By Jeje Gomez, Marilyn Dubinski, Devon Birdsong, J.R. Wilco | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-12-10 01:03:11
在文班亚马和卡斯尔缺阵的这段时间里，最大的亮点是什么？
Marilyn Dubinski: 除了他们仍在赢球这一事实外，最大的亮点无疑是德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 获得了机会，将自己确立为持球核心和领袖（上赛季他与克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) 搭档首发的那17场比赛中，他并没有太多机会做到这一点）。当然，当文班和卡斯尔回归后，他仍需努力与他们建立同样的化学反应，但随着他如今角色的确立，他应该能帮助减轻他们肩上的部分负担，甚至可能为文班创造更多机会，因为现在对手再也不能肆无忌惮地对他进行双人甚至三人包夹了。
Devon Birdsong: 在上赛季末和本赛季初出现一些抱怨声之后，我很高兴看到福克斯向马刺球迷证明了他的价值，但我真正想说的亮点是球队近期的化学反应。这听起来有点老生常谈，但化学反应是买不来也强求不来的。虽然这些球员看起来一直都很合拍，但他们现在终于开始打出应有的表现了；他们相互信赖，并在需要时各自挺身而出。维克托的回归会需要一些调整，但他的缺阵迫使这支球队打出更具凝聚力的整体篮球，而不能总是依赖他来为球队兜底，我认为这一点至关重要。
Jeje Gomez: 进攻端在某些时段能打出如此出色的表现，是一个令人愉快的惊喜。失去两名使用率最高的球员，本可能导致其余球员不得不走出舒适区，承担超出他们能力范围的角色，但这种情况并没有发生。福克斯和瓦塞尔作为头号得分选择看起来游刃有余，替补席也挺身而出，一个机会均等的进攻体系甚至观赏性十足。当全员健康时，马刺会回到以文班为核心的进攻体系，这合情合理，但很高兴知道他们也能通过其他风格的打法取得成功。
J.R. Wilco: 到目前为止，最大的亮点莫过于球队明确了一点：他们得分并不需要依赖文班。当然，防守端是另一回事。我们都知道，只要这位曾经以及未来的年度最佳防守球员身着便服（因伤缺阵），马刺的防守就还远未达到顶级水准。但是，球队在缺少他们的MVP的情况下依然能得分，这主要有两大好处。首先，这减轻了文班在攻防两端时刻都要大包大揽的压力。其次，这意味着当对手堆积重兵来防守文班时，球队不必再强行给他喂球。本赛季至今最糟糕的阶段并非等待那个法国人的小腿拉伤痊愈，而是菲尼克斯向全联盟展示了如何遏制圣安东尼奥的蓝图之后的那几场比赛。希望那些日子已经过去，就像过去金州勇士在对手过度关注库里时所做的那样，当对手派出额外的防守者来封锁维克托的领空时，马刺将很乐意打一个4对3的局面。
你认为一旦马刺全员健康，谁的上场时间会减少最多，或者谁的角色会大幅削弱？
Dubinski: 很明显，朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 将回到替补席，所以他们的上场时间会有所减少，但因此带来的最大变化将发生在目前的替补阵容中。即便在文班缺阵的情况下，凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk) 似乎也主要是一个“紧急情况下才能启用”的备用选择，但最大的问题似乎都集中在杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 身上，随着科内特进入首发，他的大部分时间都在打替补中锋。作为索汉的铁杆粉丝，如果他不能在轮换阵容中确立自己替补前锋的位置，并更多地与科内特搭档出场，我对他在这支球队的未来越来越感到担忧。我真为他捏一把汗。
Birdsong: 根据索汉本赛季的上场时间分配来看，我认为他最有可能受到影响。我实在看不出，如果他不在进攻端取得进步，要如何争取到更多上场时间。话虽如此，马刺拥有斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、福克斯和哈珀这三位出色的后卫，他们都会得到上场时间。除非是出于战术对位的需要，否则我看不出索汉能得到本可以给他们中任何一人的上场时间。他这个赛季的表现很奇怪，他与球队的契合度开始变得可疑。这有点令人担忧。
Gomez: 即使在其他人缺阵的情况下，索汉也已经逐渐失势，所以当所有人回归时，他可能会完全跌出轮换阵容。但在高上场时间的球员中，德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 可能受影响最大。当他与斯蒂芬·卡斯尔同时在场时，他的得分减少，使用率如同角色球员，甚至效率也更低。球队在这两人同时在场时表现不错，所以这不是一个大问题，但随着瓦塞尔在攻防两端的角色变得更次要，他的个人数据可能会受到影响。
Wilco: 对我来说，这个问题的答案有三个人：索汉、奥利尼克和瓦塞尔。杰里米，尽管他的三分球投得不错，但似乎就是无法稳定地留在场上。凯利，尽管他能拉开场上空间，并让球保持流畅运转，但似乎在米奇教练的轮换阵容中处于末位。而德文，他在球队缺兵少将时所获得的球权将不复存在。
马刺目前的防守效率排在联盟第16位。你预计当他们全员健康时，排名能攀升多少？
Dubinski: 我预计他们至少能重返前十。仅仅是文班的存在本身就是一种威慑，当他在场时，对手甚至不敢在内线出手。然而，文班的威慑力也意味着更多球队会寻找他们的三分射手，马刺也知道他们必须提高在这一区域的防守。让文班在低位做好他的工作，同时其他人不要为了协防而漏掉射手，或是在轮转换位中失位。解决对手针对马刺投出空位三分的问题，将是这支球队迈向争冠行列的最后一步。
Birdsong: 我的意思是，第15名和第2名之间的差距其实很小，所以他们仍然有可能在赛季结束时进入前五，但到目前为止，他们的外线防守漏洞百出。如果他们找不到让索汉上场的方法，我认为他们将不得不在交易截止日前采取行动，以完全发挥出他们的防守潜力。尽管如此，维克托回归后，他们仍将是一支前十的防守强队。不过，大前锋的位置是他们必须在交易截止日或休赛期进行补强的。
