By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-08-31 08:23:14
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。
篮球已高高抛起，你身在其中。你正为生存而战。你是一名渴望得分的马刺球员。
欢迎来到 Pounding the Rock 马刺队史单挑锦标赛的第一轮。通过这些投票和评论，我们将决出哪位马刺球员能够拥有属于自己的高光时刻，并确立自己作为队史最佳单挑王者的地位。
在此重申比赛规则：
- 每位球员都处于其马刺生涯的巅峰时期。因此，像科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 或多米尼克·威尔金斯 (Dominique Wilkins) 这样的球员，将以他们在马刺时期的巅峰赛季为代表，而非其整个职业生涯的最佳状态。
- 本次锦标赛采用传统单挑规则。半场，比赛采用11分制（记1分球和2分球），无加时，率先得到11分者获胜。无进攻篮板，得分后需回球。在本次比赛中，我们将采用球权交替制，因此没有“进球后继续保有球权”的规则。
- 锦标赛采用单败淘汰制。一旦失利，球员即被淘汰。
这里有几点补充说明。我们在介绍本次锦标赛的文章中，球员数量统计有误。编辑们最终确定了28名参赛球员，因此我们采纳了上一篇文章投票中的前四名。斯蒂芬·杰克逊 (Stephen Jackson)、阿尔文·罗伯特森 (Alvin Robertson)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和鲁迪·盖伊 (Rudy Gay) 作为最后四个种子顺位进入了锦标赛。以下是我们最终的锦标赛对阵图：
现在，让我们进入对决环节。
(1) 蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) vs. (32) 鲁迪·盖伊 (Rudy Gay)
Marilyn ：尽管鲁迪是一笔很棒的签约——他感觉就像是科怀替补席上那块缺失的拼图——但他来到这里时已非生涯巅峰。而且，即便是巅峰期的盖伊，在10次交手中也赢不了巅峰期的蒂姆9次。
Jacob ：无意冒犯鲁迪·盖伊，但这可是一位历史前十的球员对阵一位生涯末期的角色球员。我认为蒂姆·邓肯会以巨大优势获胜。
Jesus ：巅峰期的鲁迪·盖伊是个棘手的家伙，我想每个人都会同意这一点。他有身材、有运动能力，得分手段也很多。他在孟菲斯时期场均能轻松拿下18分，而且只要他全神贯注，防守也很出色。但在圣安东尼奥，他只是个生涯末期的角色球员，而他面对的是巅峰期的蒂姆·邓肯——那个膝盖健康的蒂米，那个MVP版本的邓肯。当然，或许鲁迪能得几分，但邓肯应该能相对轻松地拿下这场比赛。
J.R. ：我曾思考过蒂米是否能赢得这次锦标赛。虽然选择他的哪个赛季最适合这些规则可能会有影响——这是后话了——但我毫不怀疑，无论我们选择那个年轻、移动能力强、膝盖受伤前的版本，还是中年时期的打板大师，抑或是生涯末期的跳投手，鲁迪在这里都没有任何机会。他很难在蒂姆头上得分，也完全没有可能防住他。
(16) 德里克·怀特 (Derrick White) vs. (17) 凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)
Marilyn ：这场对决很难分出高下，在很多方面，这是力量与技巧的较量。如果讨论的是现在的德里克对阵KJ，我可能会毫不犹豫地选择怀特。但KJ在马刺的巅峰期水平更高，包括作为一名射手。而在单挑中，尽管怀特是名出色的防守者，凯尔登仍然可以凭借他的体型和块头压制他。因此，我带着很大的不确定性选择了他。
Jacob ：这是整个首轮最艰难的一场对决。怀特是一名完美的团队球员，擅长作为定点射手和防守者。约翰逊则是一名冲击力十足的得分手，但在防守端是个软肋。在单挑的环境下，我倾向于约翰逊，但我不会低估怀特在防守端锁死他并艰难取胜的能力。我的最终答案是：KJ以11-10获胜。
Jesus ：我必须选怀特，但比分会很接近。凯尔登可以在某些回合利用他相对于更轻盈的怀特的身材和力量优势，但德里克也并非软柿子。我认为怀特的控球和跳投使他成为一个更多才多艺的得分手。而KJ虽然在努力时能成为一名合格的防守者，但他在面对速度更快的球员时会很挣扎。我认为怀特将在一场艰苦的战斗中主要依靠防守取胜。
J.R. ：我选择怀特，因为他纯粹的狡黠和不可预测性。单挑很像NBA球队的季后赛系列赛。随着比赛的进行，每个人都知道对方会怎么打，问题在于谁能：a) 持续使用对手无法破解的招式/打法，或者 b) 谁能在比赛末段拿出新的招数或攻击方式来改变一切。我当然爱KJ，但我不认为他能凭A项胜出，而在B项上，我确信德里克占据优势。
(9) 德玛尔·德罗赞 (DeMar DeRozan) vs. (24) 布鲁斯·鲍文 (Bruce Bowen)
Marilyn ：德罗赞的身材和他致命的急停跳投，使他可能在任何单挑锦标赛中都成为最顶尖的球员之一。鲍文是一位历史级别的防守者，正是团队比赛中阻止像德罗赞这类球员所需的那种类型。但在这种单挑场景下，他的进攻火力不足以跟上节奏。
Jacob ：这是一场真正的矛与盾之争。德罗赞是本次锦标赛中进攻武器库最丰富的球员之一。对任何人来说他都是个难缠的对手，而鲍文有限的进攻手段无法应对这个任务。德罗赞轻松拿下这一场。
Jesus ：人们忘了鲍文在进入NBA之前，在法国联赛场均得分远超20分，所以他并非完全不会得分。但在联盟里，他面对顶级对手时进攻手段的匮乏是显而易见的。而他这次面对的是一位拥有近代NBA历史上最多样进攻技巧的球员。德罗赞在面对顶尖防守者时也能如常得分，所以尽管布鲁斯会让他打得很难受，但我认为德玛尔在大多数情况下会胜出。
