By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-10-04 09:00:00
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媒体日带来了一些关于伤病情况的意外消息。尽管德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 今年夏天遭遇了腿筋伤病，但外界此前普遍认为他将在揭幕战中领衔马刺队的后场。同时，在休赛期拇指受伤后，圣安东尼奥预计也将缺少他们珍贵的新秀——迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。然而，事实却与这两项预期恰恰相反。哈珀告诉记者，他认为自己可以在季前赛中出战，而福克斯则表示他可能无法在揭幕战中获得出场许可。
本周，ESPN 报道称，哈珀应当可以获准参加圣安东尼奥对阵达拉斯独行侠的首场比赛，而福克斯则可能缺阵。失去这两位后卫中的任何一位对马刺来说都是沉重的打击，但如果两人同时缺席，球队的后卫深度将彻底告急。在没有福克斯的情况下，哈珀将与前年度最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 搭档，成为事实上的主控后卫。
在常规赛的任何阶段失去福克斯都是一件大事。他曾入选全明星，每晚都能稳定贡献20+得分和5+助攻。然而，马刺队处理此事的方式表明，他们对哈珀充满信心，相信他能在这位老将恢复到百分之百健康状态期间填补空缺。福克斯表示他现在感觉已经准备好上场比赛了，而ESPN的报道则指出，马刺队正尽可能地保持谨慎，不希望他过早地从伤病中复出。如果他们不认为哈珀和卡斯尔能够挺身而出，他们是不会这么做的。
本赛季，哈珀在某种程度上已经扮演了马刺队关键球员的角色，而如果福克斯将在赛季初缺席更长一段时间，他的作用将变得更加重要。如果这位新秀的持球得分能力、球场视野以及篮下终结能力能够成功兑现到更高水平的比赛中，马刺队将拥有另一位高水平的持球手和得分手，来辅佐维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)。倘若福克斯缺阵，哈珀能否将这些能力发挥出来，可能会成为球队开局战绩是高于五成胜率还是低于五成胜率的关键。
话虽如此，并不能保证哈珀会在赛季开始时就进入首发阵容。在福克斯缺阵的情况下，马刺队需要替补席上的后卫能够有所发挥。在福克斯、卡斯尔和哈珀之后，下一个“控球后卫”人选是乔丹·麦克劳克林 (Jordan McLaughlin)，他上赛季场均仅出战6分多钟。更有可能的情况是，卡斯尔或哈珀中的一人将在第一阵容中承担主要后卫职责，而米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 将错开他们的上场时间，以确保马刺在整场比赛中拥有足够的持球组织能力。考虑到卡斯尔的“老将”身份以及他与文班亚马的熟悉程度，他或许能获得首发位置。
无论是进入首发五人组还是从替补席出战，哈珀都将扮演至关重要的角色。在福克斯缺阵的情况下，这个角色变得更加重要。不幸的是，对于这位新秀来说，他将没有时间慢慢适应他在NBA的首次亮相。马刺队本赛季有着季后赛的期望，在竞争激烈的西部联盟，每一场比赛都对季后赛排位至关重要。如果马刺想在缺少他们的全明星后卫的情况下取得一个良好开局，哈珀就必须尽早打出优异表现。
点击查看原文：Dylan Harper must step up with Fox’s status in question
Dylan Harper must step up with Fox’s status in question
The San Antonio Spurs Media day provided a few unexpected updates on the injury front. It was previously thought that De’Aaron Fox would lead the Spurs backcourt on opening night, despite a hamstring injury this summer. San Antonio was also expected to be without its prized rookie, Dylan Harper, after an offseason thumb injury. It turns out the opposite of those two expectations is true. Harper told reporters he thinks he could play in the preseason, while Fox said he may not be cleared for opening night.
This week ESPN reported that Harper should be cleared for San Antonio’s first game against the Dallas Mavericks, while Fox may be sidelined. Losing either of the guards is a big blow to the Spurs, but not having both would deplete the teams guard depth entirely. Without Fox, Harper becomes the de-facto lead guard alongside former Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle.
Losing Fox for any stretch of the regular season is a big deal. He’s a former All-Star and is good for 20+ points and 5+ assists every night. However, the way the Spurs are handling this portrays confidence in Harper to fill those shoes while the veteran gets back to full health. Fox said he feels ready to play now, and the ESPN report indicated that the Spurs are being as careful as possible not to rush him back from injury too soon. They wouldn’t do that if they didn’t think Harper and Castle could step in.
Harper was already somewhat of a swing player for the Spurs this season, and could become even more so if Fox is going to miss an extended period of time to start the season. If the rookie’s combination of scoring chops off the bounce, floor vision and finishing around the rim translate to the next level, the Spurs will have another high-level ball-handler and scorer to compliment Victor Wembanyama. If Fox is out for any period of time, his ability to do those things could be the difference between the team starting above .500 or below it.
That said, it’s no guarantee that Harper begins the season in the starting lineup. With Fox out, the Spurs will need guard play off the bench. The next “point guard” option behind Fox, Castle and Harper is Jordan McLaughlin, who played just over 6 minutes a game last season. The likelihood is that either Castle or Harper takes on primary guard duties in the first unit, and Mitch Johnson staggers their minutes to give the Spurs enough ball handling throughout the game. Castle may get the starting nod given his “veteran” status, and his familiarity with Wembanyama.
Harper still has a crucial role to play, whether in the first five or off the bench. That role is much bigger with Fox out. Unfortunately for the rookie, he won’t have time to ease into his first bit of NBA action. The Spurs have playoff expectations this season, and in a crowded Western Conference, every game matters for seeding. Harper needs to play well early if the Spurs want to get off to a good start without their All-Star guard.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock