By Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-10-24 22:00:00
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。
德克萨斯的夏天似乎总以一种近乎怪诞的方式盘桓不去。当其他地区在一年中的第十个月已开始降温时，一种宛如炼狱初开的感觉仍弥漫在这片“牛肉之州”，气温依旧能达到90华氏度（约32摄氏度）。
但请别搞错，秋天确实已经来临。随之而来的，是再次提醒我们尤利乌斯·凯撒 (Julius Caesar) 当年把儒略历搞得有多糟。十月（October）怎么可能不是一年中的第八个月（octo-）呢？在之前的罗马历法中它明明就是！
我本想问该怪谁，但历史已经明确指出了谁该为这个莫名其妙的错误负责。幸运的是，他后来被一群同样对这套历法不满的同僚当成了人肉针垫。
至少，布鲁图斯是这么告诉我的。而布鲁图斯是个正人君子。
无论如何，十一月即将到来，而我们今天要讨论的并非那些罗马人。在我们上赛季以古典为主题的赛季前瞻的基础上，我们将再次探讨如何将罗马帝国征服史的经验教训最好地应用于职业篮球这项运动，管他什么历法呢！
但首先，让我们回顾一些重要的阵容变动：
- 通过自由球员市场和交易引进了卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 和凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk)，圣安东尼奥的内线深度得到了极大提升，这是自邓肯时代末期以来，球队首次拥有四名具备丰富中锋经验的球员，也是自2019年以来首次同时拥有三名七尺长人。
- 在NBA选秀中用榜眼签选中了迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)，这让马刺自2021年以来首次拥有三名能够以首发（或接近首发）水准组织进攻的球员。
- 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembayama) 和德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 度过了一个基本健康的休赛期，两人目前状态绝佳，且比以往任何时候都更具侵略性。
- 在上赛季大部分时间以临时身份执教后，米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 随着格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 回归管理层而正式出任主教练。他聘请了防守大师肖恩·斯威尼 (Sean Sweeney) 和新锐的奥斯汀马刺队主教练斯科特·金 (Scott King)，这让圣安东尼奥拥有了自詹姆斯·博雷戈 (James Borrego)、艾米·乌度卡 (Ime Udoka) 和贝基·哈蒙 (Becky Hammon) 时代以来最年轻的教练组。
- 用14号签选中卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant)，使马刺在前锋位置上拥有了久违的深度，杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan)、凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)、朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie)、哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 和林迪·沃特斯三世 (Lindy Waters III) 都可能在常规赛中争夺上场时间。
这些对球队阵容来说并非微小的变化，尽管它们的累积效应在某种程度上被全国性媒体所忽视和低估了。
在过去几个赛季里，马刺在控卫和内线位置上一直捉襟见肘，球队的成败悬于这些位置整个赛季的健康状况。无论是否遭遇伤病潮，在职业体育中指望这种事情总是一场赌博。而最近，马刺一直在这场赌博中处于下风。
我预计这一趋势将在本赛季逆转，因为银黑军团终于拥有了更像是季后赛常客的阵容深度。
不过，马刺注定会面临考验。赛季还未开始，他们就已遭遇索汉、奥利尼克和德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 的轻微伤病。尽管我极不愿这么说，但更多的伤病肯定还会出现。然而，由于每个位置都有2-3名轮换级别的球员，伤病或许会变成一种小小的“幸事”，可能会让新秀们获得比原本更多的成长时间——在未来的几年里，这种经验对于新秀来说可能会越来越难得。
那么，球队面临的究竟是何种障碍，以至于需要我们去反思罗马征服史的历史与法则？这种障碍已经超越了数据的提升和指挥权的更迭。
在汉尼拔翻越阿尔卑斯山脉的125年前，罗马人卷入了一系列冲突，这标志着他们这个新兴共和国的首次重大扩张。通过一系列较小规模的冲突和联盟，罗马人缓慢而逐步地获得了领土，他们渴望切断任何可能导致入侵的直接途径。
对于一个曾多年遭受伊特鲁里亚人（他们正是推翻了伊特鲁里亚的君主制才获得独立）攻击，并且在不到50年前刚刚目睹罗马城被高卢人洗劫的国家来说，这是一种合理的担忧。
当时的罗马人，或多或少满足于自身的发展，仅控制着意大利及其更大经济体的一部分，他们未能预见到那次入侵，并遭受了一系列失败，最终被敌军攻破了自己首都的城门，被迫向入侵的高卢人纳贡/支付赎金。
罗马人迅速地重建了自身和军队，强行联合/征服了他们较小的意大利盟友，并将目光投向了他们最大的对手：萨莫奈人。
萨莫奈人曾是罗马对抗高卢人的盟友，但他们利用了罗马此前的困境，开始蚕食其肥沃的下游平原。他们想当然地认为罗马作为一个强权正在衰落。他们大错特错了。
在卧薪尝胆足够久之后，罗马人以雷霆之势击退了萨莫奈人，期间仅有一次停顿是为了在自己的盟友中重新确立统治地位。在接下来的53年里，他们在每一次后续战争中都夺取了更多领土，直到最终在辛提努战役中遇到了最后一支强大的敌对力量。
在战争的大部分时间里，萨莫奈人在数量上占有优势。而现在，他们与罗马的宿敌伊特鲁里亚人和高卢人结盟，组成了一支五到六万人的大军奔赴战场。
罗马军队的兵力估计为四万人。
至此，经过数十年的战争，勇气的终极考验终于来临。若胜利，罗马人将控制整个意大利半岛，为未来几个世纪的扩张奠定基础。
若失败，这将是一次毁灭性的军事挫折，几乎会终结罗马共和国所有的希望与抱负（甚至可能包括其存亡）。
两年前，当萨莫奈人与伊特鲁里亚人结盟的传闻传到罗马时，罗马人选举了一位执政官。他们的选择是一位经验丰富的军事指挥官，名叫昆图斯·费边·马克西姆斯·鲁利安努斯 (Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus)（他是“拖延者”昆图斯·费边·马克西姆斯·维尔鲁科苏斯的祖父）。他起初以不符合资格为由拒绝了任命，直到对方满足了他提出的条件才松口——即他以前的共同执政官兼密友普布利乌斯·德西乌斯·穆斯 (Publius Decius Mus) 也必须与他一同当选。
这是一个明智的要求，罗马人也很乐意接受。两人都是第二次萨莫奈战争的英雄，他们共同指挥的巨大成功，最终以一系列强制休战协议结束了那场冲突。
他们各自领导两支独立的军队，分别对抗萨莫奈人和伊特鲁里亚人，但行动却近乎完美地步调一致。昆图斯·费边深信，这样的团队合作将再次成为必需，他做出了一个最终以近乎预言的方式影响战争命运的决定。
他们是截然不同的人。昆图斯·费边（很像他后来的孙子）是一位极其谨慎、精于算计的指挥官，并具有政治才能。而普布利乌斯·德西乌斯则恰恰相反，他极富侵略性且大胆无畏，出身于一个以在战场上牺牲自我而闻名的军人世家。两人都取得了巨大的成功，尽管性格迥异，却彼此高度敬重。
他们再次分兵。并且，他们再次相对轻松地突破了敌阵，直到最终在辛提努平原上会师。
面对优势兵力，罗马人花了整整两天时间谋划战略，最终向萨莫奈军队发起冲锋。一时间，他们的计划似乎奏效了。昆图斯·费边采取了更具防御性的战术，试图用消耗战的铁钳困住一半的敌人，阻止他们支援另一半正被普布利乌斯·德西乌斯以雷霆万钧之势猛攻的敌军。
德西乌斯下令骑兵冲锋，两次击退了萨莫奈骑兵，并重创了他们的阵列，以至于罗马人几乎将敌方的步兵阵线一分为二。
然而，他们没有考虑到萨莫奈战车的机动性。这些战车挣脱了费边的钳制，迅速反击德西乌斯的骑兵，反而冲垮了罗马的步兵阵线。
这本应是致命的一刻。罗马左翼陷入混乱，而由于先前战略的成功，昆图斯·费边无法施以援手。哪怕是最小规模的崩溃，也几乎肯定会让萨莫奈人包抄罗马军队的侧翼，从而注定失败。
就在此时，罗马共和国的将军兼共同执政官普布利乌斯·德西乌斯，穿上他的盔甲，冲向了前线，高声吟诵着 Devotio——一段向罗马诸神祈祷的祷文，祈求他们接受自己在战斗中的牺牲，以换取人民的胜利，正如他父亲40年前所做的那样。
通过此举，他团结了余下的部下，重整了罗马左翼，为昆图斯·费边的两支预备队的抵达和援助争取了宝贵的时间。
费边意识到萨莫奈人在反击中投入了过多兵力，从而削弱了他们自己的右翼。他当即下令骑兵向那一侧冲锋，击溃了萨莫奈人的侧翼，将其部队一分为二，从而有效地结束了这场战役和整个战争。
总计，萨莫奈人损失了20,000人。而罗马人，损失不到9,000人，外加一位英雄将军。
那么，圣安东尼奥马刺队呢？
嗯，现实是，如果没有某种属于他们自己的 Devotio，圣安东尼奥马刺将永远无法崛起成为争冠者。
毫无疑问，这支球队是自拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇 (LaMarcus Aldridge) 和那位不愿被提及的前锋在西部决赛中短暂地让金州勇士心生畏惧以来，阵容深度最强的一次。
然而，这种深度也带来了牺牲的必要性。无论是通过交易、上场时间，还是其他方式，这种牺牲都是必需的，它是为了催生那个被许多人构想为维克托·文班亚马和他的同伴们未来的王朝的开端。
对于我们这些曾多年关注上一个圣安东尼奥王朝的人来说，这不应是什么惊人的消息。我们见证过此前的牺牲。
马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili) 在上场时间和首发位置上的让步；为了加强阵容薄弱环节而交易走深受喜爱的球员，如乔治·希尔 (George Hill)、马利克·罗斯 (Malik Rose)、法布里西奥·奥博托 (Fabicio Oberto) 和布鲁斯·鲍文 (Bruce Bowen)；为了签下更合适的角色球员如鲍里斯·迪奥 (Boris Diaw) 而裁掉备受尊敬的老将斯蒂芬·杰克逊 (Stephen Jackson)；格雷格·波波维奇为了球队的未来而忍受输球的煎熬。
这个休赛期，马刺弥补了他们的许多弱点。在多项篮板数据排名联盟后三分之一后，他们签下了一位篮板效率出色的内线卢克·科内特；在福克斯和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔之后，选来了一位几乎可以肯定是未来核心的控球后卫；并增加了像凯利·奥利尼克、林迪·沃特斯三世这样的高个射手，以及（希望）冉冉升起的神射手莱利·米尼克斯 (Riley Minix) 和卡特·布莱恩特。
时机已到。资产已经囤积，球队已经重装上阵，剩下的就是找出还有什么代价需要支付。深度有了，天赋有了，但谁有勇气成为圣安东尼奥的普布利乌斯·德西乌斯？
只有时间能给出答案。
对于文班亚马和其他马刺球员来说，这是一个充满豪言壮语的休赛期。采访中不再是关于重建和试验。一支志向远大但经验尚浅的球队已经宣告开战。
对于现在专注于在NBA的等级体系和传奇殿堂中确立自己地位的维克托·文班亚马，我愿献上伊蒙学士 (Maester Aamon) 在琼恩·雪诺 (John Snow)（以及对他自己的弟弟伊耿五世 (Aegon V)）就任守夜人总司令时给予的同样建议：
杀了你心中的男孩，维克托。杀了男孩，让男人/王朝浴火重生。
赛季漫长而艰险，消耗战即将来临。但如果这支马刺队能找到他们骨子里的坚韧，去做必须做的事——在需要时做出牺牲并承受代价，那么关于争冠的疑问将不复存在，而关于建立王朝的讨论将纷至沓来。
赛季主题曲：
Time Has Come Today by The Chambers Brothers
点击查看原文：What the Spurs can learn from Publius Decius, the Battle of Sentinum, and the 3rd Samnite War
What the Spurs can learn from Publius Decius, the Battle of Sentinum, and the 3rd Samnite War
There’s something almost grotesque in the way that the summer lingers in Texas. Where other regionalities have begun to cool in the 10th month of the annum, a feeling of freshly minted hell permeates throughout the beef state, with 90-degree temperatures still in reach.
Fall is here, though, make no mistake. And with it, the reminder of just how badly Julius Caesar cocked up the Julian Calendar. How on earth is October not the eighth month of the year? It was in the previous Roman calendar!
I’d ask who to blame, but history has made it pretty clear who bears the responsibility for such an inexplicable error. Fortunately, he was subsequently used as a fleshy pincushion by a group of peers who were also upset about the calendar.
Or, at least, that’s what Brutus told me. And Brutus is an honorable man.
In any case, November is almost here, and those are not the Romans that we’re looking to discuss. Building on last season’s classically-themed season preview, we’re once again looking at how best to apply the lessons of Roman imperial conquest to the sport of professional basketball, calendars be damned!