J.R. ：毫无疑问，布鲁斯会让德罗赞为了得分而汗流浃背。但无论是德玛尔在圣安东尼奥早期的转身和突破，还是他马刺生涯后期那些“鬼魅”的、受欧洲步启发的突破，鲍文虽然能守住自己的阵地，但还是会丢分。然而，他要怎么得分呢？即使面对像DmDr这样平庸的防守者，布鲁斯也无法用持球进攻为自己赢得下一轮的门票。
(8) 拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇 (LaMarcus Aldridge) vs. (25) 约翰尼·摩尔 (Johnny Moore)
Marilyn ：摩尔是一名出色的传球手和不错的得分手，但一名控球后卫不可能防住像阿尔德里奇这样拥有巨大身材优势且天赋异禀的低位得分手。
Jacob ：摩尔比我的看球时代要早一些，所以回去看他的一些集锦很有趣。他似乎是一名强硬的后卫，传球能力很强，在现代篮球背景下，或许能成为一名不错的三分射手。我必须把这一票投给阿尔德里奇，他丰富的低位进攻技巧让他在这位身高6英尺3英寸的摩尔面前占据了进攻优势。
Jesus ：这就是身材错位带来的问题。摩尔有控球、有跳投，还有那种强硬的作风，足以让比赛成为一场战斗。但阿尔德里奇的身高优势太大了，他可以保持距离，在干扰对手投篮的同时防止对方突破。与此同时，摩尔面对阿尔德里奇那丝滑的左侧低位转身跳投毫无办法，因为LA以前面对七尺长人也能投进那一球。阿尔德里奇轻松获胜。
J.R. ：我认为摩尔的机会在于干扰LMA的运球，迫使他失误，让他无法进入低位，从而为自己创造更多的得分机会。我能想象摩尔可以轻松得分，给自己一个机会，但我不认为他的防守能阻止阿尔德里奇在他众多的得分甜点区出手。我选拉马库斯。
(5) 马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili) vs. (28) 乔治·希尔 (George Hill)
Marilyn ：这场对决实际上可能比种子排位显示的要更接近。但最终，我们谈论的是巅峰马努，而马刺并没有得到巅峰期的希尔。他的身材和创造力对于这位身材较小的后卫来说将是难以逾越的障碍。
Jacob ：这是一场有趣的对决！希尔在马刺的职业生涯早期非常出色。不幸的是，他面对的是有史以来最具创造力的球员之一。很难想象有比吉诺比利更好的单挑球员了。马努轻松拿下这一场。
Jesus ：马努的传奇地位在某种程度上因为他漫长的职业生涯而受到影响。许多人记住的是生涯末期的马努，那个版本的他肯定会与年轻的希尔陷入苦战。然而，巅峰马努应该能轻松击败他。别误会，希尔会在防守端奋力抵抗，但多少英雄好汉都曾被马努不可预测的进攻戏耍。而且，年轻的吉诺比利防守也很强！吉诺比利晋级。
J.R. ：希尔一上来就碰到马努，运气实在太差了。否则，如果对位有利，他或许能打进第二轮或第三轮。但在这场对决中，实在没什么可争论的。当年马刺交易希尔时我很难过，现在为他抽到这支下下签，我再次感到遗憾。再会了，Cubits！（这是一个18年前的绰号，可能除了我没人记得了，但我还是忍不住要用。）
(12) 拉里·凯农 (Larry Kenon) vs. (21) 鲍里斯·迪奥 (Boris Diaw)
Marilyn ：凯农是一位天赋异禀的得分手和全明星球员。尽管迪奥是一位出色的团队球员和组织者（提醒一下，马刺得到的是那个更胖版本的他），但在面对“Special K”时，他毫无胜算。
Jacob ：拉里·凯农是个狠角色——一个拥有出色控球技术的疯狂运动员。他有J博士（Dr. J）的风范（我猜这就是为什么他们叫他Dr. K）。迪奥很棒，但他更像一个体系球员。在单挑的环境下，我选凯农。
Jesus ：鲍里斯·迪奥天赋异禀。但他也讨厌一对一篮球，所以他可能会突破凯农杀到篮下，然后出于原则拒绝投篮。面对大多数人，如果他发挥出最佳水平，仍然有很大机会。但凯农不仅身材高大、强壮、运动能力出色，还是一位天赋异禀的得分手。这将是一场漂亮的对决，双方都会有精彩的进球，但我认为凯农会晋级。
J.R. ：马刺2014年夺冠赛季最令人享受的部分之一，就是看着一个积极专注的鲍里斯从三分线开始，用看似最少的运球次数背身单打对手。说真的，迪奥能用一系列令人瞠目结舌的动作把对手带到篮下，这些动作看起来既滑稽、老派又笨拙，却又出奇地有效。谁还记得当他把防守者晃得晕头转向，然后在篮下脑后抛投入网时，推特上“奶油奶昔”（Cream Shake）的刷屏？话虽如此，迪奥无法阻止凯农得分，所以我选Dr. K。
(13) 迈克·米切尔 (Mike Mitchell) vs. (20) 帕蒂·米尔斯 (Patty Mills)
Marilyn ：米尔斯速度很快，有时能让一些身材高大的防守者看起来很傻，但米切尔是一位天赋太出色的得分手，不会让一个比他矮7英寸的球员击败自己。
Jacob ：我担心米切尔的种子排位可能太低了。面对身材较小的帕蒂·米尔斯，我认为这位运动能力强、手感柔和的前锋将主宰这场对决。
Jesus ：或许帕蒂能在三分线外手感火热，让比赛变得胶着？如果“FIBA赛场上的米尔斯”出现，这可能会是一场精彩的较量。但除非那种情况发生，否则他面对一个能够砍下大把分数的更高大球员，将毫无机会。
J.R. ：我必须承认，为了研究这个项目，我在YouTube上看了好久米切尔的集锦，简直停不下来。我很快就从学习研究变成了纯粹的娱乐。我爱死帕蒂了，但米切尔将晋级下一轮。
