他学会了如何成为一名职业球员。他为蒂姆，和蒂姆、托尼和马努一起打球，向他们学习，向波普学习，赢得了一个总冠军。
所以很自然地问他，好吧，你把你的总冠军戒指放在哪里？他告诉我他把它安全地放在一个未公开的地点。所以，如果你们想检查一下你们的未公开的地点，你们可能会发现一枚NBA总冠军戒指在那里，而你甚至不知道。在沙发垫下面。
这就是本周结束的方式。马刺队，魔术队。当这个节目到达你的播客播放器，你的数字设备时，他们可能已经打完了比赛。马刺队可能赢了，他们可能输了，但从长远来看并不重要。
无论如何，我们下周都会回来。在那之前，照顾好彼此，保持真实。
点击查看原文：Just going through the motions
Just going through the motions
Columnist Mike Finger and Spurs beat reporters Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn discuss the Spurs’ lack of effort versus the Warriors, Victor Wembanyama getting surgery and the Grizzlies firing former Austin Toros coach Taylor Jenkins.
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Castle honored as West rookie of month for second time
Taylor Jenkins’ firing raises eyebrows in San Antonio
Johnson lone bright spot in blowout loss
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Here is the transcript of the podcast:
From a highly secure network of top-secret locations across South Texas, this is the Spurs Insider. I am Mike Finger from the San Antonio Express News joined as always by Spurs beat writers Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn with sports editor Nick Talbot. And last week on a very special edition of the Spurs Insider, which was more upbeat, more earnest, more just positive about the world than than listeners of the show are accustomed to.
Jeff McDonald gave us a warning at the end and said that we might not be talking about another Spurs victory for quite some time and Jeff, I know you almost hate to be right, but you kind of were right.
I’m just saying, this is why it’s it’s it’s not worth getting optimistic about anything. Because, you know, the the the the life is just going to turn around and then kick you in the fanny. Now we’re back on brand, Spurs Insider brand.
It’s it’s just a matter of the schedule. We were talking last week about the way that the Spurs, who had nothing really to play for, completely out of the race, well, mostly out of the race for to play in, had an incentive to lose because that helps ever so slightly in the NBA draft lottery odds. They were winning anyway, they were playing hard, they were giving us memorable moments, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kelvin Johnson playing lights out, Devin Vassell surging, and you could see it coming.
They were playing against teams that weren’t that great and now they’re playing against teams that are in the race, Tom, and the predictable has occurred.
Yeah, no relief in sight. Maybe they win at Portland. Maybe they win at Phoenix, they own the Suns. So maybe, maybe there’s some wins there, but yeah, it’s it’s a tough road. It’s a tough finishing road for for our local cagers.
And after those those games, uh, that were so compelling towards the end of of of that each each entry in that three-game winning streak. These games over the past week, while much of the country is watching NCAA tournament and the opening week of baseball maybe, maybe that’s been good because the the drama has not been there even in these losses. They lose the other day what by 40?
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- I I oversold them.
Any any observations there, Tom? I know you you try to find the bright side sometimes, but that’s that that’s a pretty tough watch. Watching a team lose by 42. No, it was. Jeff and I were we’re up there, uh, enduring it.
Yeah, it was, you know, it’s funny, they they played Boston, I mean it’s not funny, they played Boston fairly well the night before. And then man, uh, you know, Golden State was well rested too, two days off before that game and they just they just laid it on them.
And it was bad, it was bad from the start, right, Jeff? Yeah, from the start. I mean, they played Cleveland and Boston pretty pretty pretty well in consecutive games and I don’t want to be but like losing by 42 even at this stage of the season, even with that’s kind of inexcusable.
Like 42 is a big number. You shouldn’t be posting like like like I think it was like the sixth worst loss in franchise history and stuff. Like that just like you just got you got to show up better than that. It’s not like the Warriors are going to win the title.
Like they’re not the best team in like the Celtics might, you played them pretty well. The Cavs might, you played them pretty well. The Warriors are a playoff team, but they’re not going to win the title.