Gomez: 当全员健康时，他们有成为联盟前五防守强队的人员配置。单单拥有文班就足以让他们接近这个水平。存在的两个问题是，一方面他们在限制对手三分命中率方面运气不佳，同时在防守三分线方面有时表现糟糕；另一方面，如果索汉跌出轮换，他们就没有第二个高水平的持球点防守者。这两个问题主要都能通过纪律性来解决：第一个是团队层面的纪律，第二个是让斯蒂芬·卡斯尔避免陷入犯规麻烦。如果他们能在这些方面有所改进，他们的防守应该能达到精英级别。
Wilco: 我认为当维克（Vic）上场时，马刺的防守能排进前五。如果全队都健康，那天空才是他们的极限。圣安东尼奥拥有太多能够摧毁对手进攻的威胁点，同时还有文班锁死禁区。尽管我非常期待这位1号球员打出更疯狂的进攻，但我最期待的其实是顶级防守的回归。
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。
点击查看原文：A healthy, evolving Spurs team should scare the rest of the NBA
A healthy, evolving Spurs team should scare the rest of the NBA
What has been the biggest silver lining in this stretch without Wembanyama and Castle?
Marilyn Dubinski: Beyond the fact that they’re still winning games, it has to be De’Aaron Fox getting a chance to establish himself as the on-ball handler and leader (which he did not get to do much in his 17 games last season since he was starting next to Chris Paul). Of course, he will still need to work on building that same chemistry with Wemby and Castle when they return, but with his role now established, he should help take some of the burden off of their shoulders and maybe even open things up for Wemby more now that teams can’t just double and triple-team him with little consequence.
Devon Birdsong: I love to see Fox showing Spurs fans his value after some grumbling at the end of last season and the start of this one, but I’m actually going to go with the way that the team has been gelling lately. It’s a bit of a cliche, but you can’t buy or force chemistry, and while these players have always seemed like a good fit together, they’re finally starting to really play like it; relying on each other and each rising to the occasion when it calls for it. Adding Victor back will take a little adjustment, but his absence has forced this team to play cohesive basketball without being able to rely on him to bail them out, and I think that’s critical.
Jeje Gomez: The offense looking as good as it did for stretches was a pleasant surprise. Removing the two players with the highest usage could have resulted in the rest of the team having to step out of their comfort zone and take on bigger roles than they are suited for, but it didn’t happen. Fox and Vassell looked comfortable as the top scoring options, the bench stepped up, and a more equal opportunity offense was even fun to watch. With everyone healthy, the Spurs will go back to a Wemby-centric offense, which makes sense, but it’s good to know they can thrive while playing other styles.