(4) 科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) vs. (29) 斯蒂芬·杰克逊 (Stephen Jackson)
Marilyn ：啊，一场恩怨局。杰克逊对于科怀在他第二次效力马刺期间最终在轮换阵容中取代他感到不满，但这背后是有原因的。即使你把2003年那个总决赛英雄杰克逊拿出来，他也无法对抗那个健康、巅峰、拥有年度最佳防守球员（DPOY）荣誉并且已经开发出进攻能力的科怀。
Jacob ：我想不出这个版本的杰克逊在一对一的情况下如何在科怀身上得分。巅峰时期的伦纳德可能是史上最好的防守者之一。他将是这次锦标赛中一个难缠的对手。科怀大胜。
Jesus ：可怜的杰克。最强版本的杰克逊，也就是他在勇士时期的那个版本，或许还能与巅峰伦纳德抗衡一下。但马刺版本的他如果能赢下这场比赛，其震惊程度将超过“我们相信”勇士队击败头号种子独行侠。杰克逊足够强硬，不会让比赛变成一场彻头彻尾的溃败，但科怀应该能轻松获胜。
J.R. ：这场对决可能是首轮最接近于“拍苍蝇”的一场比赛。无论有球还是无球，科怀都将为所欲为。这次失利之后，杰克逊就有了足够的弹药，可以把他那档专门抱怨马刺的播客节目一直做到2035年。
(3) 乔治·格文 (George Gervin) vs. (30) 阿尔文·罗伯特森 (Alvin Robertson)
Marilyn ：“冰人”（Iceman），毫无疑问。下一场。
Jacob ：对罗伯特森没什么好说的。格文是历史级别的球员。我选格文。
Jesus ：“冰人”是夺冠大热门之一，他会帮我们一个大忙，早早地淘汰掉罗伯特森。
J.R. ：我错了，这又是一场“拍苍蝇”的比赛。抱歉了，阿尔文。这实在太不公平了。
(14) 阿蒂斯·吉尔莫 (Artis Gilmore) vs. (19) 德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)
Marilyn ：这场很有意思，因为尽管吉尔莫在马刺时期是全明星，但他已经过了巅峰期。与此同时，瓦塞尔应该正要进入他的巅峰期，尽管伤病在一定程度上阻碍了他的成长。这也是两种截然不同位置球员的对决。吉尔莫如果能深入低位就能得分，但他在防守端能跟上健康的瓦塞尔吗？我相信身材是真正的优势，所以我选吉尔莫，但只是险胜。
Jacob ：吉尔莫在职业生涯后期加入马刺时年纪有点大了。他在低位很出色，也是一个很好的护筐手。但他速度慢，在进攻端只有一个真正高效的区域（相信我，我在YouTube上深入研究过）。瓦塞尔有时是个令人沮祝丧的球员，但他是个顶级射手，并且有很多技巧，我认为吉尔莫跟不上。单挑是从弧顶开始，而不是在低位。我选瓦塞尔爆冷。
Jesus ：这场让我很难选，因为阿蒂斯·吉尔莫是我最喜欢的“我那个时代之前”的马刺球员之一，让他输给一个优秀但并非伟大的球员几乎感觉是一种不敬。但瓦塞尔的跳投给了他巨大的优势。“无进攻篮板”的规则也对阿蒂斯不利，否则他本可以一直投篮然后抢板，直到得分。
J.R. ：这归结为一种风格的碰撞，而单挑的赛制可能会改变局势。我非常看好吉尔莫的天赋，如果他加入马刺时再年轻一些，我会选他战胜瓦塞尔。但德文的投射能力足以将阿蒂斯从篮下拉出来，然后他又足够快、足够聪明，可以突破他。我认为瓦塞尔会晋级。
(11) 肖恩·埃利奥特 (Sean Elliott) vs. (22) 威利·安德森 (Willie Anderson)
Marilyn ：又一场艰难的对决，两位非常相似且曾并肩作战的球员。最终，我认为肖恩的巅峰期稍高一些，而且他是那个稍好的射手，这给了他微弱的优势。
Jacob ：同样，这也在我的看球时代之前，但这两人是队友，我的感觉是埃利奥特是更好的球员。他们打相似的位置，但埃利奥特似乎是更好的射手，而且他入选过几次全明星。安德森看起来是个不错的运动员和突破手，可能在持球突破时更快、更有力。我倾向于埃利奥特，但如果结果是另一边赢，我也不会惊讶。
Jesus ：埃利奥特应该会赢，但会很接近。在两个技术全面的球员之间的战斗中，我把优势给那个更好的得分手。这会是一场非常有趣的对决，但我认为肖恩会笑到最后。
J.R. ：这是一场势均力敌的比赛。如果我们从“阵亡将士纪念日奇迹”中学到了什么，那就是肖恩拥有十足的大心脏基因。我选择埃利奥特在一场艰苦的比赛中胜出。
(6) 托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker) vs. (27) 马利克·罗斯 (Malik Rose)
Marilyn ：这一次，我相信身材较小的球员比高大球员更有优势。罗斯会得一些分，他也是个不错的防守者，但托尼的速度和他那专为应对这类对位而设计的招牌抛投太致命了，罗斯无法防住足够多的回合。
Jacob ：帕克是这次锦标赛中最好的后卫。一个名人堂级别的球员不会在第一轮输给一个角色球员，即使他在一对一的对决中身材吃亏。我选帕克。
Jesus ：奇怪的是，我很想选罗斯，他可以用身材压倒托尼。但巅峰帕克可以在联盟顶级大个子面前在场上任何位置得分，而罗斯虽然是球迷的最爱，却从未成为明星。我可以想象托尼用跳投雨击垮对手，而马利克会投失足够多的球，让这场比赛尽管面临身高和力量的劣势，对帕克来说也相对轻松。
J.R. ：如果这次锦标赛有篮板球，结果可能会不同。但在这些规则下，托尼稳操胜券，尽管他也很难阻止罗斯坚决的突破和对他魁梧身材的巧妙运用。
(7) 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) vs. (26) 丹尼·格林 (Danny Green)
