By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-06-17 15:29:22
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。
2025年5月28日星期三，在俄克拉荷马城举行的NBA西部决赛系列赛第五场比赛结束后，俄克拉荷马城雷霆队后卫沙伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大（左）与总经理萨姆·普雷斯蒂（右）开怀大笑。普雷斯蒂将雷霆队打造成NBA总冠军竞争者的严谨方法为马刺队指明了前进的道路。(美联社图片/内特·比林斯)
耐心正在消磨殆尽。一支有望成为西部下一支超级强队的球队，已经与年轻球员们一同经历了足够多的失利，它不可能永远囤积着所有未来的选秀权。
随着一位明显的 最佳阵容级别天赋 球员即将进入巅峰期，以及一条通往 总冠军争夺 的道路即将开启，负责这支球队管理层的人们还能浪费更多时间吗？难道他们不应该为了所有人——他们的球迷、他们的阵容、他们崭露头角的球星——而采取一些大胆的行动吗？
俄克拉荷马城 雷霆 队总经理萨姆·普雷斯蒂 (Sam Presti) 也许在三年前的夏天也曾考虑过这些，但他最终决定不那样做。在21世纪初，他曾在圣安东尼奥前台部门摸爬滚打，磨砺着自己的管理才能，而至少一部分“马刺之道”的理念也一直伴随着他。
因此，在2022年6月，普雷斯蒂不仅保留了 雷霆 队拥有的两个前12顺位选秀权，他还交易得到了第三个。他没有选择加快进程，而是采取了长远眼光，让联盟中最年轻的球队之一变得更加年轻。
而现在，他距离帮助那些年轻人捧起 拉里·奥布莱恩杯 只差一场胜利了，不是吗？
他过去效力的球队肯定已经注意到了他是如何走到这一步的。
马刺 队刚刚经历了 一个输掉48场比赛的赛季 ，他们并非三年前 雷霆 队 一个输掉58场比赛的赛季 后的完美复刻。一方面，圣安东尼奥 马刺 队输球的时间比俄克拉荷马城 雷霆 队更长。另一方面， 马刺 队已经开始在阵容中加入一些有影响力的老将。
但就像2022年的普雷斯蒂和 雷霆 队一样， 马刺 队也足够敏锐地意识到，他们真正的机会在于未来整个十年，而不仅仅是即将到来的一个赛季。
如果一笔交易不会损害他们的未来，那么引进像凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 这样的球员可能是有意义的吗？当然！但首要目标是建立一个具有持续竞争力的体系，就像 雷霆 队所做的那样。
这种稳扎稳打、按部就班的方法并不总是能讨好大众，但它的主要好处之一是，它不要求一个球队管理层做出每个重大决定都准确无误。例如，本周观看 总决赛 的大多数球迷是否意识到，普雷斯蒂在2021年和2022年曾做出过两个可能被认为是巨大的建队失误？
四年前， 雷霆 队将阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun) 的 选秀权 ——他现在是休斯顿 火箭 队一位出色的内线球员——交易给了 火箭 队，换来了两个至今尚未生效的受保护选秀权。三年前，普雷斯蒂交易了三个首轮选秀权，以选中乌斯曼·迪昂 (Ousmane Dieng)，后者从未进入过俄克拉荷马城 雷霆 队的轮换阵容，并且在本届 总决赛 中总共只打了两分钟的垃圾时间。
但正因为普雷斯蒂不断积累筹码，从不将所有筹码都孤注一掷地投入到一注中，他才得以不断给自己机会看起来像个天才。而周一晚间，在 雷霆 队第五场胜利的比赛中，当杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 狂砍40分，而切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 抢下11个篮板并送出3次盖帽时，站在替补席后方的普雷斯蒂看起来还有谁比他更聪明呢？
毕竟，威廉姆斯是 雷霆 队在2022年选秀中以总第12顺位选中的年轻人。霍姆格伦则是他们用榜眼签选中的球员。他们与沙伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) ——NBA的 最有价值球员 ——共同组成了完美的核心三人组。
那么，如果普雷斯蒂三年前选择了 立竿见影的运作 呢？很有可能他周一晚上就会在家中观战，看着其他西部球队对阵 步行者 队。
当然，这并不是说 马刺 队总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 应该整个夏天都无所作为。所有人都期待他能在6月25日用榜眼签选中罗格斯大学后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)，而且很有可能哈珀、 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 有朝一日会像俄克拉荷马城 雷霆 队的三人组现在这样，在六月中旬的聚光灯下闪耀。
但是，如果 马刺 队能通过交易第14顺位选秀权来得到一名射手或替补中锋呢？当然，那将是明智之举。如果他们能在不放弃哈珀、 卡斯尔 ，或者亚特兰大 老鹰 队2027年或2028年首轮选秀权的情况下得到杜兰特呢？那也会非常棒，尽管其他追求者可能会将杜兰特的身价抬高到超出 马刺 队可接受的范围。
重点是， 莱特 (Wright) 在这里没有理由感到恐慌。他远未到山穷水尽的地步。三年前， 雷霆 队完成了他们的选秀，让吉尔杰斯-亚历山大持续进步，并且基本上沿用了同一批年轻球员。他们在接下来的一个赛季赢得了40场比赛，再过一年打进了季后赛第二轮，而现在，他们距离总冠军只差一场胜利。
以 雷霆 队目前的建队方式，他们应该会在未来几年持续争夺更多总冠军。
如果 马刺 队想要加入他们的行列呢？
他们曾经为普雷斯蒂指明了方向。
现在，他正在投桃报李。
Oklahoma City Thunder draft picks Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams, Ousmane Dieng and Chet Holmgren, from left, pose for a photo beside Thunder general manager Sam Presti during the NBA basketball team’s news conference in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti speaks to the media during a news conference in Oklahoma City, after a whirlwind summer that saw the team trade stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook, Thursday, July 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) attempts a shot as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren celebrates a basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
点击查看原文：Finger: Spurs should look to Thunder as they build contender
Finger: Spurs should look to Thunder as they build contender
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, laughs next to general manager Sam Presti, right, after Game 5 of an NBA basketball Western Conference Finals playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. Presti’s methodical approach to buiding the Thunder into an NBA title contender gives the Spurs a blueprint moving forward. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Patience was wearing thin. A franchise poised to become the Western Conference’s next superpower had done enough losing with young guys, and it couldn’t possibly use its entire stockpile of future draft picks.
With an obvious All-NBA talent about to enter his prime, and with a pathway to championship contention about to open, could those in charge of the organization afford to waste any more time? Didn’t they owe it to everybody — their fans, their roster, their emerging star — to do something bold?
Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti might have considered that three summers ago, but he decided against it. In the early 2000s, he’d cut his executive teeth pounding the rock in the San Antonio front office, and at least a piece of the “Spurs way” mentality stayed with him.
So in June 2022, not only did Presti hold on to both of the Thunder’s two top-12 draft picks, he traded for a third. Instead of upping the urgency, he took the long view, making one of the youngest teams in the league even younger.
And now that he’s one victory away from helping those youngsters lift the Larry O’Brien trophy?
His old franchise surely noticed how he got here.
Coming off a 48-loss season, the Spurs aren’t a perfect replica of the Thunder coming off their 58-loss mark three years ago. For one thing, San Antonio has been losing longer than Oklahoma City had. For another, the Spurs already have started to sprinkle a few impactful veterans into the mix.
But like Presti and the Thunder in 2022, the Spurs are perceptive enough to see their real opportunity lies over the entire decade ahead, not just in the coming season.
Might acquiring someone like Kevin Durant make sense if a trade doesn’t undermine their future? Absolutely. But the overarching goal is to build something with staying power, the way the Thunder did.
The slow-and-steady, take-every-step approach isn’t always a crowd pleaser, but one of the main benefits is it doesn’t require an organization to nail every big decision. Do most fans watching the Finals this week realize, for instance, that Presti made what might have been considered two massive team-building mistakes in 2021 and 2022?
Four years ago, the Thunder traded the draft rights to Alperen Sengun – now an outstanding big man for Houston – to the Rockets for two protected picks that still haven’t conveyed. Three years ago, Presti traded three first-rounders to select Ousmane Dieng, who never made it into Oklahoma City’s rotation and has played a total of two garbage-time minutes in these Finals.
But because Presti kept accumulating poker chips, and never pushed all of them into one pot, he kept giving himself chances to look like a genius. And standing behind the bench Monday night during a Game 5 Thunder victory that saw Jalen Williams pour in 40 points while Chet Holmgren grabbed 11 rebounds to go with three blocks, who looked smarter than Presti did?
Williams, after all, was the kid the Thunder took with the No. 12 overall selection in 2022. Holmgren was the guy they took with the No. 2 pick. Together, they’ve rounded out the perfect core trio with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
And if Presti had opted for a win-now move three years ago? There’s a good chance he would have been watching from home Monday night while some other Western Conference team played the Pacers.
Of course, this isn’t to say Spurs general manager Brian Wright should just sit on his hands all summer. Everyone expects him to take Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the No. 2 pick on June 25, and there’s a great chance Harper, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama someday will share a mid-June spotlight the same way Oklahoma City’s trio is now.
But if the Spurs can acquire a shooter or a backup center by trading the No. 14 pick? Sure, that would make sense. If they can acquire Durant without giving up Harper, Castle, or Atlanta’s 2027 or 2028 first-rounders? That would be great, too, although other suitors might be driving up Durant’s price beyond the Spurs’ comfort level.
The point is, Wright has no reason to panic here. His back is not even close to the wall. Three years ago, the Thunder made their draft picks, let Gilgeous-Alexander keep improving, and essentially ran it back with the same young group. They won 40 games the next season, made it to the second round of the playoffs the year after that, and now are one victory away from a championship.
The way the Thunder are constructed, they should be in the running for more titles in the years to come.
And if the Spurs want to join them?
They once showed Presti the way.
Now he’s returning the favor.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News