By Jeje Gomez, Marilyn Dubinski, Mark Barrington, Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-01-25 15:03:00
马刺在德文·瓦塞尔缺阵期间取得了8胜5负的战绩。他的缺席是球队近期（相对而言）陷入挣扎的主要原因吗？或者，还有其他被忽略的重要因素？
Marilyn Dubinski: 我不会说他是 最主要 的原因，但这无疑是其中一个因素。在一段时间里，一个大问题是所有三名后卫（德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)）同时陷入了投篮低谷，球队缺少了一个可以分球出去的“减压阀”，无论是由他来投三分还是自己创造投篮机会。瓦塞尔是队里少数几个能同时做到这两点的球员之一，所以希望他的回归能帮助球队在进攻陷入停滞时重新找到节奏，从而带来更强的稳定性。
Mark Barrington: 这绝对是一个因素，但情况不止于此。他们在首发阵容中缺少能创造投篮机会的球员，这导致了斯蒂芬·卡斯尔大量地冲入禁区的人堆里。斯蒂芬在人群中传球的能力有所进步，但他陷入篮下防守重围的次数仍然比应有的要多。我认为最大的因素可能是疲劳，这也可能部分归因于德文的缺阵，但主要还是因为他们在一月份的赛程里，除了月初和月底的几次外，两场比赛之间几乎都只有一天的休息时间。
Devon Birdsong: 我认为瓦塞尔的缺阵只是凸显了球队阵容中投射能力的薄弱。在我看来，当像瓦塞尔这样的球员缺阵时，队中那些不擅长投篮的后卫就成了更大的问题。我认为如果尚帕尼或巴恩斯长期缺阵，也会出现同样的问题。我很有信心，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔和哈珀中至少有一人能在这方面有所提高，但这确实让外界的焦点集中在了马刺在阵容其他位置上对投射能力的需求上，尤其是大前锋位置。我认为那两名年轻后卫的加入，对可怜的杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 来说或许就是“死亡之吻”。如果那两人都能稳定地投射远距离篮，马刺本可以适应索汉在投篮上的不足，但当他们三个都在阵容中时，总有一个人要被牺牲，而默认情况下，那个人可能就是索汉。这与其说是对他潜力的评价，不如说是认为另外两人比他更有潜力。这对他来说真是个沉重的打击。
Jesus Gomez: 多名球员同时状态低迷是导致一些失利的部分原因。艰苦的赛程也是一个因素，马刺在这段时期输给了火箭、雷霆和森林狼，这些都是强队。但瓦塞尔的缺阵确实让球队想念。他是队里少数几个能真正吸引防守注意力的射手之一，所以即使他没有触球，他也在为进攻做出贡献。此外，他在受伤前在防守端看起来更有活力。马刺需要他们能得到的一切投射火力，而且每支球队都需要一个既能防守又能在关键时刻创造机会的侧翼球员。虽然他可能并不总能稳定地做到这一切，但瓦塞尔拥有一个阵容中其他人不具备的技术组合。
在尚帕尼顶替瓦塞尔进入首发后，马刺的四名常规首发球员与他搭档时，每百回合净胜对手高达夸张的21.6分，这个数据是其他四名首发搭档瓦塞尔时的两倍还多。马刺是否应该考虑让瓦塞尔打替补？
Dubinski: 我认为瓦塞尔加上其他四名主要首发球员的样本量还不够大，考虑到文班缺阵或替补出场的时间，我们不能太当真。我也不认为我们能坐在这里宣称朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 的防守比瓦塞尔好到足以将后者贬为替补的程度。这并不是说瓦塞尔必须首发或者尚帕尼必须回到替补席，但在我们看到球队完全健康并有更多表现之前，我不会把这个数据看得太重。
Barrington: 我的答案是否定的。我当然认为他们可以让尚帕尼替补出场，并通过错开其他首发球员的上场时间来为他找到出场机会。我是哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 的忠实粉丝，但他或许能从比赛早期减少上场时间中受益，为关键时刻保存体力，这也能为萨姆·佩尼*（Sam Penny*）腾出更多时间。我认为谁在首发阵容中并不那么重要，只要朱利安能打25分钟或更多，这差不多就是首发球员的出场时间。凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 一直以来都打着和首发一样多的时间，我认为朱利安也配得上在轮换中获得类似的位置。
*我看比赛时会打开隐藏字幕，字幕里他的名字就是这么拼的。