Marilyn ：格林在这里最大的希望就是文班在他面前漫不经心地运球（需要澄清的是，你不能在他面前这么做，否则他会把球断掉），或者文班决定手下留情，把比赛变成一场三分大赛。格林是一名出色的防守者和定点射手，但他并没有出色的突破/单挑能力，在这场对决中将毫无胜算。
Jacob ：这是一场有趣的对决。不确定格林面对文班到底能做什么。不确定他在单挑中能否投出他的三分球。我预测文班以11-0获胜。
Jesus ：丹尼·格林是有史以来最好的角色球员之一，一个胜利者，一个完美的3D球员，他将自己的角色扮演到了极致。但他也几乎不会运球，并且在篮下终结能力很差。我不确定如果那个大个子贴防他，他能否在文班身上得到一分。他或许能用他快如闪电的手从文班亚马那里断下几次球，但尽管他自己也是一名出色的防守者，却没有任何机会长时间限制住那个身高7英尺4英寸的怪物。
J.R. ：这场比赛会很有趣，仅仅是为了看看文班在得最后几分时会变得多有创造力。他会利用这些机会练习他的天勾吗？丹尼是条好汉，但他对抗一个外星人能有什么机会呢？
(10) 詹姆斯·西拉斯 (James Silas) vs. (23) 埃弗里·约翰逊 (Avery Johnson)
Marilyn ：这实际上是一场有趣的对决，因为它汇集了两位身材偏矮的球员。不过，西拉斯比AJ高大约三英寸，而且他是两人中更有得分天赋的那个，所以他会获胜。
Jacob ：西拉斯的故事很酷，他曾是ABA全明星，在NBA也产生了影响。我会选择他而不是约翰逊。
Jesus ：约翰逊聪明又强硬，一个努力工作的球员，他将自己的潜力发挥到极致，最终让自己的球衣得以退役。但他面对“关键先生”（Captain Late）毫无机会。西拉斯更高大、技术更娴熟，还是一个关键时刻之神。我不认为比赛会很接近。
J.R. ：任何时候我都会选西拉斯。约翰逊作为场上指挥官非常出色，但我不认为他有多大机会能防住詹姆斯。
(15) 德章泰·默里 (Dejounte Murray) vs. (18) 特里·卡明斯 (Terry Cummings)
Marilyn ：再一次，我认为我会选择身材优势的一方爆冷。默里是马刺最好的控球后卫和防守者之一，但我不太确定他是否有足够的身材来阻止卡明斯，尤其是在卡明斯效力马刺的前两个赛季。
Jacob ：两位高大后卫在首轮相遇。我会选择全明星赛季的默里战胜卡明斯。
Jesus ：默里在这里有理由获胜。他从德玛尔·德罗赞那里学会了中距离，并在圣安东尼奥时期显著提高了他的控球能力。他也是一名破坏性十足的防守者，能给持球人带来很大麻烦。尽管如此，卡明斯的身材可能对德章泰来说是一个太大的障碍。我给卡明斯一点优势，但看到默里这么早就出局会有点可惜，因为他作为马刺球员时打球很有趣。
J.R. ：特里在篮下很聪明，拥有一大堆低位脚步，只要给他一丝空间，他就能一步运球突进去暴扣，堪比联盟顶级好手。他曾为马刺砍下51分，而且本可以更多！他在圣安东尼奥是一个完全兑现了天赋的球员，我看不到默里能在他面前取得多大成功。
(2) 大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) vs. (31) 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)
Marilyn ：是的，我对卡斯尔一年来的表现非常兴奋，但他无法与巅峰时期那个运动能力怪物“海军上将”（The Admiral）相提并论。抱歉了，斯蒂芬。
Jacob ：我是卡斯尔的铁杆粉丝，但面对“海军上将”，他无计可施。罗宾逊大胜。
Jesus ：恕我直言，这位卫冕年度最佳新秀，我认为这里无需过多解释。大卫·罗宾逊应该晋级。
J.R. ：我很高兴斯蒂芬能入选，而且他是一个真正的斗士，他会全力以赴，如果他的远投能开，甚至可能让事情变得有趣。但要赢下“50号”（Five-Oh），他机会渺茫。
点击查看原文：Pounding the Rock’s All-Time Spurs 1-on-1 Tournament: First Round
Pounding the Rock’s All-Time Spurs 1-on-1 Tournament: First Round
The ball is tipped, and there you are. You’re running for your life. You’re a shooting SPUR.
Welcome to round one of Pounding the Rock’s All-Time Spurs 1-on-1 Tournament. It’s in these polls and comments that we’ll find out which Spur will have their one shining moment, and establish themselves as the best 1-on-1 player in the franchise’s history.
As a reminder of the rules:
- Each player is at the prime of their Spurstenure. So someone like Kawhi Leonard or Dominique Wilkins would represent their peak season as a Spur, not the best of their career.
