By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-05-11 15:51:41
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。
芝加哥 - 球员发展是米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)作为马刺主教练的首个休赛期的首要任务。
“从维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)、达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)到哈里森·英格拉姆(Harrison Ingram)、莱利·米尼克斯(Riley Minix)和戴维·杜克(David Duke)，我们的目标是最大限度地利用这个休赛期的每一个机会，让他们变得更好，”约翰逊说。“这可以在球场上，在录像室里，通过演练，通过观看季后赛比赛来实现。我希望在很多方面都能站在最前沿。”
但在开始提升现有球员的技能之前，约翰逊将参与一项完全关于未来球员的事业。
除了本周在芝加哥的选秀联合试训中帮助面试和考察潜在球员之外，他还将在 ESPN 的镜头前，作为马刺的代表，在周一晚上在麦考密克广场会议中心宣布的第40届NBA选秀乐透的结果时登台亮相。
总经理布莱恩·莱特(Brian Wright)将代表马刺参加抽签室。
乐透抽签将在下午6点广播开始前进行，为6月份的2025年NBA选秀的前14顺位奠定基础。
乐透抽签决定了选秀的前14顺位的顺序。抽签的目的是仅通过使用彩票机中编号为1到14的14个乒乓球来确定前四个顺位。其余乐透球队将按照2024-25赛季常规赛战绩倒序选择第五到第十四顺位。
马刺拥有两个乐透签，包括2022年夏天在德章泰·穆雷(Dejounte Murray)的交易中从亚特兰大获得的那个。
马刺自己的签拥有第八好的几率（6.0%）获得状元签，此前他们在常规赛中以34胜48负的战绩结束，并且有26.3%的几率获得前四顺位的签。从老鹰获得的签拥有第十四好的几率（0.7%）获得状元签，并且有3.4%的几率获得前四顺位的签。
在这两个签之间，马刺获得状元签的几率为6.7%，他们有29.7%的几率至少有一个签进入前四。
马刺有着出色的乐透运气历史。自1987年以来，俱乐部在所有八次亮相中都保持或提高了其预期的顺位，包括三次赢得状元签：1987年（大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)）的几率为14.29%，1997年（蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)）的几率为21.4%，以及2023年（维克托·文班亚马）的几率为14%。
今年，犹他（17胜65负）、华盛顿（18胜64负）和夏洛特（19胜63负）各自拥有最好的几率（14%）赢得状元签，因为他们以联盟最差的三个战绩结束了比赛。状元签几乎肯定会用于身高6英尺9英寸的杜克大学前锋库珀·弗拉格(Cooper Flagg)。
新奥尔良有12.5%的几率获胜。费城紧随其后，为10.5%，但如果76人队的选秀权落在选秀顺序的前六名之外，他们将欠俄克拉荷马城一个签。排名前七的还有布鲁克林（9%）和多伦多（7.5%）。
得到弗拉格，这位18岁的球员，可以将马刺队打造成一支长期的冠军争夺者，因为他将把这位多才多艺的顶级新秀与NBA最好的年轻球队基石——7英尺3英寸的文班亚马配对。这位21岁的法国人的二年级赛季因2月20日右肩血栓而结束，但这位全明星上个月表示，他“已经准备好”参加训练营。
如果他们落在前四的其他位置，马刺可能会关注身高6英尺7英寸的罗格斯大学后卫迪伦·哈珀(Dylan Harper)，19岁；身高6英尺10英寸的罗格斯大学后卫/前锋埃斯·贝利(Ace Bailey)，18岁；以及身高6英尺5英寸的贝勒大学后卫VJ·埃吉科姆(VJ Edgecombe)，19岁。
由于莱特过去几年的运作，马刺队拥有大量的选秀资本，他们将带着很大的灵活性进入选秀。
去年，当NBA副总裁马克·塔图姆(Mark Tatum)公布乐透结果时，莱特在台上，其中包括马刺队获得了第四顺位（在以10.5%的几率从第五顺位上升之后）和第八顺位（通过2023年将雅各布·珀尔特尔(Jakob Poeltl)交易到多伦多的交易）。2024年马刺在抽签室的代表是他们的篮球战略和法律事务高级经理布兰登·莱布森(Brandon Leibsohn)。
两年前马刺赢得乐透时，莱特在抽签室里。管理合伙人彼得·J·霍尔特(Peter J. Holt)在2023年代表俱乐部登台。
文班亚马继续赢得了年度最佳新秀，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔也在马刺在2024年以第四顺位选中他后获得了这项荣誉。马刺用第八顺位选择了罗布·迪林厄姆(Rob Dillingham)，他们立即将其交易到明尼苏达，以换取2031年的无保护首轮选秀权和一个受保护的2030年选秀权互换权。
迪林厄姆在森林狼队的出场时间很少。
上述所有事情发生时，约翰逊是马刺队的助理教练。但上周，在格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)结束了他具有历史意义、充满冠军色彩的29年执教生涯后，马刺队将他介绍为球队的第19任主教练。
38岁的约翰逊在上赛季波波维奇在赛季开始的五场比赛后遭遇轻微中风后担任代理主教练。在上周一的一次激动人心的新闻发布会上，当波波维奇自休病假以来首次公开亮相时，火炬被传递给了约翰逊，约翰逊重申了他今年夏天将专注于球员发展。
“布莱恩和（球探）团队的其他成员将尽到他们的职责，然后我们将讨论事情，并在（选秀）方面像往常一样保持一致，”约翰逊说。“但我认为我的汗水、付出和时间将投入到眼前的这些球员身上，继续让他们尽可能地提高……我希望与我们的其他工作人员一起在球场上与这些球员并肩作战，帮助他们变得更好。”
但现在，约翰逊的目标是将一些获胜的幸运符带到麦考密克广场会议中心，因为马刺队希望通过增加更多的改变者来定位自己，以期结束他们俱乐部纪录的六年季后赛荒。
