By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-05-12 22:06:58
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。
马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)和总经理布莱恩·莱特(Brian Wright)拿着周一晚上从NBA选秀抽签大会上获得的马刺队选秀签。马刺队上升了六个顺位，拿下了榜眼签。
芝加哥——马刺队总经理莱特的幸运仪式再次奏效。
两年前，莱特第一次在高度保密的抽签室里进行这个仪式，马刺队赢得了NBA选秀抽签大会，让他们能够以状元签选中维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)。周一晚上，他们错失了头奖，但得到了次好的结果：在以仅6.7%的概率（在所有球队中排名第八）赢得状元签，以及只有29.7%的机会进入前四的情况下，最终拿下了榜眼签。
“超级兴奋，”莱特在抽签室里告诉一位观察员。
“对于球队、对于这座城市、对于这支队伍来说，这都是一个美好的夜晚。”
在抽签开始前不久，莱特就像2023年一样，将右手穿过胸前，两次轻拍左侧的衬衫口袋，口袋里装着一个未公开的幸运符。在家里，他11岁的儿子也做了同样的动作，就像他在2023年做的那样。
“这是一个类似的仪式，但这一次我的（7岁）女儿也应该参与，”莱特说。
就像他在2023年以低调的握拳来庆祝抽签获胜一样，莱特保持了风度，只是轻轻地点了点头，并在马刺队以大约7%的概率赢得这个选秀权后，用手轻敲了一下桌子。
“你总是想保持冷静和尊重，”莱特说。“这里的每个人都试图让他们的球队变得更好，所以你总是倾向于兴奋但尊重。”
达拉斯独行侠队以仅仅1.8%的概率，逆袭巨大的赔率赢得了抽签，杜克大学的“一年级生”库珀·弗拉格正等待着成为头号新秀。
费城将获得探花签，夏洛特获得第四顺位。
人们在芝加哥参加2025年5月12日星期一举行的NBA篮球选秀抽签大会。（美联社照片/Nam Y. Huh）
尽管错失了状元签和选中公认的NCAA年度最佳球员的机会，但马刺队还是很高兴能靠着自己的选秀权上升六个顺位。他们还拥有2022年德章泰·穆雷交易中从亚特兰大获得的第14顺位选秀权，这使得他们成为选秀大会中唯一一支拥有两个乐透签的球队。
对于这支三次赢得抽签的球队来说，这是最新一次的重大抽签好运，这些好运促成了大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)（1987年）、蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)（1997年）和文班亚马的选秀。自1987年以来，马刺队在所有九次抽签大会上都保持或提高了他们的预期顺位。
现在，他们有信心在6月25日继续保持在第二顺位，并找到另一位球星。
“你想要得到最高水平的天赋，以及最高的品格，我们认为这次选秀中有优秀的球员可以帮助我们实现这一目标，”莱特说。
抽签是在ESPN播出结果之前举行的。抽签室里的球队代表和少数目睹抽签的记者，在广播结束后才被允许离开。
在教练约翰逊代表球队在电视摄像机前公布结果后，莱特与约翰逊和球队首席执行官R.C.布福德拥抱。
“有震惊，有兴奋，”莱特说。“你能感受到所有的情绪，但这是一个多么不可思议的夜晚。超级兴奋能开始工作，看看未来会怎样。”
约翰逊的妻子杰西卡(Jessica)和他们四个孩子中最小的，1岁的詹姆森(Jameson)也在现场分享喜悦。
“当你再次进入前四名时，你就会让球队有机会通过一名非常优秀的球员来进行一次真正重要的引援，”约翰逊说。“这就是我们期待去做的事情。”
“这是一次选秀深度很深的大会。有很多优秀的球员，很多充满活力、多才多艺、不同类型的球员。我们的团队将始终尽职尽责，寻找两块优秀的年轻拼图来加入球队，但现在很明显，有了第二顺位，你就能得到更多，能挑选最好的球员。”
罗格斯大学后卫迪伦·哈珀(Dylan Harper)（2号）在2024年11月30日星期六在拉斯维加斯举行的NCAA大学篮球比赛上半场中投篮，防守队员包括德克萨斯农工大学后卫曼尼·奥巴塞基(Manny Obaseki)（35号）和德克萨斯农工大学前锋安德森·加西亚(Andersson Garcia)（11号）。
19岁的迪伦·哈珀(Dylan Harper)身高6英尺4英寸半，体重213磅，他是罗格斯大学的“一年级生”后卫，也是五次NBA总冠军得主罗恩·哈珀的儿子，被广泛认为是仅次于弗拉格的选秀前景第二好的球员。
如果将臂展为6英尺10英寸的哈珀加入到已经拥有文班亚马和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)（去年的第四顺位），以及爆发力十足的后卫达龙·福克斯的阵容中，将为马刺队提供一个强大的得分点，他也展示了出色的组织能力。
哈珀本赛季场均得到19.4分、4.6个篮板、4.0次助攻和1.4次抢断，投篮命中率为48%，三分球命中率为33%，罚球命中率为75%。
“他的多功能性使他非常适合即使拥有多名控球手的球队，球探将他与底特律活塞队球星凯德·坎宁安相提并论，”ESPN选秀分析师乔纳森·吉沃尼最近表示。
如果马刺队决定组建一套方案来追求密尔沃基雄鹿队超级球星扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)，他们也可以交易这个选秀权以及他们过去几年囤积的一些选秀资产。援引联盟消息人士的话，ESPN报道称这位两届MVP对于探索离开雄鹿队的选项持“开放态度”。
“只是可能性，是继续建立我们球队的无数种方法，”莱特说，但他没有透露马刺队希望朝哪个方向发展。
拥有榜眼签将为一支自2019年以来就没有进入季后赛的球队带来很高的期望。这六个赛季的季后赛荒是球队历史上最长的。
“没有人逃避期望，”莱特说。“我们将对自己保持一定的标准，我们知道我们想去哪里。”
一名男子在2025年5月12日星期一在芝加哥举行的抽签大会上查看NBA篮球选秀抽签顺序。（美联社照片/Nam Y. Huh）
点击查看原文：No Cooper Flagg, but Spurs nab No. 2 pick with lucky NBA Draft lottery
No Cooper Flagg, but Spurs nab No. 2 pick with lucky NBA Draft lottery
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and general manager Brian Wright hold the Spurs picks they received from the NBA Draft lottery Monday night. The Spurs moved up six spots to nab the No. 2 pick.