- Assume traditional 1-on-1 rules for the tournament. Half court, games to 11 straight up (ones and twos), no offensive rebounds, and checking the ball after a score. For this exercise, we’ll be alternating possessions, so no “make it, take it.”
- Single elimination tournament bracket. If a player loses, they are done.
A few housekeeping things. We made a mistake in the player count in our post introducing the tournament. The editors agreed on 28 players for the tournament, so we are taking the top four players from the poll in the last post. Stephen Jackson, Alvin Robertson, Stephon Castle, and Rudy Gay have entered the tournament as the final four seeds. Below is our final bracket for the tournament:
Now let’s get into the matchups.
(1) Tim Duncan vs. (32) Rudy Gay
Marilyn: While Rudy was a great signing — he felt like the missing piece as Kawhi’s backup — he was not in his career prime when he got here, and even prime Gay wouldn’t beat Prime Tim 9 out of 10 times.
Jacob: No disrespect to Rudy Gay, but this is a top-10 player all-time going against a late-career role player. I have Tim Duncan winning by a big margin.
Jesus: Prime Rudy Gay was a problem. I think everyone will agree with that. He had size, athleticism and a lot of ways to score. He averaged 18 points per game in his time in Memphis easily, and he could defend well when he was locked in. But he was a late-career role player in San Antonio and he’s facing prime Tim Duncan. Timmy when he had two healthy knees. The MVP version. Sure, maybe Rudy scores a few, but Duncan should have this with relative ease.
J.R.: I’ve given some thought as to whether Timmy will win this tourney. While it probably matters which of his years we decide is best suited for these rules, a topic for another day, there’s no doubt in my mind that whether we use the young-mobile-pre-knee-injury version, or middle-years-bank-shot-maestro, or late-career-jump-shooter it seems obvious to me that Rudy has no chance here. He won’t be able to score much on Tim, and he has no chance of stopping him.
(16) Derrick White vs. (17) Keldon Johnson
Marilyn: This a tough one, in a lot of ways a case of power vs. finesse. If we were talking about current Derrick vs. KJ, I’d probably take White with no hesitation. But KJ’s peak with the Spurs was higher, including as a shooter, and in one-on-one, as good of a defender as White is, Keldon can still overpower him with his size and bulk, so I’m going with him with a lot of uncertainty.
