By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-03 14:48:19
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 于2025年9月29日在圣安东尼奥的胜利资本表演中心举行的媒体日上拍照留念。
训练营伊始，马刺队就收到了一道来自高层的指令。
不，这份指令并非来自球队大老板彼得·J·霍尔特 (Peter J. Holt) 或首席执行官R.C.·布福德 (R.C. Buford)。
它来自一个更为重要的人物。
维克托·文班亚马话里话外透露出，本赛季，名单上的每一位球员都将全身心投入到打好防守中。
“这是不容商量的，”这位球队的建队基石说道。“如果你想成为我们团队的一员，你就必须做到这一点。我们会互相监督，我们也知道教练会严格要求我们。无论你是什么地位——防守都没有商量余地。”
在文班亚马媒体日发表此番言论之前，他的几位队友已表示，马刺队本赛季在防守端拥有变得“恐怖”的潜力。
不难看出他们为何如此自信。
这一切，当然要从文班亚马说起。他本已在向个人首座哈基姆·奥拉朱旺 (Hakeem Olajuwon) 奖杯——即NBA 2024-25赛季年度最佳防守球员——稳步迈进，但他的赛季却因2月中旬右肩出现血栓而提前结束。
如今，这位身高7英尺4英寸的全明星球员已经恢复健康，并准备好延续他此前的强势表现，当时他以场均3.8次盖帽领跑全联盟。但这还远不是全部。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马（1号）在2024年12月31日于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA篮球比赛上半场中，封盖了洛杉矶快船队伊维察·祖巴茨的投篮。（美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特）
2024-25赛季年度最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 具备与文班亚马一同入选最佳防守阵容的实力。身高7英尺1英寸的卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 的加入，为球队增添了另一位出色的护筐手。杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 是一名作风强悍、极具骚扰性的持球防守者。德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 擅长抢断传球路线并干扰传球。德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 上赛季场均贡献生涯新高的1.3次抢断。新秀卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 是一位兼具出色身材和速度的全能防守者。
此外，还有首席助教肖恩·斯威尼 (Sean Sweeney) 的加盟。上赛季马刺的防守效率仅排在联盟第25位，斯威尼在休赛期来到圣安东尼奥，旨在重塑球队的防守体系。
斯威尼过去四个赛季都在达拉斯为杰森·基德 (Jason Kidd) 的教练组工作。作为联盟公认的顶级防守设计师之一，他在2021-22赛季，即他加入独行侠的第一个赛季，就帮助球队的防守效率从前一季的联盟第20位跃升至第6位。这一进步是达拉斯在2022年闯入西部决赛的重要原因。
在达拉斯之前，斯威尼也曾在布鲁克林和密尔沃基的基德教练组中任职。
“肖恩在他待过的地方以及他所承担的职责中积累了丰富的经验，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“他已经在这个领域高水平地工作了很长时间。”
到目前为止，马刺队在训练营中还未安排斯威尼接受媒体采访，但文班亚马表示，他期望在这位来自明尼苏达州圣保罗市的教练的执掌下，球队的防守将“更具目的性”。
“进步显而易见，”文班亚马说。“感觉每个人都更清楚自己的角色了。每个人的角色都很明确，教练组也在真正地推动我们前进。他们做得非常出色。”
2025年4月9日，周三，在旧金山大通中心，金州勇士队对阵圣安东尼奥马刺队的比赛下半场，斯蒂芬·库里（30号）在朱利安·尚帕尼（30号）和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）的防守下出手投篮。马刺队凭借哈里森·巴恩斯（40号）的压哨三分，以114-111获胜。
据前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 透露，斯威尼在讨论球队上赛季的错误时直言不讳。
“他对于我们打防守的方式、身体对抗性、预判能力等方面都非常坦诚，”尚帕尼说。“从训练的第一天起，他就敦促我们打得更具侵略性。”
综上所述，马刺队确实有潜力重返昔日辉煌，再现那些由格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 执教的季后赛球队所打出的令人窒息的、“强硬”的防守。
“从我所看到的零星片段中，我感觉我们的防守潜力很恐怖——而我们甚至还没有完全过一遍所有的防守策略，”卡斯尔说。“能这么早就看到这些，是一个非常好的迹象。是的，凭借我们拥有的身高臂展和篮球智商，以及我们阵中的球员，我们有潜力成为一支顶级的防守强队。”
索汉说道：“防守是我们的首要目标。我们希望成为球场那一端的最佳球队。看到我们如此积极，并对防守充满热情，这本身就相当恐怖。见证这一切将会非常了不起。”
多年来，马刺队一直致力于寻找全能且具备防守心态的球员。这也是他们用14号签选中身高6英尺6英寸、体重220磅的布莱恩特的原因之一，尚帕尼称他为“防守大闸”。
马刺用榜眼签选中的迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 拥有6英尺10英寸的臂展和6英尺5英寸、220磅的强壮体格，在拉斯维加斯夏季联赛中，他曾展现出一些令人印象深刻的防守表现。
