By Eric Fritts | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-12-10 13:43:22
维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 以火热的状态开启了他的第三个赛季。然而，这一势头却被伤病报告中那组第二可怕的词语所打断：“小腿拉伤”。这当然是因为最令人闻风丧胆的词是“跟腱撕裂”，在上赛季季后赛三位球星因此倒下后，各支球队对任何小腿伤病都处理得极为谨慎。文班亚马是联盟中身材最高的球员，而过往拥有这一头衔的球员们伤病史都不太乐观，这更进一步加剧了人们的担忧。
尽管如此，文班亚马和马刺队已经做了充分的准备工作，而且早在进入NBA之前，文班就一直像对待微芯片一样精密地管理自己的身体。即便如此，马刺队仍然保持谨慎。这一切都合情合理，而在缺少当家球星的情况下，马刺不仅稳住了局面，甚至打出了8胜3负的战绩，表现相当出色。因此，球队并没有急于让他复出。当然，除非你很在乎赛季末的个人荣誉评选。
在受伤前，维克托的表现已经达到了NBA最佳阵容一阵的水准，场均贡献26.2分和12.9个篮板，根据dunksandthrees.com的数据，他的预估正负值高达+4.4（位列联盟第96百分位），并已逐渐进入MVP的讨论范围。
根据规定，球员必须出战至少65场比赛，才有资格入选赛季末各大奖项的候选名单。这意味着一名球员整个赛季最多只能缺席17场比赛。在今晚对阵湖人队的季中锦标赛四分之一决赛中，文班亚马将迎来他本赛季缺席的第12场比赛。如果他能在下一场比赛就复出（具体将取决于今晚的赛果），那么在本赛季余下的比赛中，他最多只能再缺席5场，才能保持评奖资格。
总的来说，出于几个原因，赛季末的个人奖项很可能不是球队或文班亚马本人的首要关注点。首先，健康应当优先于一切，其次是赢球；而个人荣誉则是赢球的副产品。尽管多数情况下确实如此，但并非总是绝对。在现行的劳资协议中，球员的薪资潜力与赛季末的个人奖项直接挂钩。对文班亚马而言，这关系到他能签下占工资帽25%的顶薪续约合同，还是30%的合同。
幸运的是，在这次不幸的伤病中，维克托的处境还算有那么点运气。他在本赛季结束后便有资格获得提前续约，但别指望他会马上签约。要获得签下占工资帽30%的指定新秀顶薪续约合同的资格，文班亚马需要满足以下条件之一：在本赛季或下赛季赢得MVP；在下赛季荣膺年度最佳防守球员，或同时在上赛季和本赛季获此殊荣；或在下赛季入选NBA最佳阵容，或同时在上赛季和本赛季入选。
考虑到上赛季的结果已无法改变，最重要的其实是下个赛季，这给了他本赛季一些喘息的空间来把身体调整到最佳状态。NBA的个人奖项固然重要，维克托的职业生涯也必将斩获无数荣誉，但真正的压力要到下个赛季才会到来。无论本赛季结果如何，预计他都会放弃提前续约，等到2027年新秀合同结束时再做决定。
好消息是，根据《快报新闻》(The Express News) 记者杰夫·麦克唐纳 (Jeff McDonald) 的最新报道，文班亚马已经非常接近复出，他已于本周参加了球队的合练。他很快就会回归赛场，而有了这段额外的时间来恢复到100%的状态，球队的意图很明显：放眼长远，着眼于季后赛。
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：Wembanyama is quickly approaching the 65-game limit for awards
Wembanyama is quickly approaching the 65-game limit for awards
Victor Wembanyama started his third season on proverbial fire. However, this was dampened by what has become the second scariest set of words on any injury report: “calf strain.” This is of course because the words that strike the most fear are: “Achilles tear,” and after three stars went down with that injury last playoffs, teams approach any calf injury with an abundance of caution. The trepidation is even compounded by the fact that Wembanyama is the tallest player in the league, and previous players with that title don’t have the best injury history.
Wembanyama and the Spurs have done their due diligence though, and Vic has treated his body like a microchip long before his NBA career. Still, the Spurs are cautious. All this is well and good, and the Spurs have not only treaded water without their best player, but they’ve actually thrived with a record of 8-3 without him. So there hasn’t been a need to rush him back. That is, of course, unless end-of-season awards matter to you.
Victor was playing at a First-Team All-NBA level before he went down, averaging 26.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game with a +4.4 (96th percentile) in Estimated Plus-Mines per dunksandthrees.com and was creeping into the MVP conversation.
Players must play in at least 65 games to qualify for end-of-season award ballots. That means a player can only miss 17 games all season. Wembanyama is set to miss his 12th game tonight in the Quarterfinals if the In-Season Tournament against the Lakers. If he were to come back as soon as the next game (which will depend on tonight’s results), he would only be able to miss 5 more games for the rest of the season to remain eligible.
Overall, end-of-season awards are most likely not the team’s or Wembanyama’s main concern, for a few reasons. First, health should take priority above all else, followed by winning; awards are then a byproduct of the latter. And while that is the case most of the time, it isn’t necessarily always true. In this CBA, player salary potential is directly tied to end-of-season awards. For Wembanyama, it’s the difference between max extensions at 25 percent of the cap and 30 percent.
Fortunately enough, Victor has found himself in a bit of a lucky situation nested within the unlucky injury. He is extension eligible at the end of this season, but don’t expect him to sign one just yet. In order to qualify for a 30 percent designated rookie max extension, Wembanyama will need to either win MVP this year or next year; receive Defensive Player of the Year honors either next year or both of last season and this season; or receive All-NBA honors either next year or both of last season and this season.
Considering last year’s results can’t be changed, what matters most is next season, leaving this season to have some breathing room to get his body correct. NBA awards are great, and Victor will win many throughout his career, but the pressure isn’t on until next season. Regardless of what happens this year, expect him to forgo the extension until the end of his rookie contract in 2027.
The good news is that by the most recent account from The Express News’ Jeff McDonald, Wembanyama is very close to returning, having practiced with the team this week. He’ll be back soon, and with his extra time to get to 100 percent, it’s clear the idea is to play the long game and look ahead to the Playoffs.
By Eric Fritts, via Pounding The Rock