Jacob: This is the toughest matchup of the entire first round. White is a perfect team player who thrives as a spot-up shooter and defender. Johnson is a bowling ball scorer who is a liability on the defensive end. I’m leaning toward Johnson in a 1-on-1 setting, but I wouldn’t discount White’s ability to lock him down defensively and squeak out a win. 11-10 KJ is my final answer.
Jesus: I have to go with White, but it’s close. Keldon could use his size and, mostly, strength advantage against the lighter White on some possessions, but Derrick is no pushover. I think White’s handle and jumper make him a more versatile scorer, and while KJ can be a passable defender when he’s trying, he struggles against quicker players. I think White wins this mostly on defense in a tough battle.
J.R.: I’m going to go with White for sheer guile and unpredictability. Playing one-on-one is a lot like a playoff series for NBA teams. As the contest progresses, everyone knows what’s coming, and the question is who can either: a) keep going to the move/play that the opponent can’t find a way to stop, or b) who is able to come up with a new wrinkle or attack that changes everything in the end game. I love KJ of course, but I don’t think he’s winning with A, and I certainly have Derrick with the edge in B.
(9) DeMar DeRozan vs. (24) Bruce Bowen
Marilyn: DeRozan’s size and lethal pull-up shot would probably be one of the best one-on-one players in any tournament. Bowen was an all-time defender and exactly the type you’d need to stop a player like DeRozan in team play, but he doesn’t have the offense to keep up in this scenario.
Jacob: A true offense vs. defense matchup here. DeRozan has one of the deepest bags in the tournament. He’s a tough out for anyone, and Bowen’s limited offensive game is not up to the task. DeRozan takes this one easily.
Jesus: People forget that Bowen averaged well over 20 points a game in France before making the jump to the NBA, so it’s not like he could never score. But his lack of weapons against elite opponents was obvious in the league, and he’s going against a player who has one of the most diverse bags in recent NBA history. DeRozan scores routinely on elite defenders, so while Bruce would make him work, I think DeMar would prevail more often than not.
J.R.: Bruce is going to make DeRozan sweat to get his, no question, but whether it’s the spinning and slashing from DeMar’s early tenure in San Antonio, or the funky Eurostep-inspired drives from his later days as a Spur, Bowen’s going to hold his own, but still give up points. How’s he going to score though? Even against a mediocre defender like DmDr, Bruce won’t be able to do enough with the ball to make the next round.
(8) LaMarcus Aldridge vs. (25) Johnny Moore
Marilyn: Moore was a great passer and decent scorer, but there’s no way a point guard could stop a gifted low post scorer with the size of Aldridge.
Jacob: Moore is a bit before my time, so it was fun to go back and watch some of his highlights. Seemed like a scrappy guard who could really pass it, and in a modern setting, might have been a solid three-point shooter. I have to give this one to Aldridge, whose deep bag of post moves gives him the offensive advantage over the 6-foot-3 Moore.
Jesus: This is the problem with size mismatches. Moore has the handle, the jumper and the scrappiness to make it a battle, but Aldridge is so much taller that he can space him out to prevent him from getting past him while still contesting. Meanwhile, Moore has no hope against Aldridge’s silky left-post turnaround jumper, since LA used to get that shot off against seven-footers. Aldridge wins easily.
J.R.: The chance I think Moore has here would be to bother LMA’s dribble and turn him over enough to keep him off the block and give himself more opportunities to score. I see Moore being able to score pretty readily, to give himself a chance, but I don’t see his defense being able to keep Aldridge off his many spots. It’s LaMarcus for me here.
(5) Manu Ginobili vs. (28) George Hill
Marilyn: This may actually be a closer match-up than the seeding suggests, but ultimately this is peak Manu we’re talking about, while the Spurs did not get peak Hill. His size and creativity will be too much for the smaller guard to handle.
Jacob: This is a fun matchup! Hill was awesome early in his career for the Spurs. Unfortunately, he’s tasked with one of the most creative players of all time. Hard to imagine a better 1-on-1 player than Ginobili. Manu takes this one easily.
Jesus: Manu’s legacy is damaged to some degree by his longevity. Late-career Manu, which is the version many remember, would definitely struggle with young Hill. Prime Manu, however, should beat him easily. Don’t get me wrong, Hill would put up a fight on defense, but better men than him were made to look foolish by Manu’s unpredictable offense. And young Ginobili could defend too! Ginobili advances.
J.R.: It’s quite bad fortune for Hill to have to meet the Manu right off, otherwise he’d possibly have been able to make it to the 2nd or 3rd round, given an advantageous matchup. But here, there’s just not much to debate. I was sorry when the Spurs traded Hill, and I’m sorry again now for the poor draw. Fare thee well, Cubits! (That’s an 18-year-old nickname that prolly no one but me remembers, but I couldn’t resist.)
(12) Larry Kenon vs. (21) Boris Diaw
Marilyn: Kenon was a gifted scorer and All-Star. As good of a team player and play-maker as Diaw was (and reminder, the Spurs had the tubbier version of him), he wouldn’t stand a chance against Special K.