“总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 和他的团队在识别我们希望为球队增添的某些特质和技能、引进特定类型的球员方面功不可没，而防守心态是其中的重中之重，”约翰逊说。“我们的根基就是防守。”
而这一切都始于文班亚马的盖帽能力。
“我们将进行全场紧逼，压迫持球人，并将所有进攻都导向文班那里，”后卫乔丹·麦克劳林 (Jordan McLaughin) 说。“只要紧贴着对手，最关键的是不要犯规。因为篮下有文班在。”
约翰逊补充道：“维克托的防守技巧和全能性让你可以在战术上发挥创意。”
迫使对手失误也将是重点。马刺队上赛季场均失误数为13.7次，排在联盟第19位。
“（斯威尼）的执教方式，无疑会给持球手、给喜欢冲击篮筐的球员制造麻烦，”福克斯说。“他执教的球队在迫使对手失误方面历来都做得很好。我认为我们拥有能做到这一点的球员和运动能力。”
上赛季防守投篮命中率排在联盟前五的科内特也表示同意。
“防守绝对会是我们打造球队特色的地方，”他说。“我们正在防守端大力鞭策自己，力求将我们真正打造成一支顶级的防守强队。”
2025年1月19日，周日，在迈阿密举行的一场NBA篮球比赛上半场，迈阿密热火队后卫泰勒·希罗（14号）持球突破，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）上前防守。
点击查看原文：Why the Spurs have the potential to be 'scary' defensively this season
Why the Spurs have the potential to be ‘scary’ defensively this season
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs poses for photographs at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 29, 2025 in San Antonio.
The Spurs received a mandate from on high at the start of training camp.
And, no, it wasn’t a memo from majority owner Peter J. Holt or chief executive officer R.C. Buford.
It came from somebody even more important.
Every player on the roster, Victor Wembanyama said in so many words, will be deeply committed this season to playing good defense.
“This is non-negotiable,” the franchise cornerstone said. “It’s not something you can’t do if you want to be part of our team. We are going to hold each other accountable. We know the coach is going to hold us accountable. It doesn’t matter your status – defense is non-negotiable.”
Wembanyama’s comments on media day came after several of his teammates said the Spurs have the potential to be “scary” on the defensive end this year.
It’s easy to see why they think so.
It all starts, of course, with Wembanyama, who was well on his way to winning his first Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the NBA’s 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year when his season ended prematurely in mid-February due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
The 7-foot-4 All-Star is healthy now and poised to pick up where he left off when he was averaging a league-best 3.8 blocks per game. But there’s so much more.
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Stephon Castle, the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, has the tools to join Wembanyama as a member of the All-Defensive team. The addition of 7-1 Luke Kornet gives them another excellent rim protector. Jeremy Sochan is a rugged, pesky on-ball defender. De’Aaron Fox jumps passing lanes and deflects passes. Devin Vassell averaged a career-best 1.3 steals last season. Rookie Carter Bryant is a versatile defender with excellent size and speed.
