By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-05-17 11:37:47
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。
利亚姆·麦克尼利(Liam McNeeley) 带着向各支球队展示其运动能力的决心来到了NBA选秀联合试训，希望说服他们相信他值得一个乐透签位。
上周离开芝加哥时，这位康涅狄格大学的毕业生确信自己已经实现了目标，他在穿梭跑中以2.75秒的惊人成绩创造了联合试训纪录，并取得了令人印象深刻的36.5英寸的垂直弹跳。
这位19岁的侧翼球员说：“我在联合试训中展示了这一点。我有一个不错的垂直弹跳，也有一个不错的穿梭跑。我将继续向所有人展示我的运动能力。”
“所有人”包括马刺队，他们是选秀中唯一拥有两个乐透签的球队。
据报道，达拉斯已经决定用状元签选择杜克的库珀·弗拉格(Cooper Flagg)，但不确定马刺队将如何使用2号签和14号签。不过，联盟有消息称，他们可能会用2号签选择备受瞩目的罗格斯大学后卫迪伦·哈珀(Dylan Harper)，旨在增加更多年轻、充满活力的球员，与 文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 一起成长。
他们将如何使用14号签仍然扑朔迷离。
这个14号签是2022年将德章泰·默里(Dejounte Murray)交易至亚特兰大时获得的，如果他们决定放弃选哈珀，转而交易密尔沃基雄鹿队的超级巨星扬尼斯·安特托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)，或者将其与其他资产打包交易以获得另一位老将，那么这个签位可能会派上用场。或者，他们可以用它来增加像 麦克尼利 这样的年轻球员，加入到包括 文班亚马 、前全明星德阿隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)、2024年年度最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)和哈珀在内的强大阵容中，耐心地朝着未来几年成为总冠军争夺者的目标前进。
如果他们选择这条道路， 麦克尼利 将有资格在乐透区末段被选中，一同竞争的还有一些其他球员，包括亚利桑那大学的卡特·布莱恩特(Carter Bryant)，他在芝加哥确认他已经决定参加选秀，此前人们曾不确定他是否会留在野猫队。
麦克尼利 离开康涅狄格大学毫无疑问，他被评为Big East年度最佳新生，并入选了Big East最佳阵容三队，场均得到14.5分、6.0个篮板和2.3次助攻。
这位身高6英尺8英寸、体重210磅的达拉斯郊区理查森人，在2023-24赛季与 弗拉格 以及其他五星新秀德里克·奎因(Derik Queen)和阿萨·纽维尔(Asa Newell)一起在佛罗里达州的蒙特沃德学院效力，该队以33胜0负的战绩结束赛季，并且除了三场比赛外，其余所有比赛都以两位数获胜。
麦克尼利 形容与这群星光熠熠的球员一起训练是“激烈的”。
“很多垃圾话，”他说。“训练中经常发生一些友好的争吵。我真的很想念那些训练。我愿意再参加一次。”
毫不奇怪，鉴于他在这种严酷的环境中茁壮成长， 麦克尼利 说他的“竞争力”是他最好的特质。
“我不认为很多人拥有像我这样的竞争力和强度和决心，我很高兴展示出来，”他说。
除了运动能力， 麦克尼利 还在芝加哥展示了他的投篮技巧，命中了30次三分球中的24次。这是一个重要的展示，因为他在蒙特沃德学院的三分球命中率为43.9%，而在康涅狄格大学仅为31.7%。
麦克尼利 表示，他在哈士奇队投篮挣扎的原因是他在新年前夜对阵德保罗的比赛中扭伤了脚踝，地点就在温特拉斯特竞技场——也就是联合试训的举办地——这使他缺席了一个月。受伤之前，他的三分球命中率接近38%。
“当我回到球场上时，我肯定是在忍受着很多痛苦，”他说。“我真的无法离开那么久。我讨厌错过我错过的那些比赛。我很高兴能回来。”
这在NCAA锦标赛第二轮中显而易见，他在比赛的最后一分钟得了11分，包括一个压哨三分球，最终以全队最高的22分结束比赛，但哈士奇队以77-75输给了最终的全国冠军佛罗里达队，结束了他们连续三次获得全国冠军的希望。
“（在蒙特沃德）高中赛季有很多压力，但进入大学赛季后，压力更大，” 麦克尼利 说。“继续学习和处理这些压力是我一直在努力做的事情。正如我所说，压力是一种特权。”
这位身高6英尺8英寸，体重225磅的 布莱恩特 在亚利桑那大学队担任替补，该队进入了NCAA锦标赛的16强。这位来自加利福尼亚州里弗赛德的球员以防守着称，场均上场19.3分钟，得到6.5分和4.1个篮板，投篮命中率为46%。
“我觉得我可以防守多个位置，”19岁的 布莱恩特 说。“我希望能防守一到五号位。我觉得我现在有能力防守一到四号位，但我需要变得更强壮一点。但最终，我认为自己能够成为一个可以防守所有五个位置的球员。
“……我知道我有能力成为这个联盟中最好的球员之一。这只是你需要每天努力实现的事情。”
麦克尼利 也有类似的雄心壮志，这就是为什么他一直在努力观看录像来提高自己的比赛水平。
“我看了很多自己的录像，看看我在哪里犯错，我如何才能做得更好，”他说。
UConn’s Liam McNeeley, left, was named Big East Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.5 points and six rebounds per game last season.