Jacob: Larry Kenon was a PROBLEM – A crazy athlete with awesome ball control. Dr. J vibes (I guess that’s why they called him Dr. K). Diaw is awesome, but is more of a team system player. In a 1-on-1 setting, I like Kenon.
Jesus: Boris Diaw was supremely talented. He also hated one-on-one basketball, so he might get past Kenon and to the bucket only to refuse to shoot, out of principle. Against most guys, he’d still have a solid chance if he played at his best, but Kenon was big, strong, and athletic on top of being a gifted scorer. It would be a beautiful battle with pretty buckets from both, but I think Kenon advances.
J.R.: One of the most enjoyable parts of the Spurs’ 2014 championship season was watching a motivated and dialed-in Boris back guys down starting from the three point line in what seemed like the fewest dribbles possible. Honestly, Diaw could take his man to the basket with most dumfounding series of moves that looked simultaneously goofy, antiquated, awkward and yet delightfully effective. Who else remembers tweets of “Cream Shake” whenever he’d put his defender in a blender and end underneath the rim to flip it in over his head? All that said, Diaw can’t stop Kenon from scoring, so I’m going with Dr. K.
(13) Mike Mitchell vs. (20) Patty Mills
Marilyn: Mills was speedy and made a lot of bigger defenders look foolish at times, but Mitchell was too gifted of a score to let a player 7 inches shorter beat him.
Jacob: I fear that Mitchell may be seeded too low. Against the smaller Patty Mills, I have the athletic forward with the soft touch dominating this matchup.
Jesus: Maybe Patty catches fire from three and makes this one close? If FIBA Patty shows up, it might be a good contest. Unless that happens, he’s not going to have a chance against a bigger player who could score in bunches.
J.R.: I must say that I went down the YouTube rabbit hole of Mitchell’s highlights for longer than necessary to research this project. I quickly went from wanting to educate myself to strict entertainment. I love Patty to death, but Mitchell’s moving on to the next round.
(4) Kawhi Leonard vs. (29) Stephen Jackson
Marilyn: Ahh, a grudge match. Jackson did not like that Kawhi eventually passed him in the rotation in his second stint here, but there was a reason for that. Even when you bring in 2003, finals hero Jackson, he would be no match for healthy, prime, DPOY Kawhi who had also found his offense.
Jacob: I don’t see how this version of Jackson scores on Kawhi in a 1-on-1 setting. Leonard, at his peak, may be one of the best defenders of all time. He will be a tough out in this tournament. Kawhi wins big.
Jesus: Poor Jack. The best version of Jackson, from his Warriors years, could have at least put up a fight against prime Leonard, but the Spurs version winning this would be a bigger shock than the We Believe Dubs beating the top-seeded Mavericks. Jackson is too tough to let it be a complete blowout, but Kawhi should win easily.
J.R.: This matchup might be the closest the first round comes to a fly-swatting. Kawhi will have his way with and without the ball, and after this defeat Jax will have all the ammo he needs to keep his Anti-Spurs podcasting gripefest going until 2035.
(3) George Gervin vs. (30) Alvin Robertson
Marilyn: Iceman, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Moving on.
Jacob: No real comments on Robertson. Gervin is an all-timer. I give this one to Gervin.
Jesus: Ice is one of the favorites to win it all, and he’d do us all the favor of taking out Robertson early.
J.R.: I was wrong. Here’s another fly-swatting. Sorry, Alvin. This just isn’t fair.
(14) Artis Gilmore vs. (19) Devin Vassell
Marilyn: This one is interesting because although Gilmore was an All-Star with the Spurs, he was past his prime. Meanwhile, Vassell should be just entering his prime, although injuries have stunted his growth a bit. It’s also a case of two very different positions. Gilmore can get his points if he can get down in the post, but can he keep up with healthy Vassell on defense? I believe in size an true advantage, so I’m going with Gilmore, but just barely.
Jacob: Gilmore was a bit older when he joined the Spurs late in his career. He’s great on the block and a good rim protector. But he was slow and had one spot on the floor where he was truly effective offensively (trust me, I’ve studied extensively on YouTube). Vassell is a frustrating player at times, but he’s a knockdown shooter with a deep bag of tricks that I don’t think Gilmore could keep up with. 1-on-1 starts at the top of the key, not on the block. I have Vassell with the upset.
Jesus: This one hurts, because Artis Gilmore is one of my favorite “before my time” Spurs and it almost feels disrespectful to have him losing to a good but not great player. But Vassell’s jumper gives him a massive edge. The no offensive rebounds rule also hurts Artis, who could have otherwise just shot and grabbed boards until he could get a bucket.
J.R.: This comes down to a clash of styles that can turn because of the one-on-one format. I’m big on Gilmore’s talent, and would have him topping Vassell if he’d joined the Spurs any younger than he did. But Devin can shoot well enough to pull Artis away from the basket, and then he’s quick and clever enough to drive past him. I see Vassell moving on.
(11) Sean Elliott vs. (22) Willie Anderson
Marilyn: Another tough one between two very similar players who happened to play together. Ultimately, I think Sean’s peak was a little higher and he was the slightly better shooter, give him a slight edge.