And then there’s associate head coach Sean Sweeney, who came to San Antonio in the offseason to revamp the defense after the Spurs finished 25th in the league in defensive rating last season.
Sweeney spent the last four seasons on Jason Kidd’s staff in Dallas. Regarded as one of the league’s top defensive architects, he helped the Mavericks finish sixth in the NBA in defensive rating in 2021-22, his first season with them, after they finished 20th the season before. The improvement was a big reason why Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2022.
Before Dallas, Sweeney was on Kidd’s staffs at Brooklyn and Milwaukee.
“Sean has a wealth of experience with the places he’s been and the responsibilities he’s had,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s been doing it for a very long time at a high level.”
The Spurs haven’t made Sweeney available to the media so far in training camp, but Wembanyama said he expects the defense to be “much more purposeful” with the native of St. Paul, Minn., in charge.
“It’s easy to see the progress,” Wembanyama said. “It feels like everybody knows their role better. Everybody has a clear role and the staff is really pushing us forward. They’re doing a great job.”
Stephen Curry (30) puts up a shot defended by Julian Champagnie (30) and Stephon Castle (5) in the second half as the Golden State Warriors played the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center in San Francisco, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The Spurs won 114-111 on a last second 3-point basket by Harrison Barnes (40) and
According to forward Julian Champagnie, Sweeney hasn’t pulled any punches when discussing what the team did wrong last season.
“He’s been honest about just the way we’re playing defense, the physicality, the anticipation, stuff like that,” Champagnie said. “Just urging us to play more physical from day one of practice.”
Add it all up and, yes, the Spurs do have the potential to return to the days when their Gregg Popovich-coached playoff teams regularly played suffocating, “nasty” defense.’
“I feel like our potential defensively is scary with the flashes I’ve seen – and we haven’t thoroughly gone through our coverages yet,” Castle said. “Just seeing that already is a great sign. But, yeah, with the length and the IQ that we have, the guys we have, we have the potential to be a great defensive team.”
Said Sochan, “Defense is our number one goal. We want to be the best on that side of the court. It’s pretty scary the way we’re motivated and just excited to play on that side. It’s going to be amazing to see.”
The Spurs have worked for years to find versatile, defensive-minded players. It’s one of the reasons they selected the 6-6, 220-pound Bryant, who Champagnie called a “defensive menace,” 14th overall.
Dylan Harper, who the Spurs selected with the second overall pick, has a 6-10 wingspan and a sturdy 6-5, 220-pound frame and had some impressive defensive stretches at Summer League in Las Vegas.
“(General manager) Brian (Wright) and his crew get a lot of credit for identifying certain traits and skills we’re looking to add to our team, to get certain types of players, and that defensive mindset is at the forefront of that,” Johnson said. “Our anchor is our defense.”
And it all starts with Wembanyama’s shot blocking.
“We’re going to be picking up full court, pressuring the ball, and funneling everything to Wemby,” guard Jordan McLaughin said. “Just play on the guy’s hip and then the biggest thing is don’t foul. You’ve got Wemby down there.”
Said Johnson, “Victor’s defensive skill set and versatility allows you to be creative.”
Forcing turnovers will also be stressed. The Spurs ranked 19th in the league last season, averaging 13.7 per game.
“The way (Sweeney) teaches, it definitely makes it tough on a ball handler, on a guy who likes to get downhill,” Fox said. “His teams have historically turned teams over well. I think we have the guys and the athleticism to do that as well.”
Kornet, who ranked in the top five in the league in defensive field goal percentage last season, agreed.
“Defense is definitely going to be a place where we can build our identity,” he said. “We’re really pushing ourselves on that side of the floor to really kind of establish ourselves as a great defensive team.”
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drivers to the basket as San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Miami.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News