They shouldn’t come out and just lay it on you like that. And it was just a layup drill. Like it was like they were just completely the Spurs had no no idea how to guard it. And I just and just, I don’t know. They they don’t let go of the rope very often this first team.
That’s one thing you can always could always say about them even in these eras when they’re winning 20 games a year. They don’t they don’t just they’re always competitive and that was just completely uncompetitive. Yeah, the aforementioned Keldon Johnson, we got to tip our head again to him.
He he was ready. He played well. A lot of energy as usual, but everyone else was stuck in mud. It was yeah, a layup drill is is exactly the best way to describe.
And the first the first play of the game was uh, you know, Jimmy Butler goes back door, Steph Curry hits him for like the widest open layup you’d ever seen and Devin Vassell and and Jeremy Sohan who were sort of on the scene there were like just kind of got not arguing but like going back and forth about like who’s who screwed that up?
They’re they just like just did. They were confused. Am I doing that again? I’m sorry.
Sorry to our listeners. Jeff tries. Sometimes he’s he’s just not uh not with us. You know, it’s it’s it’s part of the infrastructure.
It’s part of the he needs to he needs to tank for better Wi-Fi, I think. So yeah, sorry to interrupt you. You were you were saying that uh, you know, the that that that they let go of the rope.
Yeah, that’s what I was saying. Is there any anything more to it than that about the past week of Spurs basketball? It started in Detroit, Tom, uh, where you checked in from for our last upbeat podcast. And uh, and like Jeff said last week, we knew it was the schedule was about to get difficult.
The losses were about to start piling up. But is there anything more to it than that? Are there any overarching themes, any understated developments, that the listeners might be interested in beyond all these losses in a row? The biggest development was in France, I guess or not in France, but uh concerned our Frenchman.
And yeah, the there was a development in France, a certain coach of a certain national team let it, maybe maybe let it slip is not accurate, he just flat out said, uh, you know, Victor Victor had surgery. So that that was a pretty big development, I’d say. Spurs did not acknowledge it. Uh, they’re sticking to their company line of not talking about Victor’s uh health situation due to the blood clot in his right shoulder in detail.
But yeah. More importantly, they did not uh deny it. They did not deny it.
That’s true, yeah. And yeah, by all accounts, everything I could gather reporting wise, it did happen. So yeah, the biggest development came overseas.
And he had uh the the last few games before the Spurs went on the road, um, on that East Coast trip that you were on, Tom, or the or the Eastern time zone trip. After being at lots of games, Victor was not at a couple games at home and and some of us took note of that that he was not around. So all of this timeline wise makes sense. If you look at games now we haven’t seen.
There’s been a development in Milwaukee where Damian Lillard has also been sideline due to a blood clot. There have been other blood clot issues around the league in recent years and all of this kind of fits into what we uh were told to expect in terms of possible surgery. Uh there’s going to be some times when the player is away from the team, all that kind of thing and uh the Spurs still have have said nothing given no indie given no indication that they do not expect Victor Wembanyama to be available near the start of next season.
But the French are hoping he’ll be ready by August. And I don’t I don’t see any way. I think I think the French are deluding themselves in that way.
I like it’s really really it’s a really terrible time in world history for some American to tell the French that they’re getting things wrong. Correct. So I’ll preface it with that. Like uh far be it for me as an American to tell the French that they’re doing stuff wrong because they’re doing lots of stuff right.
But uh, I don’t think they’re getting Victor Wembanyama for international competition this off season. That seems uh highly unrealistic. Yeah. Yeah.
Um. And I would have said that even if Victor Wembanyama hadn’t had a blood clot by the way.
I know he likes playing for the national team. But this was supposed to be the off season where he finally, you know, got some time to catch up, got some took some time off and and uh I I I thought that he’s his international competition era was going to be over for a couple years until maybe the next Olympic go round, World Cup, something like that. But uh, yeah, that I I I do not.
I would be really shocked if Victor Wembanyama suits up for the French team before he suits up for the Spurs again. No, not probably not going to happen. Yeah. And uh, be nice to talk to Victor at some point and uh, maybe we will.
