By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-07-05 12:58:45
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。
旧金山——在马刺队新秀 卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 周六首次踏上职业赛场之前，他已经在圣安东尼奥赢得了一位狂热球迷的心。
这其中可能掺杂了一些大学情结。
前马刺队名宿 肖恩·埃利奥特 (Sean Elliott) 赞扬了球队在上个月选秀中用第14顺位选中了身高6英尺7英寸（约2米01）的亚利桑那大学前锋布莱恩特。
这主要归因于他“来自亚利桑那”这一点。
“他是一个野猫队员，”埃利奥特说道，他曾在亚利桑那大学两次入选全美最佳阵容，随后在1989年选秀中被马刺队以探花签选中。“这意味着他得到了极好的指导。他接受了非常出色的训练，并且已经准备好上场比赛了。”
从周六在大通中心举行的加州经典赛揭幕战对阵迈阿密热火队开始，布莱恩特决心向马刺队大家庭——包括埃利奥特在内——展示他究竟有多么准备充分。
这位19岁的布莱恩特自他在图森的大学校园第一天起，就一直被拿来与埃利奥特比较。
像埃利奥特一样，布莱恩特被描述为一名臂展出色、运动能力强的潜力新秀，拥有柔滑的投篮手感，并能立即展现出色的外线防守能力。
埃利奥特和布莱恩特彼此之间并不很熟——至少目前是这样——但两人确实在布莱恩特一次短暂的亚利桑那大学招募访问中见过面。
布莱恩特在大学的那段短暂时间里，似乎每天都会有人提及埃利奥特的名字。
“每次我赛后走出球馆，总会有人告诉我让我多待一段时间，这样我就能像肖恩一样，或者有人告诉我，我在场上让他们想起了肖恩·埃利奥特，”布莱恩特说道，“那是一个很了不起的被比较对象，所以我没有抱怨。”
布莱恩特是埃利奥特之后，马刺队选中的第二位亚利桑那大学球员。球队曾在2007年用一个二轮签选中了 马库斯·威廉姆斯 (Marcus Williams) ，但他并没有在联盟中待很久。
这位来自加利福尼亚州里弗赛德的球员是今年夏天加入马刺队的两位乐透秀之一。另一位——榜眼秀 迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) ——由于正在从轻微腹股沟伤势中恢复，预计要到拉斯维加斯夏季联赛才会上场。
就目前而言，马刺队更倾向于对这两名新秀设定合理的预期。
“我们正在努力让这些新球员尽快适应节奏，”马刺队发展总监 迈克·诺伊斯 (Mike Noyes) 说道，他将担任今年的夏季联赛主教练。
尽管两位前“野猫队员”之间存在着显而易见的比较，但马刺队不愿给布莱恩特施加过大压力，要求他成为埃利奥特的“再世”。
埃利奥特来到圣安东尼奥时，已经打了四个完整的大学赛季。他打破了当时由 卡里姆·阿卜杜勒-贾巴尔 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) 保持的Pac-10联盟职业生涯得分纪录，至今仍是校史得分王。
布莱恩特在大学里唯一的赛季中，场均贡献6.5分、4.1个篮板和1次盖帽，共出场37次，其中大部分是替补出场。
他是一名履历薄弱的培养型球员，但马刺队对他寄予厚望，希望最终能将他培养成重建阵容中的关键一员。布莱恩特职业生涯早期很可能在发展联盟积累经验。
就目前而言，布莱恩特的第一步将是在夏季联赛中证明他能拼尽全力防守住其他新秀和发展联盟的潜力球员。
“我们已经明确了他的角色，”诺伊斯说道，“我们不指望他能解决所有问题，但他需要为我们在防守端定下基调。”
布莱恩特表示他渴望接受这项任务。
“这对我来说很重要，”布莱恩特说道，“每个人都想得分，但我如何才能脱颖而出？我如何才能获得早期出场时间？我如何才能获得出场机会？所以我认为防守就是我能上场的一种方式。”
埃利奥特对此表示赞同。
“那是他比赛中最出色的部分，”埃利奥特说，“对教练来说，最困难的事情之一就是让球员在防守端投入，并利用他们的运动能力在防守端有所作为。我认为他在这方面做得非常出色。”
今年夏天，布莱恩特也将有机会展示他“3D”属性中的“3”（三分）部分。
布莱恩特在亚利桑那大学并没有太多机会展示他的投篮手感，在那里他的整体命中率为46%，三分命中率为37%，不过这确实是基于一个很小的样本量。
随着赛季的进行，他成为主教练 汤米·劳埃德 (Tommy Lloyd) 轮换阵容中越来越重要的一员，在“野猫队”征战大十二联盟期间扮演了更重要的角色。
到了NCAA锦标赛时，布莱恩特已经成为亚利桑那大学队的关键一员，该队成功杀入 甜蜜十六强 (Sweet 16) ，之后输给了最终的状元秀 库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 所在的杜克大学。
“你的比赛中总有一些东西在大学里不一定有机会展示，”布莱恩特说道，“我觉得我能在场上做任何事，但理解我的角色，理解马刺队需要我在场上做什么，这才是首要任务。随着时间的推移，我会逐步提高并增加我的比赛技能。”
与此同时，布莱恩特在马刺队的电视解说团队中将永远有一位粉丝。
即使布莱恩特并非来自亚利桑那大学，埃利奥特也会喜欢这位新秀的潜力。不过，作为一名前“野猫队员”，这当然也无伤大雅。
“他拥有无限潜力，”埃利奥特说道。
San Antonio Spurs’ Carter Bryant greet fans as he enters the court during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant works with kids from various organizations across San Antonio in a basketball clinic following a press conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft picks Dyan Harper, left, and Carter Bryant work with kids from various organizations across San Antonio in a basketball clinic following a press conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Former Spur Sean Elliott, from left, interviews the Spurs’ first round draft picks Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper during an outdoor fan introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant greets fans as he comes outside for a fan player introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ Carter Bryant signs to members of the Sunshine Cottage school for Deaf Children sitting next to him during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant receives his jersey from general manager Brian Wright during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant receives his jersey from general manager Brian Wright during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant answers questions during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
点击查看原文：Can Carter Bryant be the next Sean Elliott?