Birdsong: 考虑到他目前的低迷状态，我认为现在应该去替补席的其实是巴恩斯。尚帕尼的防守一直很出色，而且他也频频打出爆发性表现，而瓦塞尔的防守和投射能力在那套阵容中也同样重要。他们两人同时在场可以弥补巴恩斯缺阵带来的任何损失。不过，现实情况是，瓦塞尔回归后很可能会先打替补，因为马刺就是这样让他循序渐进地找回状态的。我真的很想看到他们更多地错开卡斯尔的上场时间，这样偶尔就能排出福克斯-瓦塞尔-尚帕尼-巴恩斯-文班的阵容，因为我认为那套阵容可能极具杀伤力。不过，只要能有一位射手回到场上，我就会很高兴了。
Gomez: 阵容数据很难解读，因为马刺即便在全员健康时也倾向于使用很多不同的阵容组合，在有伤病时更是如此，所以各个阵容组合很少能有足够的时间来让我们得出明确的结论。不过，我确实认为首发四人组搭档尚帕尼的组合有其可取之处。这套阵容增加了身高，而且尚帕尼是一个不需要持球的低使用率球员，这很适合阵容中的其他人。瓦塞尔打替补可以获得创造进攻的机会，同时也能在哈珀-卡斯尔二人组身边提供一个稳健的外线火力点。但目前还没有足够的证据表明他应该被永久地放在替补席上。随着比赛的进行，我们会了解更多。
卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 最近展现出一些进步的迹象。即便瓦塞尔回归，马刺是否应该给他更多上场时间，还是应该继续让他以目前有限的替补角色慢慢成长？
Dubinski: 他现在才刚刚开始适应作为一名NBA球员的角色，但我很惊讶球队花了这么长时间才把他送到G联赛去锻炼，而且还只打了一场比赛。话虽如此，如果他真的迎来了转机，那就没有理由中断他的进步势头。他们现在的做法很好，每场比赛大约给10分钟，但如果他状态不佳，我也会毫不犹豫地把他换下。
Barrington: 我是卡特·布莱恩特的大粉丝。我认为在常规赛剩下的每一场比赛里，都应该让他上场直到他打累为止。你已经可以在有限的时间里看到他取得了多大的进步，而且我认为他会成为一名非常优秀的球员。而发现这一点的途径就是让他上场比赛。当然，米奇教练需要让他为自己的错误负责，在他犯错时把他换下场进行指导，这种情况可能会很频繁，但他正在飞速成长，我就是想看他打球。即使他搞砸了，看他比赛也很有趣。到了季后赛的时候，教练组可以限制他的上场时间，但这完全取决于他在剩下半个赛季里能进步多少。他在高水平篮球方面的经验非常少，可能还需要一两年的时间才能接近他的潜力上限，但如果他能在场上积累经验，他会更快地达到那个水平。
Birdsong: 那个孩子的球商很高，考虑到马刺选秀的标准，这一点也不奇怪。我认为在适应了职业联赛的速度和空间后，他正开始迅速融入。但我认为强行增加他的上场时间并不可行。在过去5场比赛中，他场均出场13分钟，考虑到哈珀场均21分钟，我认为这个时间是合适的。看起来他分走了一些本该属于奥利尼克和索汉的上场时间，如果你不打算用那两名球员，这是正确的决定，除非球队需要更多身高。除非出现伤病，否则我认为应该让他习惯于在这些零星的时间里比赛。不过，如果巴恩斯或尚帕尼受伤，我认为他应该是那个上场时间增加的人（除非索汉能获得一些出场机会）。
Gomez: 我承认布莱恩特表现得更好了，但他只是从引来“为什么卡特·布莱恩特会上场？”的质疑，进步到在有限的上场时间里表现得还算合格。这并不是对他过于严厉的批评，因为正如马克所指出的，他非常年轻，技术粗糙，高水平篮球经验有限。期望他在新秀赛季就打得很好是过于乐观的。另一个问题是，即使教练组想扩大他的角色，也很难做到，因为马刺在全员健康时拥有一套稳固的九人轮换阵容。那么谁的上场时间会减少呢？如果他们让瓦塞尔慢慢回归，或许会有一些零散时间，但我看不出他们如何在不削弱自身实力的情况下给布莱恩特更多的上场时间。
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：Devin Vassell’s absence revealed how important he is to the Spurs
Devin Vassell’s absence revealed how important he is to the Spurs
The Spurs have gone 8-5 without Devin Vassell. Is Vassell’s absence the main reason for their recent (relative) struggles, or are there other important factors that have been overlooked?