马刺队需要一名替补中锋和外线射手，这两者都会让文班亚马在球场上更容易。可能满足这些需求的新秀包括7英尺2英寸的杜克大学中锋哈曼·马鲁阿奇(Khaman Maluach)，18岁；6英尺6英寸的伊利诺伊大学双能卫卡斯帕拉斯·亚库西奥尼斯(Kasparas Jakucionis)，18岁；6英尺7英寸的杜克大学前锋康·克努佩尔(Kon Knueppel)，19岁；以及6英尺6英寸的德克萨斯大学后卫特雷·约翰逊(Tre Johnson)，19岁。
无论周一和选秀期间发生什么，约翰逊都相信他今年夏天所做的工作将有助于为未来的成功奠定基础。
“波波在过去几年里最常说的一句话是，我们今天所做的工作将带来胜利，”约翰逊说，他完全赞同球队在建立长期赢家的道路上采取的耐心方法。
“在这个联盟里，没有太多快速致富的计划能奏效，”他说。“但是，当你真正看到可持续性，当你真正看到具有持久力的球队时，就会有连续性，就会有球员们互相了解的年份。通常需要一段时间才能奠定基础，我们只是希望这成为我们没有跳过的流程和步骤的一部分，将继续引导我们朝着那个方向前进。”
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.
With the help of former players Manu Ginobili, back left, and Tim Duncan, right, former San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, center, introduces Mitch Johnson, left, as the new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, in San Antonio, Monday, May 5, 2025.
Mitch Johnson answers question after he was introduced as the new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, in San Antonio, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
点击查看原文：Before helping current players, Johnson to focus on Spurs' future
Before helping current players, Johnson to focus on Spurs’ future
CHICAGO – Player development is Mitch Johnson’s top priority in his first offseason as head coach of the Spurs.
“From Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle to Harrison Ingram, Riley Minix and David Duke, the goal for us is to maximize every opportunity we can this offseason to get them better,” Johnson said. “And that can be on the court, in the film room, through walkthroughs, by watching the playoff games. And I hope to be at the forefront of that in a lot of ways.”
But before he gets started bolstering the skills of the players of the present, Johnson will be involved in an endeavor that’s all about players of the future.
In addition to helping interview and scout prospects at the draft combine this week in Chicago, he will be on the stage in front of ESPN’s cameras as the Spurs’ representative when the results of the 40th NBA Draft Lottery are announced Monday night at McCormick Place Convention Center.
General manager Brian Wright will represent the Spurs in the drawing room.
The lottery drawing, which will occur before the broadcast gets under way at 6 p.m., sets the stage for the first 14 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft in June.
The lottery sets the order for the first 14 picks in the draft. Drawings are conducted to determine only the first four picks by using 14 ping pong balls numbered 1 through 14 in a lottery machine. The remainder of the lottery teams will select in positions five through 14 in inverse order of their 2024-25 regular-season records.
The Spurs own two lottery picks, including the one obtained from Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray trade in summer 2022.