But first, let’s go over some significant roster developments:
- The free-agency and trade additions of Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk have improved San Antonio’s big man depth to such an extent that they have four players with considerable experience playing center for the first time since the end of the Duncan-era, and their first trio of seven-footers since 2019.
- The addition of Dylan Harper with the 2nd pick in the NBA draft, leaves the Spurs with three players capable of running the point at (or near) a starter level of quality for the first time since 2021.
- A largely healthy offseason for Victor Wembayama and Devin Vassell has both players in great shape and looking more aggressive than ever.
- After navigating most of last season in an interim role, Mitch Johnson has officially assumed the role of head coach after Gregg Popovich’s return to the front office. His hiring of defensive maestro Sean Sweeney and the up-and-coming Austin Spurs head coach Scott King gives San Antonio their youngest coaching staff since the days of James Borrego, Ime Udoka, and Becky Hammon.
- The addition of Carter Bryant with the 14th pick has given the Spurs their most depth at the forward position in a very long time, with Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, and Lindy Waters III all potentially vying for minutes in the regular season.
Those are not small changes for this roster, though their cumulative effect has been somewhat ignored and underrated by national media members.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Spurs have been perilously thin at the point and in the post, with success hinging on season-long health at those positions. Injury bug or no, betting on that sort of thing is always a gamble in pro sports. And as of late, it’s been a gamble the Spurs have been on the losing end of.
That’s a trend that I expect to reverse itself this season, as the Silver and Black finally have depth more reminiscent of a playoff regular.
The Spurs are sure to be tested, though. Already, they’re starting the season with minor injuries to Sochan, Olynyk, and De’Aaron Fox. Much as I hate to say it, more are sure to come. However, with 2-3 rotation caliber players at each position, injuries may turn out to be a minor blessing, possibly giving the rookies more developmental playing time than they might otherwise have gotten — experience that’s likely to be harder and harder to come by for rookies in the years to come.
So, what are the hurdles facing the team that necessitate a reflection on the history and principles of Romanic conquest? The kind of hurdles that go beyond improved numbers and a change in command.
A hundred and twenty-five years before Hannibal crossed the Alps, the Romans embarked on a series of conflicts that represented the first significant expansion of their fledgling republic. Having slowly and gradually gained territory through a number of smaller conflicts and alliances, the Romans were keen to cut off any and all direct avenues to invasion.
It was a reasonable concern for a nation that had spent years being attacked by the Etruscans (whose monarchy they overthrew to assert independence), and that had seen Rome sacked by the Gauls not even a full 50 years before.
The Romans, more or less content to attend to their own development and controlling only a portion of Italy and its larger economy, had failed to anticipate the invasion and suffered a series of defeats that eventually drove them through the very gates of their own capital city and forced them to pay tribute/ransom to the invading Gauls.
Rapidly, the Romans rebuilt themselves and their armies, forcefully united/conquered their minor Italian allies, and set their sights on their greatest rival: the Samnites.
Once their allies against the Gauls, the Samnites had taken advantage of Rome’s previous woes and had begun to creep into their fertile lower plains. They assumed that the Romans were in decline as a power. They could not have been more mistaken.
Having lain low for long enough, the Romans beat back the Samnites with ferocity, pausing only once to assert their dominance amongst their own allies, and taking more territory with each subsequent war over the next 53 years, until finally they met the last significant opposing force at the Battle of Sentinum.
For much of the war, the Samnites had enjoyed an advantage in numbers. Now, they had allied themselves with Rome’s former enemies in the Etruscans and the Gauls and took the field with an army of 50-60,000 men.
The Roman force was estimated at 40,000.
Here, at last, after decades of warfare, was the final test of mettle. With victory, the Romans would control all of the Italian peninsula, setting the stage for centuries of expansion to come.
With defeat, the kind of military setback that would all but end the hopes and ambitions (and perhaps existence) of the Roman Republic.
Two years before, the Romans had elected a consul after rumors of a Samnite and Etruscan alliance had reached them. Their choice was an experienced military commander by the name of Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus (grandfather of Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus – ‘The Cunctator’), who refused the appointment on grounds that he was ineligible, and only relented on the condition that his former co-consul and close friend Publius Decius Mus also be elected alongside him.
It was a sensible request, and one the Romans were happy to honor. Both men were heroes of the 2nd Samnite War, having co-commanded together with such success that they had ended the conflict with a series of forced truces.
Leading two separate armies, they had worked independently against the Samnites and Etruscans, yet in near-perfect lockstep. Convinced that such teamwork would be needed once again, Quintus Fabius made a decision that would ultimately affect the fate of the war in a near-prophetic fashion.