We hope to before the season’s over or before the team goes its separate ways. That would I’m sure he has a lot of interesting uh perspective. He always does.
We’d love to hear from him. That that would be big for us, for all of us. The do we want to go back to Devin Vassell who we were raving about last week.
Is that still is there anything more to say about that? He’s in a tough situation, granted where he’s again playing a new role of uh of being sort of the uh go-to scorer. Uh, but how how how do we feel like that’s developing and does it even matter in the big picture how he handles this situation when uh when uh he’s going to be asked to do something different when Deran Fox and presumably Victor Wembanyama return next season. Yeah, I mean, he’s uh I think it matters.
Yeah, I think of course uh of course it matters. Yeah, he’s you know, he’s showing um signs of becoming more consistent. Um although no one was again with the again with the exception of Keldon, they were all uh they all dropped the rope uh against Golden State. But yeah, I mean he’s he’s he’s playing better playing a better all around game, which is what they want to see from him, which maybe is part of the um uh, you know, part of the outlook for him going forward, not so much the the number two score type role but just a guy that uh contributes in a lot of different areas.
So he’s uh, he’s doing exactly what they want him to do, I think at this point. Jeff, has your computer exploded? Uh. You tell me.
Okay. Just just checking in with you there. You tell me. It’ll probably go out the minute I start talking.
Okay. Well that that’s a fun game to play on this podcast. Will the will your podcast player explode at home because of Jeff’s uh virus as he talks. There’s there’s some some drama to the Spurs Insider again.
But do you want to add uh any uh enlightenment, any any perspective on what uh Tom has been discussing five or six minutes. on Victor. Do you want to sell sell thing? I don’t know if you wait in on Victor or anything. No, y’all covered it pretty good. Um.
Devin is what he is. I don’t think there’s much more to say this week than than last week. He’s still just doing doing what he does. Um, you know, It’s it’s just hard to put too much stock in anything that’s happening uh right now with the Spurs.
Just we’re we’re down to the last seven or eight games of another season that’s headed towards the lottery and um yeah, it’s just hard to think that anything that happens in any one of these next few games is going to have any lasting effect going into next season. I mean if you want to like like like Charles Bassi’s on the floor, like that’s that’s a new thing. Like maybe he can get some minutes under his belt going into the off season.
But even then, I don’t I don’t know what’s compelling about about this. The drama now is uh can can Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes mainly Chris Paul, can they finish out the season with their iron Iron Man streaks intact? I think Chris Paul is going to haul himself. I don’t if Chris Paul breaks an ankle.
I think he’s going to haul himself out there every game and at least get minute. So he can make it 82. I think that’s um weirdly not weirdly, but it’s it’s at this point in his career it’s something that’s actually important to him. It really is. It’s to get 82 games in.
Can we aggregate some news from uh from a news breaker out there, a West Coast news breaker who apparently uh scooped us on Chris Paul this past week? It’s a guy who used to live here who I think it was during a news conference, Jeff, that that that broke some news on Chris. I don’t know what you’re referring to at all. I thought Steve Kerr scooped you on on Chris.
Oh, I see. I see. Here yeah, your little. Yeah, Steve thinks he’s coming back next year to play for the Spurs? I don’t know about to NBA to the.
He he thinks Chris isn’t done. But he also said like he hasn’t talked to Chris about it. He just knowing how how much Chris loves the game and doesn’t want to give it up that he would be surprised if uh Chris willingly gave up playing in the NBA.
But it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out because as we’ve discussed on this thing before, um he doesn’t just want to come and be a bench player and and watch. If he’s going to play, he wants to hoop. And are there a lot of teams out there that will allow him to do that?
I I don’t know. I don’t know what team. Do you think your Spurs will? I I I don’t I don’t think he’s the guy that’s going to come in and start 82 games next year for them, you know.
I don’t think that’s something they necessarily want or would even be beneficial. Like you’ve got Deran Fox, you’ve got Steph Castle. Um it’s it’s like Chris has meant a lot to this team.