The Spurs’ own pick has the eighth-best odds at 6.0% of landing the No. 1 pick after they finished the regular season 34-48 and a 26.3% chance of securing a top-four pick. The pick obtained from the Hawks possesses the 14th-best odds (0.7%) for the top pick and a 3.4% chance of a top-four pick.
Between the two picks, the Spurs’ chances of landing the top pick sit at 6.7% and they have a 29.7% chance of landing at least one of them in the top four.
The Spurs have a history of excellent lottery luck. Since 1987, the club has either stayed at or improved its expected spot in all of its eight appearances, including winning the top pick three times: in 1987 (David Robinson) with a 14.29% chance, in 1997 (Tim Duncan) with odds of 21.4% and in 2023 (Victor Wembanyama) with a 14% chance.
This year, Utah (17-65), Washington (18-64) and Charlotte (19-63) each have the best odds at 14% of taking home the No. 1 pick by virtue of finishing with the three worst records in the league. The No. 1 pick almost certainly will be used on 6-foot-9 Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
New Orleans has 12.5% odds to win. Philadelphia is next at 10.5%, but the 76ers would owe the pick to Oklahoma City if its selection falls outside of the top six in the draft order. Rounding out the top seven are Brooklyn (9%) and Toronto (7.5%).
Landing Flagg, 18, could set the Spurs up for a long run as a championship contender because it would pair the versatile top prospect with the NBA’s best young franchise cornerstone in the 7-3 Wembanyama. The 21-year-old Frenchman’s sophomore season ended Feb. 20 due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, but the All-Star said last month he “will be ready” when training camp starts.
If they land elsewhere in the top four, the Spurs would likely eye 6-7 Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, 19; 6-10 Rutgers guard/forward Ace Bailey, 18; and 6-5 Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, 19.
Possessing a ton of draft capital thanks to Wright’s wheeling and dealing over the past several years, the Spurs will enter the draft with plenty of flexibility.
Wright was on the stage last year when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum revealed the results of the lottery, which included the Spurs collecting picks No. 4 - after moving up from fifth with 10.5% odds - and No. 8 (via the 2023 trade that sent Jakob Poeltl to Toronto). The Spurs representative in the drawing room in 2024 was Brandon Leibsohn, their senior manager of basketball strategy and legal affairs.
Wright was in the drawing room when the Spurs won the lottery two years ago. Managing partner Peter J. Holt represented the club on the stage in 2023.
Wembanyama went on to win Rookie of the Year, an honor Stephon Castle also claimed this year after the Spurs selected him fourth overall in 2024. The Spurs used the eighth pick to select Rob Dillingham, who they promptly traded to Minnesota for a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a protected 2030 pick swap.
Dillingham has played sparingly for the Timberwolves.
Johnson was a Spurs assistant coach when all of the above took place. But last week, the Spurs introduced him as the franchise’s 19th head coach after Gregg Popovich ended his historic, championship-laced 29-year run.
Johnson, 38, served as acting head coach last season after Popovich, 76, suffered a mild stroke five games into the season. When the torch was passed at an emotional news conference last Monday in which Popovich made his first public appearance since taking the medical leave of absence, Johnson reiterated his focus this summer will be on player development.
“Brian and the rest of the (scouting) group will do the due diligence they do and then we will discuss things and be on the same page and aligned as (for the draft) as we always are,” Johnson said. “But I think my sweat, equity and time will be devoted to these current guys right here and continuing to get them as improved as we can. … I hope to be in the trenches on the court with these guys, helping them get better with the rest of our staff.”
But for now Johnson’s goal is to bring some winning lucky charms to McCormick Place Convention Center as the Spurs look to position themselves to add more difference-makers in the hopes of ending their club-record six-year playoff drought next season.
The Spurs are in need of a backup center and outside shooters, both of which would make life easier on the court for Wembanyama. Prospects who could fill those needs include 7-2 Duke center Khaman Maluach, 18; 6-6 Illinois combo guard Kasparas Jakucionis, 18; 6-7 Duke forward Kon Knueppel, 19; and 6-6 Texas guard Tre Johnson, 19.
No matter what happens Monday and during the draft, Johnson is confident that what he does this summer will help lay the groundwork for future success.
“One of Pop’s most used quotes in the last few years has been that the work we put in today will lead to wins,” said Johnson, who is fully on board with the team’s patient approach to building a long-term winner.
“In this league, there’s not a lot of get-rich quick plans that work,” he said. “But when you really see the sustainability, when you really see teams that have the staying power, there’s continuity, there’s years where guys get to know each other. There’s a foundation that’s laid typically over time and we just hope this is part of the process and the steps we’re not skipping will continue to head us into that direction.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News