They were very different men. Quintus Fabius was (much like his eventual grandson) a commander of great caution and calculation, and talent for politics. Publius Decius, on the other hand, was aggressive and daring, and descended from a long line of military men who were known for sacrificing themselves on the field of battle. Each was highly successful, and in spite of those differences, held the other in high esteem.
Once again, they split their armies. And, once again, they cut through the opposition with relative ease, until they ultimately reunited on the plains of Sentinum.
For two days, the Romans planned their strategy against the superior force until finally charging the Samnite army. And for a moment, their plan appeared to be working. Quintus Fabius fought more defensively, in an attempt to pin half of their enemies in a vice of attrition and keep them from assisting the other half of the army that Publius Decius was leveling with his full force of ferocity.
Decius ordered a cavalry charge, which drove the Samnite cavalry back twice, and so punctured their ranks that the Romans all but split their infantry lines in two.
They had, however, failed to consider the mobility of the Samnite chariots, who had extricated themselves from Fabius’ vice, and promptly counter-charged Decius’ cavalry, breaking open the Roman infantry lines instead.
It should have been a fatal moment. The Roman left was in disarray, and due to the success of their previous strategy, Quintus Fabius was in no position to help. Even the smallest of collapses would almost certainly allow the Samnites to flank to Roman army, all but guaranteeing defeat.
It was then that Publius Decius, General and Co-Ruler of the Roman Republic, donned his armor and made his way to the front lines, bellowing the Devotio, a prayer to the Roman deities to accept his sacrifice in battle in exchange for the victory of his people, just as his father had done 40 years previously.
In doing so, he united his remaining men and reformed the Roman left long enough for two of Quintus Fabius’ reserve units to arrive and assist.
Realizing that the Samnites had over-committed in their counterattack, Fabius recognized that they had subsequently weakened their own right, and called for a cavalry charge on that side that broke the Samnite flanks and split their forces in twain, effectively ending the battle and the war.
All told, the Samnites lost 20,000 men. The Romans, fewer than 9,000, plus one heroic General.
And as for the San Antonio Spurs?
Well, the reality is that the San Antonio Spurs will never be able to rise to contender status without some kind of Devotio of their own.
The team is, without a doubt, the deepest it’s been since LaMarcus Aldridge and The Forward Who Shall Not Be Named briefly struck fear into the hearts of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
That depth, however, creates a necessity of sacrifice. A sacrifice that will be required, whether by trade, or playing time, or in some other fashion, in order to birth the beginning of the dynasty that so many envision as a future for Victor Wembanyama and company.
This should not come a shocking news to those of us who spent years with our eyes on the previous San Antonio dynasty. We’ve witnessed the sacrifices that came before.
The playing time and starting unit concessions by Manu Ginobili, the trades of beloved players like George Hill, Malik Rose, Fabicio Oberto, and Bruce Bowen to reinforce weaker areas of the roster, the cutting of respected vets like Stephen Jackson to pick up better-fitting role players like Boris Diaw, the endurance of losing for the sake of the franchise’s future by Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs have patched up many of their weaknesses this off-season. After ranking in the bottom 3rd of most rebounding statistics, they signed one of the better rebounding bigs (by rate stats) in Luke Kornet, drafted an almost surefire point-guard of the future behind Fox and Stephon Castle, and added long, rangy shooters in Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III, as well as (hopefully) up-and-coming sharpshooters in Riley Minix and Carter Bryant.
The time has come. The assets have been hoarded, the team has been reloaded, and all that’s left is to find out what price there is still to pay. The depth is there, the talent is there, but who will have the courage to become San Antonio’s Publius Decius?
Only time will tell.
It’s been an off-season of bold talk from Wembanyama and other Spurs. No longer are the interviews about rebuilding and experimentation. War has been declared by a roster longer on aspiration than experience.
To Victor Wembanyama, now focused on asserting his place in the NBA hierarchy and legendarium, I offer the same advice that Maester Aamon gave to John Snow (and to his own brother Aegon V) upon assuming his role as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch:
Kill the boy, Victor. Kill the boy, and let the man/dynasty be born.
The season is long and treacherous. Attrition is coming. But if these Spurs are able to find the steel in their bellies to do what must be done – to sacrifice as needed and endure the cost, questions of contention will be no more, and questions of empire will abound.
Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Season:
Time Has Come Today by The Chambers Brothers
By Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock
