By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-17 15:43:04
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马（1号）在2025年10月10日（星期五）于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA季前赛的上半场，与队友卢克·科内特（7号）一同庆祝得分。(美联社图片/Darren Abate)
每当谈及球迷们为他与维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的组合所起的绰号时，卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 的语气听起来就像是在给一家新开的冰淇淋店写点评。
“「法国香草」，我给五星好评，”科内特说道。
当马刺队在休赛期从波士顿签下科内特时，最初的主要想法是让这两种“风味”分开发挥。
作为一名本身就堪称顶级的护筐手，科内特被视为文班亚马的可靠替补。
在整个季前赛期间——马刺队将于周五在主场迎战印第安纳，为季前赛画上句号——这位30岁的科内特已经证明了这一点。
然而，马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 同样很欣赏“法国风味”与“香草风味”融合在一起时所产生的化学反应。
“上个赛季，我们一直有让维克托与另一位大个子球员搭档的想法，”约翰逊说。“只是很多时候我们并没有那样的选择。我们认为卢克会是一个很好的选择。”
两个赛季前，文班亚马以新秀身份开启其NBA生涯时，曾作为一名7尺4寸的大前锋，与6尺11寸的扎克·科林斯 (Zach Collins) 联袂登场。
这对组合从一开始就未能奏效，并很快被弃用。去年二月，在一笔将萨克拉门托的德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 带到球队的三方交易中，科林斯被送往了芝加哥。
对于总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 来说，为文班亚马的轮换阵容增加身高是休赛期的首要任务。
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋/前锋卢克·科内特（7号）在2025年10月13日（星期一）于印第安纳波利斯举行的一场NBA季前赛的上半场，被印第安纳步行者队中锋杰伊·霍夫（中右）犯规。(美联社图片/AJ Mast)
签下科内特，马刺队不仅增加了一位身材高大的球员，而且此人还能时不时地与文班亚马并肩作战。在凯尔特人队效力期间，科内特就曾偶尔与7尺2寸的克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis) 共享出场时间。
科内特表示，其中的理念是相似的。
“拥有两名护筐手能让你的防守充满变化，给对手制造巨大的麻烦，”科内特说。“然后在进攻端，如何让这对组合发挥最大效用，将会是一个有趣的探索过程。”
文班亚马也对与科内特的搭档表示赞同。
“到目前为止，无论是在训练中还是在比赛里，和他一起打球的感觉都很棒，”文班亚马说。“所以我很期待能和他一起在场上共度更多的时间。”
除非文班亚马受伤，否则科内特似乎并不会锁定马刺队的首发位置。
他已在与文班亚马搭档的各种阵容轮换中都表现出色，无论是在进攻端还是防守端。
在进攻端，科内特一直在挡拆战术中扮演掩护者的角色，而文班亚马则成为了NBA历史上最高的持球发起点。
在防守端，「法国香草」组合有潜力变得坚不可摧。问问步行者队的前锋贾雷斯·沃克 (Jarace Walker) 就知道了。
在周一马刺队季前赛战胜印第安纳的比赛中，第二节末段，沃克持球冲击科内特镇守的禁区。
科内特封锁了他的突破路线，迫使沃克试图向篮筐方向为队友以赛亚·杰克逊 (Isaiah Jackson) 送出一记高吊传球。
然而，这记传球被早已等候在此的文班亚马轻松拦截，他完成了自己生涯中最轻松的一次抢断，随即一条龙快攻上篮得手。
“在防守端，（当和文班亚马一起时）我实际上可以在外线打得更具侵略性，”科内特说。“知道你总是有个搭档在协同作战，这种感觉很棒。”
作为一名在进攻端主要活动于禁区的大个子，科内特清楚地知道，他永远不会拥有文班亚马在那一端所享有的自由度。
当科内特看到这位21岁的全明星球员后撤步跳投三分时，并不会激发他也想自己来上几个的欲望。
“我不确定你是否了解，”科内特一本正经地开着玩笑说，“但这个联盟可不是这么运作的。”
目前看来显而易见的是，无论是作为绰号还是阵容策略，“法国香草”都颇为奏效。
如果约翰逊是一位糕点师，他或许会想在马刺队未来的“配方”中，再多撒上一些“法国香草”。
“我们会继续去发掘这套阵容所能带来的优势，”约翰逊说。“我认为这仍需要时间去磨合。”
点击查看原文：How 'French Vanilla' could become a San Antonio Spurs' calling card
How ‘French Vanilla’ could become a San Antonio Spurs’ calling card
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates after a basket with teammate Luke Kornet (7) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
When Luke Kornet talks about the nickname fans have bestowed upon his partnership with Victor Wembanyama, he sounds like he’s giving a Yelp! review to a new ice cream spot.
"Five stars to ‘French Vanilla,’ ” Kornet said.
When the Spurs signed Kornet away from Boston in the offseason, the primary idea was to keep those flavors separate.
An elite rim protector in his own right, Kornet was viewed as a solid backup to Wembanyama.
Throughout the preseason, which the Spurs conclude Friday at home against Indiana, the 30-year-old Kornet has proven to be that.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, however, has also liked what happens during the moments when the “French” and the “Vanilla” blend together.
“There was always an idea of playing Victor with another bigger person last year,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t have that option a lot of times. We thought Luke would be a good option for that.”
As a rookie two season ago, Wembanyama opened his NBA career as a 7-4 power forward next to the 6-11 Zach Collins.
That tandem did not quite work out of the gate and was soon abandoned. Collins was shipped out to Chicago last February in the three-team trade that brought De’Aaron Fox from Sacramento.
For general manager Brian Wright, adding size behind Wembanyama was an offseason priority.
San Antonio Spurs center/forward Luke Kornet (7) is fouled by Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff, center right, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
In Kornet, the Spurs added a sizeable player who can at times play beside him as well. During his time with the Celtics, Kornet occasionally shared court time with the 7-2 Kristaps Porzingis.
The idea is similar, Kornet said.
“Having two rent protectors can give you a lot of versatility to make things hard for the teams,” Kornet said. “Then should be a fun time trying to figure it out offensively how to best fit that together.”
Wembanyama gives the pairing with Kornet a thumbs-up as well.
“So far it’s great whether it’s at practice or in this game playing alongside him,” Wembanyama said. “So I’m excited to spend lots of minutes with him in the court.”
Barring an injury to Wembanyama, Kornet does not appear ticketed for the Spurs’ starting lineup.
He has thrived in various lineup rotations with Wembanyama, on both ends of the floor. Kornet teamed up with
On offense, Kornet has been the screener in pick-and-roll situations with Wembanyama serving as the tallest trigger man in NBA history.
Defensively, French Vanilla has the chance to be impenetrable. Just ask Pacers forward Jarace Walker.
Late in the second quarter of the Spurs’ preseason win at Indiana on Monday, Walker drove the paint against Kornet.
Kornet would not let him pass, leading Walker to try a lob toward the rim intended for teammate Isaiah Jackson.
That pass was easily intercepted by a lying-in-wait Wembanyama, who snatched one of the easiest steals of his life and scampered coast-to-coast for a layup.
“Defensively, I’m actually able to be a little more aggressive on the perimeter (alongside Wembanyama,” Kornet said. “It’s just good knowing that you always, you’re kind in tandem in that respect.”
A paint-bound big man on offense, Kornet is aware he will never have the freedom Wembanyama enjoys on that end.
When Kornet sees the 21-year-old All-star rising for a step-back 3-pointer it does not spark a desire to try a couple of his own.
“I’m not sure if you’re familiar,” Kornet said, tongue firmly in cheek, “but that’s not how this league works.”
What seems to be clear so far is that French vanilla works, both as a nickname and a lineup strategy.
If Johnson were a pastry chef, he might be tempted to try a pinch more French vanilla in future Spurs recipes.
“We’ll continue to understand some of the advantages that group can bring,” Johnson said. I think it will still take time.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News