Jacob: Again, before my time, but these two were teammates, and my perception is that Elliott was the better player. They played similar positions, but Elliott seemed to be the better shooter, and he made a few All-Star games. Anderson looks like a good athlete and slasher, maybe a bit quicker and powerful off the bounce. I am leaning Elliott here, but wouldn’t be surprised to see it go either way.
Jesus: Elliott should win this, but it would be close. In a battle between two well-rounded players, I’m giving the edge to the better scorer. It would be a really fun matchup to watch, but I think Sean comes out on top.
J.R.: It’s a close one, and if there’s anything we learned from the Memorial Day Miracle, it’s that Sean has the clutch gene in spades. I’m going with Elliott in a hard fought contest.
(6) Tony Parker vs. (27) Malik Rose
Marilyn: This is a time when I believe the smaller player has an advantage over size. Rose will get some points and was a solid defender, but Tony’s speed and signature tear drop floater that was designed to face this exact type of match-up is too lethal to get enough stops.
Jacob: Parker is the best guard in the tournament. A hall-of-fame player doesn’t lose to a role player in the first round, even if he gives up size in a 1-on-1 matchup. Give me Parker in this one.
Jesus: It’s weirdly tempting to go with Rose, who could overwhelm Tony with size. But prime Parker could score from all over the floor against the top big men in the league, and while Rose is a fan favorite, he was never a star. I could see Tony raining jumpers and Malik missing enough to make this one relatively easy for Parker despite the height and strength disadvantage he’d face.
J.R.: If this tourney had rebounding, this might be a different result. But under these rules, it’s Tony all day, even though he’d have a hard time stopping Rose’s determined drives and clever use of his bulk.
(7) Victor Wembanyama vs. (26) Danny Green
Marilyn: Green’s best hope here is that Wemby tries to do some careless dribbling around him (which to be clear, you don’t do around him or he will swipe it) or he decides to play nice and make it a three-point contest. Green was a great defender and spot-up shooter, but he did not have a good driving/one-on-one game and would stand no chance in this one.
Jacob: This is a funny matchup. Not sure what Green can even do against Wemby. Not sure he’d be able to get one of his threes off in a 1-on-1 setting. I have Wemby winning 11-0.
Jesus: Danny Green was one of the best role players ever, a winner and a perfect 3-and-D guy who played his role to perfection. He also couldn’t dribble to save his life and struggled to finish inside. I’m not sure he could score one bucket against Wemby if the big man crowds him. He’d strip the ball from Wembanyama a few times with his quick hands, but has no chance of containing the 7’4 freak of nature for long despite being a great defender himself.
J.R.: This would be fun to watch just to see how creative Wemby would get while scoring his last few baskets. Would he use the attempts to practice his sky hook? Danny is the man, but what chance does he have against an alien?
(10) James Silas vs. (23) Avery Johnson
Marilyn: This is actually a funny match-up because it features two undersized players. Still, Silas has about three inches on AJ, and he was the more gifted scorer of the two, so he gets the win.
Jacob: Silas has a cool story as an ABA All-Star who made an impact in the NBA as well. I’ll give him the nod over Johnson.
Jesus: Johnson was smart and tough, a hard worker who maxed out his potential on the way to having his jersey retired. But he has no chance against Captain Late. Silas was bigger, more skilled, and a clutch god. I don’t think it would be all that close.
J.R.: Silas all week and twice on Sunday. Johnson was terrific as a floor general, but I don’t give him much of a shot at stopping James.
(15) Dejounte Murray vs. (18) Terry Cummings
Marilyn: Once again, I think I’m going with size for the upset here. Murray was one of the Spurs better point guards and defenders, but I’m just not sure he had the size to stop Cummings, especially in his first two seasons here.
Jacob: Two jumbo guards face off in the first round. I’ll take Murray in his all-star season over Cummings.
Jesus: Murray has a case here. He learned the midrange game from DeMar DeRozan and significantly improved his handle during his time in San Antonio. He was also a disruptive defender who could really bother ball handlers. Still, Cummings’ size might be too big a hurdle for Dejounte. I’m giving Cummings the edge, but it would be a little sad to see Murray bow out so early, because he was fun when he was a Spur.
J.R.: Terry was clever around the basket, had a full trunk-load of post moves, and given a tiny bit of daylight, single-dribble drive and slam with the best of them. He had a 51 point game for the Spurs, and it could’ve been more! He was a fully-realized player in San Antonio, and I don’t see Murray having much success against him.
(2) David Robinson vs. (31) Stephon Castle
Marilyn: Yeah, I’m very excited about Castle after one year, but he’s no match for the athletic freak that was The Admiral in his prime. Sorry, Steph.
Jacob: I’m a huge Castle fan, but there isn’t anything he could do against The Admiral. Robinson by a lot.
Jesus: With all due respect to the reigning Rookie of the Year, I don’t think we need to explain much here. David Robinson should advance.
J.R.: I love that Stephon made it into the field, and he’s such a gamer that he’d give full effort and might even make things interesting if his deep shot was falling, but there’s not much chance for him winning against Five-Oh.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock