By Jeje Gomez, J.R. Wilco | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-01-28 01:43:39
编者按：我是赫苏斯·戈麦斯。本文是 PtR 主编 J.R. 威尔科与我在马刺输给鹈鹕队后的一段坦诚对话。为使行文更清晰，内容经过了少量编辑。希望大家喜欢！
J.R. 威尔科 ：我对于输给鹈鹕这场比赛以及本赛季至今的看法是：
当一名球员伤愈回归进入轮换阵容的第一场比赛，总是会很艰难。而这场比赛又恰好碰上文班的协防时机掌握不佳，以及全队上下几乎都忘了怎么罚球。（而且在这场比赛里，维克并没有从错误中吸取教训，仍然试图既防下跳投又保护篮筐。我不知道他是否会开始学会像邓肯当年那样做出取舍。）
我认为米奇教练决意要把这个赛季当作是稳赚不赔的额外红利来对待。如果要我揣测他的想法，我会这么说：“尽管我们伤病满营，队伍又极其年轻，但我们还是排在第二种子。我们能赢球，主要靠的是纯粹的天赋、顶级的防守和时灵时不灵的投射。如果我现在能给我未来2-3年可能要倚仗的每个人都提供上场时间，他们彼此之间就会变得足够默契，从而让我现在不以赢球最大化为目标的执教方式，在未来收获回报。”
你觉得呢？
赫苏斯·戈麦斯： 我完全同意你说的。但我也要补充一点，这已经不是他们第一次在拼劲上被一支天赋不如自己的球队比下去，也不是第一次在第三节打得死气沉沉。如果这种情况持续下去，他们第二种子的位置也坐不长。
威尔科： 当然。但一支球队磨合得越好，身体天赋的重要性就越低。2014年的马刺一再证明了这一点。
戈麦斯： 我的问题是，我们凭什么就这么确定问题会自行解决？我不是说现在就该恐慌，但我无法用“他们还年轻”和“米奇教练会搞定的”这种说辞，来把每个缺陷都轻描淡写地带过。从长远来看，并非所有问题都值得担忧。但有些问题可能确实是隐患。
威尔科 ：我想我们只是期望它最终能演变成熟的进攻体系。“弱侧移动”和“强侧移动”这些战术，一开始也不是什么完美的、能利用对手每一种防守策略的进攻体系，它们都是经过多年发展才成熟的。我之所以有信心，是因为我相信参与其中的这些“大脑”（指教练组和管理层）。我的意思是，马克西 (Maxey) 都25岁了，你看看费城现在能做到什么：
戈麦斯： 费城的进攻很有趣。也很高兴看到巴洛 (Barlow) 找到了下家。
但那些争冠的马刺队里可是有那个神一般的蒂姆·邓肯啊，所以他们不需要有成千上万种进攻选择。我完全赞成保持耐心，但说白了，米奇教练还没赢得我的信任。而且文班在进攻端还不是蒂姆·邓肯。他最终可能会成为更出色的球员，但过去尽可能地把球交给在低位的邓肯是一个可行的选择，而现在仅仅把球交给维克托就行不通了，至少在目前的场上空间下是这样。
我对进攻感到沮丧的是，即便球员天赋还很稚嫩，也一定有更好的方法来平衡核心球员的优缺点。当然，这可能只是球员配置的问题。如果哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 忘了怎么投篮，那即便是最好的教练也无法为文班创造出足够的空间，让他在面对单防时能在禁区附近接球并完成进攻。
威尔科： 我同意你的看法。但正如你所说，有更好的方式来利用队里球员的技术去折磨对手的防守，或者至少让他们打得不那么轻松。
就拿挡拆来说吧。昨晚第一节早段，卡斯尔和文班打了一次挡拆，吸引了三名防守球员，并最终命中了一记空位三分。据我统计，他们下一次让文班参与挡拆，已经是第二节初了。当防守方似乎完全没准备好应对时，为什么不继续打这个战术呢？
然后还有像这样的回合：
维克已经把防守人卡在身后，只需要一记比防守人更靠近他的传球把他引向篮筐。但哈珀 (Harper) 无视了他，把球传给了尚帕尼 (Champagnie)。这不算个坏选择，但为什么不告诉队里每个人，每次看到这种情况都要稳稳收下这两分呢？
马刺队忽视了太多轻松得分的机会。强队确实可以在忽略一些早期进攻机会的情况下赢球，但这并不常见。而我对这些不合逻辑的决策一场又一场比赛都得不到解决感到越来越厌倦和沮丧。
戈麦斯 ：我想这是因为后卫们都在打简单的战术，因为他们中没人是顶级传球手。哈珀可能得到的指令是，如果大个子在禁区吸引了三个人，那肯定有人会出空位，他们应该去找那个空位。但相比这些微观细节，我更在意进攻的宏观层面，我想这就是我们分歧的关键所在。
我不在乎他们因为传不出一个从没学过的空接球而错失得分机会。我想要一个体系。如果这是一个培养新人的赛季，那就去试验，别在乎输赢。但我感觉马刺说这是培养赛季，只是为了逃避外界的审视。想赢球？那就别上卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant)了，把卡斯尔放到替补席，把球交到福克斯 (Fox) 手里，然后把空间拉开。想培养年轻球员？那福克斯为什么会在这？为什么巴恩斯是首发？为什么不围绕维克和哈珀来打所有战术？为什么不让卡斯尔打无球，让他投丢一百万个三分球，直到他练出投篮为止？
威尔科 ：是啊，他们想两头兼顾，这点显而易见。
戈麦斯 ：没错，而我担心的正是，他们试图两头抓，结果却可能两头都落空。
威尔科 ：在过去，我总能让自己相信，任何我能想到的问题，球队内部肯定早就考虑过并且为了追求一条我所看不到的更好道路而放弃了。但现在这是一个新的管理团队，他们还没有赢得那种信任。波波维奇仍然是最高决策者，但这又真正意味着什么呢？他们能在无视我们正在讨论的这些真实问题的情况下，建立起一套成功的进攻体系吗？
戈麦斯 ：我仍然相信，在篮球方面，他们的智慧远超于我。但现在还有其他因素在起作用。上座率、季后赛收入、工作保障——这些在波波维奇当教练、R.C.布福德当总经理的时候根本不是问题。这才是让我害怕的地方。过去的马刺不是一支有着普通球队烦恼的普通球队。现在，他们有点像了。虽然我相信掌权者们比我聪明，但我不再确信他们比联盟里其他教练和总经理更聪明了。至少，目前还没有。
由生成式 AI 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：What is (and isn’t) worth worrying about with these Spurs?
What is (and isn’t) worth worrying about with these Spurs?
Editor’s note: Jeje Gomez here. This is a candid conversation between PtR’s Editor in Chief, J.R. Wilco, and me after the loss to the Pelicans. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Enjoy!
J.R. Wilco: My take on the Pels game and the season so far:
The first game bringing a guy back into the rotation can be trying, and it just so happened to be the same game when Wemby had poor timing on his help defense and when the entire team largely forgot how to make free throws. (And the game where Vic wasn’t learning from his mistakes but continued to try to stop jumpers as well as protect the rim. I wonder whether he’ll ever start compromising the way Duncan learned to.)
I think Mitch is committed to treating this season like he’s playing with house money. If I could put words in his mouth to describe what I imagine his mindset is, I’d say, “We’re the #2 seed despite our many injuries and our extreme youth, winning games largely through raw talent, elite defense, and sporadically streaky shooting. If I just get playing time for everyone who I will probably be relying on in 2-3 years, they’ll get comfortable enough with each other to reap the benefits of me not coaching for win maximization right now.”
What do you think?
Jesus Gomez: I agree with all of it. But I’ll also add that it’s not the first time they get out-hustled by a less talented team or come out flat in the third quarter. And if it keeps happening, they won’t be the second seed for long
Wilco: Sure. But the more a team works together, the less physical talent matters. 2014 made that obvious time and again
Gomez: My thing is, why are we so sure things will work themselves out? I’m not saying it’s time to panic, but I just can’t brush away every flaw by saying they are young and Mitch will figure things out. Not everything is concerning, thinking long-term. But some things might be.
Wilco: I guess we just expect it to eventually become what mature offenses grow into. Motion Weak and Motion Strong didn’t start as fully realized offensive schemes with options to take advantage of every defensive response. They grew into those over the years. I find myself sure because I trust the minds involved. I mean, Maxey is 25 and look what Philly can do now:
Gomez: Fun stuff from Philly. And it’s good to see that Barlow found a home.
But those contending Spurs teams had Tim freaking Duncan, so they didn’t need to have a million options. I’m all for being patient, but Mitch hasn’t earned my trust, basically. And Wemby is not Tim Duncan on offense. He might end up being a better player, but throwing the ball to Duncan in the post as much as possible was a viable option while just giving the ball to Victor isn’t, at least with the current spacing.
My frustration with the offense is that even with how raw the talent is, there has to be a better way to balance the strengths and weaknesses of the best players. Granted, it might just be a personnel problem. If Harrison Barnes forgets how to shoot, not even the best coach can manufacture enough spacing for Wemby to catch and finish near the paint against single coverage
Wilco: I agree with you. But even as you say, there are better ways to utilize the skills on the team to torture defenses, or at least make life less easy for them.
Take pick-and-rolls, for instance. Early in the first quarter last night, Castle and Wemby ran one that commanded three defenders and ended in a wide-open (made) three. By my count, the next time they ran another pick-and-roll with Wemby was early in the second. Why not go back to it when the defense seemed utterly unprepared to deal?
Then there are plays like this:
Vic has his man sealed and just needs to be led toward the rim with a pass that’s relatively closer to him than his man. But Harper ignores him and goes to Champagnie. Not a bad option, but why isn’t everyone on the team told to cash these two points every time they see this?
There are SO many options for easy points that the Spurs ignore. Great teams can win while ignoring some early offense opportunities, but it’s unusual. And I’m getting tired of being frustrated by illogical decisions not being addressed game after game.
Gomez: I think it’s because the guards are making the simple play, since none of them are next-level passers. Harper has probably been told that if the big gets three guys in the paint, someone will be open and they should look for them. But I’m more bothered by the macro aspect of the offense than the micro, and I think that’s the crux of our disagreement.
I don’t care that they leave points on the table because they don’t throw a lob pass that they never learned to throw. I want a system. If this is a developmental season, experiment and forget about wins. But I feel like the Spurs say it’s a developmental season to avoid scrutiny. Do you want to win? Stop playing Carter Bryant, move Castle to the bench, put the ball in Fox’s hands, and space the floor properly. Do you want to develop the young players? Then why is Fox here? Why is Barnes starting? Why are you not running everything through Vic and Harper? Why aren’t you playing Castle off the ball so he can clank a million threes until he develops a shot?
Wilco: Yeah, they’re trying to have it both ways, that’s clear enough to see.
Gomez: Right, and what I’m scared of is that by trying to do both, they’ll end up doing neither.
Wilco: Back in the old days, I was able to make myself believe that there wasn’t anything I could think of that the team hadn’t already considered and rejected to pursue a better path than I could see. But this is a new regime that hasn’t earned that kind of goodwill. Pop is at the top still, but what does that really mean? And can they build a successful attack while ignoring the very real issues that we’re discussing?
Gomez: I still believe that they are infinitely smarter than I am when it comes to basketball. But there are other incentives at play. Attendance. Playoff revenue. Job security, which was not an issue at all when Pop was the coach and R.C. Buford was the GM. That’s what scares me. The Spurs were not a normal team with normal team concerns back in the day. Now they kind of are. And while I trust the people in charge to be smarter than me, I’m not confident they are smarter than other coaches and GMs anymore. Not yet, at least.
By Jeje Gomez, J.R. Wilco, via Pounding The Rock