Can Carter Bryant be the next Sean Elliott?
SAN FRANCISCO – Before Spurs rookie Carter Bryant stepped on the floor for his first professional game Saturday, he had already made one rabid fan in the San Antonio.
There might be some collegiate homerism involved.
Former Spurs great Sean Elliott applauded the club’s decision to use the 14th pick in last month’s draft on Bryant, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Arizona.
Mostly due to the “out of Arizona” part of the equation.
“He’s a Wildcat,” said Elliott, who was a two-time All-American at Arizona before the Spurs made him the No. 3 pick in the 1989 draft. “So that means that he’s got great tutelage. He’s been coached very well and he’s going to be ready to play.”
Beginning with Saturday’s opener at the California Classic against Miami at the Chase Center, Bryant is bent on showing the Spurs family – Elliott included – how just how ready he is.
The 19-year-old Bryant has been basking in Elliott comparisons since his first day on campus in Tucson.
Like Elliott, Bryant is billed as a long and rangy prospect with a silky shooting stroke and an immediate propensity for defending along the perimeter.
Elliott and Bryant do not know each other well – yet – but the two did meet on one of the youngster’s recruiting visits briefly to Arizona.
It seemed like Bryant couldn’t go at day in his brief time at the school without someone invoking Elliott’s name.
“Every time I walked outside after a game, it would either be people tell me to stay longer so I could be like Sean or people telling me that I reminded them of Sean Elliot on the court,” Bryant said. “That’s a hell of a person to be compared to, so I’m not complaining.”
Bryant is only the second Arizona player since Elliott to be drafted by the Spurs. The club used a 2007 second-round pick on Marcus Williams, who was not long for the league.
The Riverside, Calif., native is one of two lottery picks to join the Spurs this summer. The other – No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper – is not expected to play until the Las Vegas Summer league while recovering from a minor groin issue.
For now, the Spurs would prefer to set their expectations for both rookies somewhere in the realm of reasonable.
“We’re trying to catch the new guys up to speed as quick as possible,” said Spurs director of development Mike Noyes, who is serving as this year’s Summer League coach.
Despite obvious comparisons between two former Wildcats, the Spurs are loath to put too much pressure on Bryant to be the second coming of Elliott.
Elliott arrived in San Antonio having played four full college seasons. He broke the Pac-10 career scoring record that at the time was owned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and remains the leading scorer in school history.
Bryant ended his lone college campaign averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and a block per game in 37 appearances, most of them off the bench.
He is a project player with a paper-thin resume, but one the Spurs have high hopes of eventually molding into a key piece of their rebuilt roster. It is possible Bryant spends the early part of his career gaining seasoning in the G League.
For now, the first step for Bryant will be to show he can defend the dog out of fellow rookies and G League hopefuls at Summer League.
“We’ve been clear on his role,” Noyes said. “We don’t expect him to have all the answers, but he needs to set the tone defensively for us.”
Bryant says he is eager to embrace that job.
“That is a big thing for me,” Bryant said. “Everybody wants to score the ball, but how do I separate myself? How do I get those early minutes? How do I find myself on the floor? So I think defense is just something I could do to get on the floor.”
Elliott agrees.
“That’s the best part of his game,” Elliott said. “One of the hardest things for coaches to do is to get guys to buy in on that side and to use their athleticism on the defensive end. I think he does that extremely well.”
There will be a time this summer for Bryant to show off the “3” part of his “3-and-D” profile as well.
Bryant did not have much of an opportunity to showcase his shooting stroke at Arizona, where he shot 46% overall and 37% from 3-point range in an admittedly small sample size.
He became a bigger part of coach Tommy Lloyd’s rotation as the season wore on, playing a more significant role as the Wildcats matriculated through Big 12 play.
By NCAA tournament time, Bryant had become a key piece of an Arizona squad that made the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and Duke.
“There’s always stuff you have in your game that you don’t necessarily get to show (in college),” Bryant said. “I feel like I can do everything on the floor, but understanding my role, understanding what (the Spurs) need me to do on the floor, that’s the main priority. Over time I’ll do gradually building and add things to my game.”
In the meantime, Bryant will always have a fan on the Spurs’ TV crew.
Even if Bryant wasn’t from Arizona, Elliott would love the new rookie’s upside. Being a former Wildcat, however, certainly doesn’t hurt.
“He has a world of potential,” Elliott said.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News