He’s he’s you know, we’ve talked a lot about how he’s shown players how to play the game and how to approach the game. But I don’t think you want him as your starting point card again next season when like it’s time to build the Deran Fox, Steph Castle, Victor Wembanyama core and I don’t know that that Chris fits in that as a starter. If you want him to be a bench player, I think there’s some room there for him, but again it’s not what he wants to do.
So it’ll be interesting to see what his options are. It will. And uh I think it’s another one of those situations that Chris has had throughout his career where he’s kind of done his job. And uh a grateful team.
I don’t think he’s ever left anywhere on bad terms, has he? A grateful team thanks him for his service and then kind of moves on. It’s just that once Deran Fox was acquired the writing was on the wall for the future of Chris Paul beyond this season and If the Spurs didn’t didn’t land a new point guard either, you know, in Deran Fox or, you know, had the Fox thing not happened if they didn’t do it this coming summer, then you could see Chris coming back and reprising this role.
But once they landed Deran, like you have the guy you want to like part of the not problem, but part of the discussions we’ve had in that that time after Fox was acquired was you can’t really play Deran Fox and Chris Paul together a lot. Like it’s not the best thing to start them a lot. I don’t know that you want to go through another year of that.
You know. I just don’t think that’s that that would behoove anyone. Like I said, if Chris is willing to be a bench player again at age 40, which I think most 40-year olds in the NBA, that’s kind of the lot they are uh unless you’re LeBron, that’s the lot you’re um kind of signing up for to be a 40-year-old player in the NBA. Um unless he’s willing to do that, I don’t know that there’s a place for him in San Antonio.
And then I don’t know who what other I’ve been trying to think, who is the uh the Spurs of 20 of the summer of 2024, uh the who will be that team in 2025 that needs that from Chris Paul. Like what’s a young team that’s on the come up that just needs a year of a seasoned vet whipping him into shape. I don’t I don’t know what what team that is. I I wonder it doesn’t fit that mold and um I don’t know their long-term plans, like it’s just all off the top of my head. But um assuming that a starting job isn’t out there and it’s getting harder and harder to come up with the starting job for a 40-year-old point guard in the NBA, if that 40-year-old wants to just keep hooping as much as he can, because it’s one thing for him to say, I want to hoop and I want to start.
But then do you do you say, uh either I start or I retire, like that’s not hooping it at all. You want to hoop a little bit, right? So, uh I think if he wants to take a back up job somewhere, it it would be sort of interesting and I think to to go back to the Clippers. Because that’s where he live that’s where his family is.
that that would be the thing. Because we went to uh Intuit Dome earlier this year, uh that seemed to be from the people there at LA who are talking about it, that that was um uh as not as gracious but as eloquent as he’s been about his time in Los Angeles with the Clippers on that trip there. Like there was there was sort of a uh a full circle moment to it, uh, where he’s he’s thankful for it and he had positive things to say, they had positive things to say about him.
I I I wouldn’t bet against him returning to the Clippers. That’s interesting. And playing some like backup point guard. If you’ve listened to what Chris has said throughout the year, it it was it was really two things. It was I I, you know, I’m kind of putting a little kind of putting words in his mouth, but like I don’t want to be a backup, I want to be a starter.
But the other part of it was, um, like there was a caveat. It was it was, if I’m going to leave my family for 82 games a year and, you know, several months, then I don’t I I want to start. I don’t want to go and be a backup or I don’t want to go and watch. Like if I’m going to if I’m going to make the sacrifice and my family is going to make the sacrifice for me to do this, I want it to be worth everyone’s while and in his mind that’s playing.
Now, if he’s at home Yep. with his family in Los Angeles, then maybe that that I have to start thing takes a little bit of a backseat because it’s not I’m leaving my family for six months at a time um to go be a bench player. It’s that I’m home a lot and I’m still getting to play a little basketball. So that’s yeah, that would be an interesting one.
That would be an interesting one there. Um, we’re not going to have a super long podcast this week because we are hitting the home stretch. We are uh at that point when many people associated with the NBA are mailing it in.