CHICAGO – Spurs general manager Brian Wright’s good-luck ritual came through once again.
When Wright first performed it in the ultra-secure drawing room two years ago, the Spurs won the NBA lottery, which allowed them to draft Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall. On Monday night, they missed out on the big prize but came away with the next best thing: the No. 2 overall pick after entering the lottery with just the eighth best odds to win No. 1 at 6.7% and only a 29.7% chance of landing in the top four.
“Super excited,” Wright told an observer in the drawing room.
“Great night for the organization, for the city, for the team.”
Shortly before the drawing began, Wright, just as he did in 2023, reached his right hand across his chest and tapped his left shirt pocket twice, a pocket that contained an undisclosed good-luck charm. Back at home, his 11-year-old son executed the same move just as he did in 2023.
“It was a similar ritual, but this time my (7-year-old) daughter was supposed to do it too,” Wright said.
And just as he did in 2023 when he celebrated the lottery win with an understated fist bump, Wright kept it classy by just nodding his head slightly and tapping the table with his hand after landing a pick the Spurs had about a 7% chance of winning.
“You always want to remain calm and respectful,” Wright said. “Everyone here is trying to better their team, so you always err on the side of being excited but respectful.”
With only a 1.8% chance, the Dallas Mavericks bucked huge odds to win the lottery, with Duke one-and-done freshman Cooper Flagg awaiting as the top prospect.
Philadelphia will pick third, Charlotte fourth.
People attend the NBA basketball draft lottery in Chicago, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Despite missing out on the top pick and the chance to draft the consensus NCAA player of the year, the Spurs were elated to have jumped six spots with their own pick. They also own the No. 14 pick they gained from Atlanta in the 2022 Dejounte Murray trade, making them the only team in the draft with a pair of lottery selections.
It’s the latest dose of major lottery luck for a franchise that has won the drawing three times, bonanzas that led to the drafting of David Robinson (1987), Tim Duncan (1997) and Wembanyama. Since 1987, the Spurs have either stayed at or improved their expected spot in all of their nine lottery appearances.
Now, they are confident they can find another star should they decide to stay put at No. 2 on June 25.
“You want the highest level talent you can get, with the highest character, and we think there are good players in this draft that can help us accomplish that,” Wright said.
The drawing was held before the results were revealed on ESPN’s broadcast. The team representatives in the drawing room and a few reporters that witnessed it weren’t allowed to leave until the broadcast had ended.
After reaching the stage where coach Mitch Johnson represented the team in front of the TV cameras when the results were revealed, Wright exchanged hugs with Johnson and team CEO R.C. Buford.
“There’s shock, excitement,” Wright said. “You feel all the emotions, but what an incredible night. Super excited to get to work and see what the future holds.”
Johnson’s wife, Jessica, and the youngest of their four children, 1-year-old Jameson, were on hand to share in the excitement.
“When you jump into the top four again, you put yourself as an organization in a place to make a really big acquisition with a really good player,” Johnson said. “And that’s what we’re going to look forward to doing.
“It’s a deep draft. There are a lot of good players, a lot of dynamic, versatile, different type of players. Our group is always going to do their due diligence and look at two good young pieces to add to the group, but now obviously with the second pick, you get a little bit more, the pick of the litter.”
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper (2) shoots against Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki (35) and Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Nineteen-year-old Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-4 1/2, 213-pound one-and-done guard from Rutgers and the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, is widely considered to be the second-best prospect in the draft after Flagg.
Adding Harper, who has a wingspan of 6-10, to a roster that already features back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, last year’s fourth overall pick, and explosive guard De’Aaron Fox would give the Spurs a strong shot creator who has also demonstrated outstanding play-making skills.
Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals this past season while shooting 48% from the field, 33% from 3-point range and 75% from the free throw line.
“His versatility could make him a good fit even for teams with multiple ball handlers, having drawn comparisons from scouts to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham,” ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony said recently.
The Spurs could also trade the pick along with some of the draft assets they have stockpiled the past several years should they decide to put together a package in pursuit of Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Citing league sources, ESPN has reported the two-time MVP is “open-minded” about exploring options away from Bucks.
“Just possibilities, endless ways to continue to build our team,” Wright said without tipping his hand as to which way the Spurs want to go.
With the No. 2 pick will come high expectation for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019. The six-year postseason drought is the longest in franchise history.
“Nobody is running from expectations,” Wright said. “We will hold ourselves to certain standards and we know where we want to be.”
A man looks at the NBA basketball draft lottery order at the lottery in Chicago, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News