By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-18 15:35:13
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。
在2025年10月6日星期一于霜岸中心举行的马刺队季前赛揭幕战中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马（1号）封盖了广州龙狮队弗兰克·卡明斯基（44号）的投篮。
马刺队随队记者杰夫·麦克唐纳 (Jeff McDonald) 在球队周三于达拉斯迎来赛季揭幕战前，提出并解答了五个关键问题：
- 本赛季会是维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 开始垄断年度最佳防守球员奖项的开端吗？
这位身高7英尺4英寸的盖帽机器，本是其首座哈基姆·奥拉朱旺 (Hakeem Olajuwon) 奖杯的囊中之物，直到二月份血凝块的诊断让他的2024-25赛季提前宣告结束。
尽管只出战了46场比赛，文班亚马仍以176次总盖帽领跑全联盟——比出战80场、排名第二的密尔沃基雄鹿队球员布鲁克·洛佩斯 (Brook Lopez) 还多出28次。
由于未能达到联盟规定的球员参评季后赛奖项所需的65场比赛门槛，文班亚马无缘年度最佳防守球员的评选。
如果他能保持健康，文班亚马无疑是本赛季——以及未来许多赛季——该奖项的最大热门。
- 季后赛是一个现实的目标吗？
即便在文班亚马缺席半个赛季的情况下，马刺队在2024-25赛季依然赢下了34场比赛——比前一个赛季多赢了12场。
本赛季，球队实现类似的进步并非天方夜谭。
这是好消息。
而坏消息是，在竞争惨烈的西部，即便是46场胜利也无法保证一张季后赛门票。
上赛季，这一胜场数只能让球队排在西部第九，获得一个附加赛资格。
马刺队已经连续六个赛季无缘季后赛，创下了队史最长纪录。球迷们正迫切希望球队能打破这一季后赛荒。
对于马刺队而言，文班亚马的第三个NBA赛季不应被视为“不进季后赛就等于失败”，但如果无法在胜场数上再次取得显著提升，并至少获得一个附加赛席位，那都将被视为朝错误方向迈出的一步。
- 德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 的伤病会影响球队的赛季开局吗？
马刺队在上赛季交易截止日从萨克拉门托国王队引进了福克斯，球队对他成为文班亚马长期挡拆搭档的前景充满期待。
然而，两人仅并肩作战了五场比赛，文班亚马就因血凝块问题倒下。此后，福克斯又代表马刺队出战了17场比赛，场均贡献19.7分和6.8次助攻，随后俱乐部为了让他接受左手小指手术而宣布其赛季报销。
更令人沮丧的是，福克斯在夏季训练期间右腿筋拉伤，并因此错过了整个季前赛。
尽管预计将缺席马刺队在达拉斯的揭幕战，甚至可能还会缺席几场比赛，但福克斯有望在进入十一月之前回归。
NBA的赛程安排给了马刺队一个取得良好开局的不错机会，他们在赛季前17场比赛中，只有6场的对手是2024-25赛季的季后赛球队。
福克斯和文班亚马能以多快的速度产生化学反应，将在很大程度上决定马刺队能否抓住这一有利时机。
- “法国香草”组合能产生强大的威力吗？
总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 将自由球员市场的大部分预算用于解决球队的最大需求之一，他用一份为期四年、价值4100万美元的合同，从波士顿凯尔特人队签下了身高7英尺1英寸的中锋卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)。
科内特和文班亚马一样，被公认为是联盟顶级的护筐者之一。签下他的目的，就是为了阻止上赛季当这位令人望而生畏的法国人坐在替补席时，对手在内线予取予求的局面。
在2025年10月6日星期一于霜岸中心举行的马刺对阵广州龙狮的季前赛揭幕战中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马（1号）向队友卢克·科内特（7号）表示祝贺。
尽管没有被定位为首发，但科内特在整个季前赛中已经证明，他也可以在某些阵容中与文班亚马并肩作战——这一双塔阵容很快被球迷们冠以“法国香草”的绰号。
如果一切按计划进行，科内特最终可能成为今年夏天性价比最高的自由球员签约之一。
- 迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 能否挤进首发阵容？
作为去年六月选秀大会的榜眼秀，哈珀是马刺队史上除了文班亚马、蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 和大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 之外，顺位最高的球员。
在其他任何一个赛季，这位来自罗格斯大学、充满活力的19岁新星都将被直接定位为马刺队的首发控球后卫，并在未来十年甚至更长时间里担任此角色。
但马刺队阵中已经有了福克斯，后者在八月份签下了一份为期四年、价值2.29亿美元的续约合同；更不用说球队去年选中的高顺位新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)，他恰好还是NBA的卫冕年度最佳新秀。
即便福克斯将因伤缺席开赛后一周左右的比赛，哈珀预计仍将从替补席上开启他的NBA生涯。
如果到了赛季中期，哈珀能够强烈冲击马刺队的首发位置，那么主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 会将此视为一个幸福的烦恼。
Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket past Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers in first half of the preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 17, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs reaches for a loose ball against the Indiana Pacers in second half of the preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 17, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the the Indiana Pacers in first half of the preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 17, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers in first half of the preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 17, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文：These are the five questions key for the San Antonio Spurs this season
These are the five questions key for the San Antonio Spurs this season
San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks shot attempt of Guangzhou Loong-Lions Frank Kaminsky (44) in a Spurs preseason opener vs. Guangzhou Loong-Lions on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025 at Frost Bank Center.