We try not to mail it in here, but uh, you know, it’s hard to avoid the uh malaise. But if if if we want to get into some controversy, some some hot takes, uh we can talk about something else that happened around the league this week uh that had the whole league talking in Memphis and uh former Austin Spurs coach Taylor Jenkins kind of got the short end of the stick. Taylor Jenkins who if you’d asked me two months ago, like a dream scenario replacement for Greg Popovich, uh, assuming that uh Mitch Johnson uh didn’t do it.
I think Mitch Johnson’s done a great job and is still involved in all these discussions. But if you could just pick somebody from around the league that the if the Spurs had like a head coach draft who they might pick near the top. Like Taylor Jenkins Jeff, I think you can confirm this Tom maybe we I I’ve talked about how um, you know, that that seems like a guy that they would love to have.
And two months later he’s uh, he’s fired. And not for some kind of when it first happened, it’s like, oh, is there some kind of off the court shenanigans? Is there something we need to know about more to appreciate why this occurred?
And it it’s apparently just because they didn’t like the job he was doing. And I know there’s some relationship stuff there with John Morant and some uh inner workings of the organization where they they uh overhaul their offense and they haven’t played the best basketball over the past couple of weeks. But uh, yeah, he you you talk to um to Mitch and to uh some coaches around the league who who were in town about uh Taylor and everyone seems to think that uh that was kind of a shocking move, right?
Yeah, and it’s it’s both coaches that night, Mitch Johnson and uh Joe Mazzula, both of them unsolicited said, yeah, he’ll be working again as soon as he wants to. Like any any team would be lucky to have them him as their head coach in any opening, any vacancy that’s opening in the summer to come like will be like taken there’ll be on the short list of all of them if he wants them. So I mean, and it is an interesting thing um in San Antonio with this future of the Spurs head coaching job uncertain.
I mean, I think that’s fair to say that the last public statement that Pop put out that it was a written statement by the Spurs that like indicated he still um, um he still has the desire to come back and coach next year if his health will allow and that’s what he’s working towards. Um, but if that doesn’t happen, you know, the next question is is is it Mitch Johnson’s job given what he’s done to uh in a really tough situation this year, kind of to to hold the thing together a little bit. And then Here’s the issue. If it’s not Mitch Johnson’s job, uh then then it’s opened up and and Taylor’s a guy that I think would be on that list.
But there’s a lot of so much uncertainty that it makes it a difficult situation to to gauge. Here’s the issue. And I’ve I’ve I’ve to this. I’ve written this in the in the pages of the San Antonio Express News at Expressnews.com, Spurs Nation newsletter, all that stuff where Tom and Jeff’s excellent coverage is as well.
Greg Popovich wants to coach again, very much. He he he is already the oldest coach ever to coach an NBA game. It’s been uh several months, almost six months since he last coach a game since he suffered a mild stroke.
He’s working like crazy to come back. Um he wants to coach next year. The Spurs want to give him that opportunity. Um like he’s earned that right to coach as long as he wants to coach.
The issue is uh, okay, he comes back next year. That’s great. That’s that’s one outcome that everyone would be happy with.
That Greg Popovich recovers. He’s back on the sideline for the season opener next October and Frost Bank Center. That is one and he’s coaching Victor Wembanyama and Deran Fox and the Spurs make a playoff run. That is the dream scenario that is the preferred option for everybody.
It’s great. Now, there are other, just to be realistic, there are other ways this can go. And one of them is that Greg Popovich tries tries tries, decides before the season start that he can’t make it back, that maybe he needs a little more time. And in that situation, Mitch Johnson continuing to be the caretaker, continuing to be the diligent company guy, uh, with the bright future as a coach by the way, who’s done some great stuff this year, who’s who’s going to be a good coach, I think, uh, who already has shown a lot of skill and a lot of uh savvy and a lot of ability to work a locker room and things like that.
Like in that scenario Mitch continues to take over maybe uh still as the interim what do they call the acting head coach. Okay, that’s one thing. The other thing, the other option is like Greg Popovich decides this off season that he just can’t do it. And that he retire, he officially announces his retirement.
That is where this like the timing of that is and I’m just being honest here. I’m not trying to create controversy um anything like that. That’s that’s an awkward situation for everyone because until the Spurs know how the pop thing works out, they can’t go out and try to sign, try to hire um elite level head coaches of the Taylor Jenkins level, you know, name your other candidate this off season. Just because you can’t replace Pop before Pop leaves.
Um and again, I I want to reiterate, the number one option here for everyone is that Pop comes back and coaches next year. But um there’s just this weird awkward middle ground as this team waits for him to return in that you can’t go find the backup plan to that. Um there’s just no way to to find a backup plan until um if and when Greg Popovich retires. So that is the impediment.
I’ve had people ask just this past week about Taylor Jenkins about like who’s the Spur’s next coach going to be. You cannot make that decision until you know what Greg Popovich is going to do next year. Um and so until that point, I think you’re in the capable hands of Mitch Johnson. And that’s not the worst thing in the world.
That’s been there’s been upside to that this year. The players like him, the team very much likes him. Um the you know, I mean the organization very much likes him. Um it’s just uh if if you’re looking for an answer to who’s coaching next October for the Spurs right now, like we just can’t give it to you.
The the worst thing for an NBA franchise in these kind of situations is ambiguity and uncertainty. And that’s where the Spurs are right now. Like as soon as they can get some clarity on any of this, whatever the answer is, the better.
But it’s hard to get clarity when it’s, you know, you’re it’s based on on Pop and his medical situation and and what he thinks he can do. Because you you don’t you in that situation I I assume you don’t know what you can do until you you’re allowed to do it. It’s so there’s just so much ambiguity and that’s hard on an NBA on an NBA franchise when it comes to such a major major issue, major position.
And by the way, if he’s sitting at home listening to this, which he absolutely isn’t, but I like it it’s a hilarious image in my mind that Greg Povic is listening to the first insider. Uh, he’s cursing loudly right now saying, there is no ambiguity. I’m coming back next year. And that’s the way he sees it. Like I he thinks he’s going to coach next October and he might be right.
Um that you just can’t as Jeff said like that that you you you can’t uh It’s not predictable and that’s just that’s just not, yeah, that’s that’s no slight to anybody. It’s just not they can’t be predicted. Yeah. I I know I know you want to stay away from anything uh touching controversy with any any way ins here.
Okay. Mind reader, Mike? I got I. Go ahead.
Yeah, a lot of uncertainty. Um, but yeah, the you know, I tell people ask me about it, I say, I’ll never ever bet against Greg Popovich ever. You just can’t, you know, you say he can’t do it.
Oh, he had a mild stroke. He’s 76, yada yada yada. He can do it, you know.
He can do it. So, um, you know, I’d say the odds kind of favor him doing it because everything he’s signaled so far indicates that he he wants to do it and I I I agree with you there.
Um, it’s it’s just, you know, it the the the question becomes if if he doesn’t. And I also wonder what Well. How do you fill out the rest of that before he comes back. Like it’s not just a matter of hiring another head coach, but do you fill out your staff in a way where um You know, did do the assistants also Well and you’re also assuming that an extra one.
It’s also an assumption that Mitch is going to want to do this. What if Mitch gets a better offer during the summer? Right, right. You know what I mean? You might lose him.
I’m I’m not again, I’m we’re all just being hypothetical here. Yeah. Anyway, before we go, I wanted to tell you guys I talked to uh Cory Joseph a while back.
I’m going to write about him today since the magic are in town. And uh, he he uh, he was talking about how great his time in San Antonio was. It’s a big uh big part of his life, part of his career is where he learned how to be a pro. He played for Tim with Tim Tony and Manu, learned from them, learned from Pop, won a championship.
So naturally asked him like, well where do you keep your championship ring? And he told me that he keeps it safe in an undisclosed location. So if if you guys want to check your undisclosed locations, you might have an NBA championship ring sitting around that you didn’t even know about. Under the sofa cushion.
That’s the way to go out this week. Spurs, magic. They might have played by the time this reaches your your podcast players, your your digital devices. Uh, Spurs might have won, they might have lost, does not matter in the long term.
We’ll be back either way next week. Until then, take care of each other and keep it real.