J.R. Wilco: By far, the biggest silver lining is the team making it abundantly clear that they don’t need Wemby to score points. The defense is different, of course. We know that the Spurs D is not ready for prime time any game the once and future DPOY is in street clothes. But the way the team has put points on the board without their MVP has two main benefits. First, it takes pressure off Wemby to be All Everything at all times and on both sides of the court. Second, it means that when teams stack their entire defense to stop Wemby, the team doesn’t have to try to force feed him any more. The worst section of the season so far hasn’t been waiting for a French calf strain to heal, it was the games after Phoenix showed the league a blueprint for how to stymie San Antonio. Hopefully those days are past and, just like Golden State used to do when teams paid Curry too much attention, the Spurs will gladly play 4 on 3 when the opponent dedicates extra defenders to guard Victor’s airspace.
Who do you see losing minutes or having their role decrease the most once the Spurs are at full health?
Dubinski: Obviously Julian Champagnie and Luke Kornet will move back to the bench, so there will be some minutes reduction there, but the biggest change as a result will be the current bench unit. It seems like Kelly Olynyk has mostly been a “break glass in case of emergency” back-up even with Wemby out, but the biggest questions all seem to center around Jeremy Sochan, who has found most of his minutes at backup center with Kornet starting. As a Sochan stan, I’m getting more and more concerned about his potential future with the team if he can’t establish himself in the rotation as a back-up forward and play next to Kornet more. I’m getting nervous for him.
Birdsong: I think Sochan is most likely to suffer based on how his minutes have panned out this season. I just do not see how he’s going to be able to pry his way into more minutes without progressing offensively. That being said, the Spurs have three stud guards in Castle, Fox, and Harper, and they’re all going to be getting time on the court. I just don’t see Sochan getting minutes that could go to any of them unless it’s situational. He’s having such an odd season, and his fit is starting to become questionable. It’s a bit concerning.
Gomez: Sochan has been losing ground even with others out, so he could be completely out of the rotation when everyone is back. But among high-minute players, Devin Vassell might be affected the most. When he’s shared the court with Stephon Castle, he’s scored less, had a role player’s usage, and has even been less efficient. The team has done well with those two on the floor, so it’s not a major issue, but Vassell’s individual numbers might take a hit as he moves to a smaller role on both offense and defense.
Wilco: For me, there’s a three-headed answer to this question: Sochan, Olynyk, and Vassell. Jeremy, even though he’s hitting his threes, can’t seem to stay on the court. Kelly, even though he stretches the floor and keeps the ball movement whirring, seems to be at the bottom of Mitch’s rotation. And Devin just won’t keep seeing the number of touches he’s had while playing shorthanded.
The Spurs currently have the 16th-best defensive rating in the league. How much do you expect them to climb up the rankings when they get healthy?
Dubinski: I expect them to get back into the top 10 at worst. The mere presence of Wemby is a deterrent on its own, with teams not even attempting shots in the paint when he’s there. Still, the Wemby deterrent means more teams are looking for their three-point shooters, and the Spurs know they have to improve in defending in that area. Let Wemby do his job down low and don’t leave shooters to double-team or lose sight of your rotation. Ending the issue of open three-pointers against the Spurs will be the final step to take this team to contention.
Birdsong: I mean, the difference between #15 and #2 is pretty narrow, so they could still end the season in the top 5, but that perimeter has been pretty darn leaky so far. If they can’t find a way to get Sochan on the court, I think they’re going to have to make a move at the deadline to play up to their full defensive potential. Still, they’ll be a top 10 defense with Victor back in the fold. That power-forward role is something they’re going to have to shore up at the deadline or the offseason, though.
Gomez: They have the personnel to be a top five defense when everyone’s healthy. Just having Wemby around should be enough to get them close to it. The two issues are that they have been both unlucky in terms of opponent three-point shooting, but also terrible at defending the arc at times, and that they don’t have a second high-level point of attack defender if Sochan is out of the rotation. Both problems are solvable mostly through discipline, the first at the team level and the second with Castle not getting himself in foul trouble. If they can improve on those areas, they should be elite defensively.
Wilco: I see the Spurs in the top five when Vic plays. If the whole team is healthy, the sky’s the limit. San Antonio has far too many threats to wreak havoc on an offense while Wemby locks down the paint. As much as I’m excited for more insane offense out of #1, it’s really the return of a top tier defense that I’m most anticipating.
By Jeje Gomez, Marilyn Dubinski, Devon Birdsong, J.R. Wilco, via Pounding The Rock