Spurs beat writer Jeff McDonald asks and answers five key questions leading to the team’s season opener Wednesday at Dallas:
1. Is this the season Victor Wembanyama begins his stranglehold on the Defensive Player of the Year award?
The 7-foot-4 shot-blocking machine was a shoo-in for his first Hakeem Olajuwon trophy until a blood clot diagnosis ended his 2024-25 season prematurely in February.
Despite playing in only 46 games, Wembanyama led the NBA in total blocks with 176 blocks – 28 more than the second-place finisher, Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez, compiled in 80 appearances.
By failing to reach the 65-game threshold the league requires for players to be eligible for postseason awards, Wembanyama was rejected in his bid for Defensive Player of the Year.
If he stays healthy, Wembanyama should be odds-on the favorite to claim the award this season – and for many, many seasons to come.
2. Are the playoffs a realistic goal?
Even with Wembanyama sidelined for half the season, the Spurs won 34 games in 2024-25 – a 12-win improvement over the previous campaign.
A similar jump would not be surprising this season.
That is the good news.
The bad news? In the loaded Western Conference, even 46 wins do not guarantee a punched ticket to the playoffs.
Last season, that number would have been good for a ninth-place finish in the West and a play-in bid.
The Spurs have gone six seasons without a playoff berth, the longest in franchise history. Fans are clamoring for the team to break the drought.
Wembanyama’s third NBA season should not be viewed as “playoffs or bust” for the Spurs, but anything less than another marked improvement in the win column and at least a spot in the play-in tournament would be considered a step in the wrong direction.
3. Will De’Aaron Fox’s injury hamstring things out of the gate?
The Spurs acquired Fox from Sacramento at last year’s trade deadline, salivating over the prospect of the speedy All-Star guard becoming Wembanyama’s long-term pick-and-roll partner.
The two played exactly five games together before Wembanyama went down with the blood clot issue. Fox played in 17 more games, averaging 19.7 points and 6.8 assists in a Spurs uniform, before the club shut him down to have surgery on his left pinkie.
To make matters more frustrating, Fox suffered a strained right hamstring during summer workouts, and missed the entire preseason.
Though expected to miss the Spurs’ opener at Dallas, and maybe a few games more, Fox is expected to return before the calendar flips to November.
The NBA schedule-makers gifted the Spurs with a decent chance to get off to a fast start, with only six of their first 17 games coming against 2024-25 playoff teams.
How quickly Fox and Wembanyama can get on the same page will go a long way to determining whether the Spurs can take advantage of it.
4. Will “French Vanilla” produce a formidable flavor?
General manager Brian Wright used the bulk of his free agency budget to address one of the team’s biggest needs, luring 7-foot- 1 center Luke Kornet away from Boston on a four-year, $41-million contract.
Ranked as one of the NBA’s elite rim defenders, as is Wembanyama, Kornet was signed to halt the opponent layup line that often ensued whenever the imposing Frenchman was on the Spurs’ bench last season.
San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama (1) gets congratulates to San Antonio Spurs Luke Kornet (7) in a Spurs preseason opener vs. Guangzhou Loong-Lions on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025 at Frost Bank Center.
Though not tabbed as a starter, Kornet showed throughout the preseason he could also operate in certain lineups alongside Wembanyama – a double-big look fans quickly dubbed with the nickname “French Vanilla.”
If all goes as planned, Kornet could end up being one of the better “bang for the buck” free agent signings of the summer.
5. Can Dylan Harper crack the starting lineup?
As the No. 2 overall pick in last June’s draft, Harper arrived as the Spurs’ highest-drafted player outside of Wembanyama, Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
In most any other season, the dynamic 19-year-old Rutgers star would be slotted as the Spurs’ starting point guard and left there for the next decade plus.
But the Spurs already have Fox, who inked a four-year, $229-million extension in August, not to mention last year’s top draft choice, Stephon Castle, who also happens to be the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year.
Even with Fox sidelined for the opening week or so, Harper projects to come off the bench to begin his NBA career.
If Harper is pushing down the doors of the Spurs’ starting lineup by midseason, coach Mitch Johnson will consider it a good problem to have.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News