Liam McNeeley, a native of the Dallas suburb of Richardson, went from playing on a star-studded prep team to securing All-Big East honors as a freshman at UConn.
Forward Carter Bryant, right, averaged 6.5 points per game as a freshman at Arizona.
点击查看原文：What will the Spurs do with the No. 14 pick?
What will the Spurs do with the No. 14 pick?
Liam McNeeley arrived at the NBA draft combine determined to show off his athleticism to teams trying to decide whether he’s worthy of a lottery pick.
By the time he left Chicago last week, the Connecticut alumnus was confident he had accomplished that goal after setting a combine record in the shuttle run with a blistering time of 2.75 seconds and recording an impressive 36 1/2-inch vertical leap.
“I showed it here at the combine,” the 19-year-old wing said. “I had a good vertical, had a good shuttle drill. I’m just going to continue to show everybody I’m pretty athletic.”
“Everybody” includes the Spurs, the only team in the draft with two lottery picks.
While Dallas has reportedly decided to use the No. 1 pick on Duke’s Cooper Flagg, it’s uncertain what the Spurs will do with picks No. 2 and No. 14, although league chatter points to them using the former on highly touted Rutgers guard Dylan Harper in a bid to add more young, dynamic pieces to grow alongside Victor Wembanyama.
What they will do with the 14th pick remains murky.
Acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Dejounte Murray to Atlanta, the No. 14 pick could come in handy should they decide to bypass drafting Harper to pursue a trade for Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo or package it with other assets for a deal to acquire another veteran. Or they could use it to add yet another young player like McNeeley to a potent mix that would include Wembanyama, former All-Star De’Aaron Fox, 2024 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and Harper as they patiently march toward becoming a title contender for years to come.
Should they choose that route, McNeeley would be in contention to come off the board at the back end of the lottery along with a handful of other players, including Arizona guard Carter Bryant, who confirmed in Chicago he’s committed to the draft process after some uncertainty about whether he would stay with the Wildcats.
There was never any doubt about McNeeley leaving UConn after he was named Big East Freshman of the Year and All-Big East Third Team after averaging 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound native of the Dallas suburb of Richardson joined the Huskies after playing with Flagg and fellow five-star prospects Derik Queen and Asa Newell in 2023-24 at Florida’s Montverde Academy on a team that finished 33-0 and won all but three games by double-digits.
McNeeley described practices with that star-studded bunch as “intense.”
“A lot of trash talking,” he said. “There were some friendly altercations going on in practice pretty often. I really do miss those practices. I would do (another) one in a heartbeat.”
Not surprisingly, given that he thrived in that rugged environment, McNeeley said his “competitiveness” is his best trait.
“I don’t think a lot of guys have the level of competitiveness and intensity and heart I have, and I’m excited to show it,” he said.
In addition to his athleticism, McNeeley also showcased his shooting skills in Chicago, nailing 24 of 30 from beyond the arc. It was an important showing after he shot just 31.7% from distance at UConn after connecting on 43.9% of his attempts from deep at Montverde.
McNeeley indicated his shooting struggles with the Huskies stemmed from a high ankle sprain he suffered on New Year’s Day against DePaul at Wintrust Arena — the site of the combine — that sidelined him for a month. Before the injury, he was shooting nearly 38% from distance.
“I was definitely playing through a lot of pain once I got back out on the court,” he said. “I really couldn’t stay away for that long. I hated missing those games that I missed. I was very happy to be back out there.”
That was evident in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when he scored 11 points in the final minute of the game, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, to finish with a team-high 22 points in a 77-75 loss to eventual national champion Florida that ended the Huskies’ hopes for a three-peat as national champs.
“There was a lot of pressure that high school season (at Montverde) but going onto the college season there was even more pressure,” McNeeley said. “Just continuing to learn and deal with that is what I’ve been trying to do. Like I’ve said, pressure is a privilege.”
The 6-8, 225-pound Bryant came off the bench at Arizona for a team that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Known for his defense, the native of Riverside, Calif., averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 46% from the floor in 19.3 minutes per game.
“I feel like I can guard multiple positions,” said Bryant, 19. "I want to be able to guard one though five. I feel like I am capable of guarding one through four now, but I need to get a little bit stronger. But eventually I see myself being a guy that can guard all five positions.
“…I know I’m capable of becoming one of the best players in this league. It’s just something you have to work toward every day.”
McNeeley has similar ambitions, which is why he has been studiously watching video to improve his game.
“I watch a lot of film of myself to see where I mess up, how I can get better at things,” he said.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News