Marilyn Dubinski: I wouldn’t say he is THE reason, but it was certainly a contributing factor. A big problem for a while was all three guards (De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper) were all in a shooting slump at the same time, and they were missing that relief valve that they could pass out to, either to shoot a three or create his own shot. Vassell is one of a few players on the team who can do both, so hopefully his return will help unclog the offense when it gets bogged down, leading to more consistency.
Mark Barrington: It’s definitely a factor, but there’s more going on. They miss having shot creators in the starting lineup, which results in a lot of Castle drives into a crowd at the basket. Steph is improving a bit on passing the ball out of a crowd, but he still ends up swallowed up at the hoop more often than he should be. I think the biggest factor is probably fatigue, which could also partially be due to Devin’s absence, but mostly because they haven’t had more than one day between games in January, except for two occasions near the beginning of the month and a few at the end.
Devon Birdsong: I think Vassell’s absence has simply brought focus to how thin the shooting on the roster is. In my opinion, their non-shooting guards become a much bigger issue with someone like Vassell out. I think it would be the same issue if Champagnie or Barnes were out for an extended stretch. I’m pretty confident that at least one of Castle and Harper will improve in that arena, but it has placed a lot of focus on the shooting that the Spurs need at other positions on the roster. Power-forward most of all. I think the addition of those two young guards may actually have been the kiss of death for poor Jeremy Sochan. The Spurs could have adjusted to his lack of shooting if those two could both shoot reliably from long-distance, but with all three of them in the fold, one is going to get left out, and by default, that’s probably Sochan. It’s not a commentary on his potential as much as it is an argument that the other two just have more potential than he does. Really tough break.
Jesus Gomez: Several players having a slump at the same time played a part in some of the losses. The grueling schedule was also a factor, and the Spurs dropped games to the Rockets, Thunder, and Timberwolves in that stretch, all great teams. But Vassell has definitely been missed. He’s one of the few guys on the team whose shot defenses respect, so even when he doesn’t get touches, he’s helping on offense. Plus, he looked friskier on defense before his injury. The Spurs need all the shooting they can get, and every team can use a wing who can defend and create in a pinch. While he might not always do all that consistently, Vassell has a skill set that not many others on the roster have.
The Spurs’ four regular starters with Champagnie in Vassell’s place have outscored opponents by a preposterous 21.6 points per 100 possessions, more than doubling the numbers of the four other starters plus Vassell. Should the Spurs consider bringing Vassell off the bench?
Dubinski: I don’t think the sample size of Vassell plus the other four main starters is large enough to take too seriously, considering the amount of time Wemby has missed or come off the bench. I also don’t think we can sit here and claim Julian Champagnie is THAT much better of a defender than Vassell to the point that it’s worth benching him. None of this is to say Vassell has to start or Champagnie has to return to the bench, but I’m not ready to take this stat too seriously until we see more of the team completely healthy.
Barrington: That’s a no from me. I definitely think they can bring Champagnie off the bench and find him minutes by staggering the minutes of the other starters. I’m a big fan of Harrison Barnes, but he would probably benefit from playing fewer minutes early in the game and saving his energy for crunch time, which would free up more Sam Penny* minutes. I don’t think it’s that significant who is in the starting lineup, so long as Julian plays 25 minutes or more, which is about how much the starters play. Keldon Johnson has been playing as many minutes as the starters, and I think that Julian has earned a similar spot in the rotation.
* I watch the games with closed captioning turned on, and that’s how his name is spelled in the closed captions.
Birdsong: Taking into consideration his current slump, I think it’s actually Barnes who should probably go to the benchfor now. Champagnie’s been playing great defense, and he’s also been going off with regularity, and Vassell’s defense and shooting have also been important in that lineup. Both of them on the court would make up for any loss of Barnes. Realistically, though, Vassell is probably coming off the bench as the Spurs ease him in, because that’s just how they do things. I’d really like to see them stagger Castle more, so that you can get the occasional Fox-Vassell-Champagnie-Barnes-Wemby lineup, because I think that could be lethal, but I’ll be happy just to have another shooter back in the game.
Gomez: Lineup numbers are tricky because the Spurs tend to play a lot of different units even when healthy and a lot more when not, so groups rarely get enough minutes to allow for definitive conclusions. I do think there’s something to the starters plus Champagnie, though. It adds more size, and Champagnie is a low-usage player who doesn’t need the ball, which fits the rest of the unit. Vassell off the bench could get opportunities to create while also bringing a steadying perimeter presence next to the Harper-Castle duo. But there’s just not enough evidence to suggest he should come off the bench permanently. We’ll know more as the games go by.
Carter Bryant has been showing some signs of progress recently. Should the Spurs play him more minutes even with Vassell back, or should they continue to bring him along slowly in the small bench role he currently plays?
Dubinski: He’s just now starting to look comfortable as an NBA player, but I was surprised it took them as long as it did to send him to the G League for some development, and then it was just for one game. That being said, if he truly is turning a corner, there’s no reason to halt his progress. What they’re doing now is fine, with about 10 min per game, but I also wouldn’t hesitate to pull him if he’s having an off night.
Barrington: I’m a big fan of Carter Bryant. I think they should play him until he gets tired every single game that remains in the regular season. You can see already how much he’s improved in limited minutes, and I think he’s going to be a really good player. The way you find out about that is by playing him. Of course, Coach Mitch needs to hold him accountable and pull him from the game for instruction when he makes mistakes, which could be quite often, but he’s growing by leaps and bounds, and I just want to watch him play. Even when he messes up, it’s fun to watch. When playoff time rolls around, the coaching staff could limit his minutes, but it all depends on how much he develops in the remaining half of the season. He has very little experience playing basketball at a high level, and he’s probably a year or two away from being anywhere near his potential, but he’s going to get there quicker if he can gain experience on the court.
Birdsong: The basketball IQ on that kid is high, which is hardly a surprise based on what the Spurs draft for, and I think he’s starting to acclimate quickly after adjusting to the speed and spacing of the pros, but I don’t think forcing more minutes is in the cards. He’s averaging 13 minutes over the last 5 games, and I think that’s the right amount, considering Harper is averaging 21 minutes. It looks like he’s soaking up some of the minutes that Olynyk and Sochan would be getting, and that’s the right call if you’re not going to play them, unless more size is needed. Barring an injury, I say let him get used to playing in those spurts. If Barnes or Champagnie goes down, though, I think he’s the one who should see the uptick in minutes (unless Sochan’s going to get some run).
Gomez: I’ll admit Bryant has been better, but he’s gone from eliciting “why is Carter Bryant playing?” responses to being semi-competent in low minutes. It’s not meant to be too strong a criticism of him, since he’s extremely young and raw, with limited experience playing high-level basketball, as Mark pointed out. It was overly optimistic to expect him to be good as a rookie. The other problem is that even if the coaching staff wanted to expand his role, it would be tough to do so because the Spurs have a solid nine-man rotation when everyone is healthy. So who gets fewer minutes? There might be some spare if they bring Vassell along slowly, but I don’t see how they can give Bryant more playing time without making themselves worse.
By Jeje Gomez, Marilyn Dubinski, Mark Barrington, Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock