By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-04-16 11:26:19
2026年3月12日（周四），在圣安东尼奥弗罗斯特银行中心球馆，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯（Harrison Barnes，左）、丹佛掘金队中锋尼古拉·约基奇（Nikola Jokic，中）以及圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋卡特·布莱恩特（Carter Bryant，右）正在奋力拼抢篮板。
在亚利桑那大学度过大一赛季后，卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 的全面性成为了他在NBA球队面前的一大卖点。
“在整个选秀前的准备过程中，我的想法大概是，‘是的，我希望最终能够从1号位防到5号位，’”布莱恩特说道。
“最终”到来的速度比他预想的要快得多。
马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在赛季后半段的大部分时间里都将布莱恩特作为“小球”中锋使用，让这位身高6英尺6英寸、体重220磅的前锋去对抗那些体型庞大得多的球员。
“这确实是‘最终’变小了，然后就像我在打这些比赛，而你正在防守那些人类巨兽，”布莱恩特说。“（波特兰开拓者队身高6英尺10英寸、体重249磅的）罗伯特·威廉姆斯 (Robert Williams) 和（身高7英尺3英寸、体重280磅的）多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan) 都非常强壮……还要防守像（丹佛掘金队身高7英尺、体重284磅的尼古拉·）约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 这样的球员。我想当我们对阵明尼苏达时，有几分钟我还在防守（身高7英尺1英寸、255磅的）鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert)。”
“兄弟，这些家伙真的太高大了。”
但布莱恩特并没有在挑战面前退缩，他明白球队并不要求他在保护篮筐方面能像他那两位身高超过7英尺的队友维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 那样高效。
“我的工作不是去封盖每一次投篮，”布莱恩特说。“我不是文班，也不是卢克。”
布莱恩特已经准备好在季后赛中作为小球5号位获得更多出场时间，首轮系列赛将对阵开拓者队。这轮七场四胜制的西部对决第一场定于周日晚上8点在弗罗斯特银行中心球馆开打。
2026年3月6日（周五），圣安东尼奥马刺队在弗罗斯特银行中心球馆击败洛杉矶快船队后，马刺前锋维克托·文班亚马 (1) 与队友卡特·布莱恩特 (11) 拥抱。马刺以116-112战胜了快船。
“他表现得很棒，”22岁的文班亚马在谈到他20岁的队友时说道。
“他正处于学习曲线中，但他令人印象深刻，”这位法国球星补充道。“看他打球是一种享受，因为你能感觉到他非常投入。而且他所取得的进步，就在我们眼前发生。这很棒，因为这会让你好奇从现在开始的一个（季后赛）系列赛中他能达到什么高度。更不用说一年或五年后了。”
在与这些“巨兽”的较量中，布莱恩特从队友那里学到了一些小技巧，并从中受益。
“这不在于你有多强壮，更多在于动脑子，”前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 说道。“但对于一个年轻人来说，卡特确实非常强壮，所以他或许能把对手撞离他们的位置。但对我来说，我会尝试绕过他们，用手部动作给他们制造一点困难。”
作为2025年NBA选秀的第14顺位秀，布莱恩特凭借其运动能力和拉开空间的能力，也给对方的大个子球员带来了不小的挑战。这位来自加利福尼亚州里弗赛德的球员在经历了赛季初的低迷后，以强劲的表现结束了常规赛。在最后三场比赛中，他场均贡献14.0分、4.7个篮板和3.7次助攻，三分球场均出手5.3次，命中率高达56.3%。
整个赛季，布莱恩特出战71场，场均得到4.2分、2.5个篮板和0.7次助攻，三分球场均出手2.2次，命中率为33.5%。
往年，格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 在季后赛中更倾向于使用老将而非替补席上的新秀，但约翰逊并不认为布莱恩特和另一位新秀——马刺队以榜眼秀选中的迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)——会在季后赛对阵开拓者的聚光灯下畏首畏尾。
哈珀在上周常规赛收官战负于丹佛的比赛中拇指受伤，但他很有可能出战周日在NBC/Peacock平台直播的黄金时段比赛。他在69场比赛中场均贡献11.8分、3.9次助攻和3.4个篮板，三分球场均出手2.6次，命中率为34.3%。
“我觉得他们会很兴奋，”约翰逊说。“我认为他们会打得很努力，打得很快。他们才19岁（实际上是20岁）。我希望他们能享受其中。”
哈珀整个赛季都是关键的轮换球员，而布莱恩特则花了一段时间才在轮换阵容中赢得一席之地。
“我认为当我们在打小球阵容时，卡特能留在场上，这一事实表明了他已经赢得了我们教练组的信任与认可，”约翰逊说。“因为那是一个截然不同的（角色）……他正在做一些非常、非常出色的事情，这或许比任何数据或表面上无法量化的东西都能更好地反映他的成长。”
许多分析师表示，马刺队在乐透区选中布莱恩特是选秀中的“捡漏”。这也符合马刺队总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 的计划，即为球队储备能够适应现今“无位置篮球”风格的多面手球员。
“在当今时代，位置并不那么重要，”莱特在选秀之夜说道。
达拉斯独行侠队主教练杰森·基德 (Jason Kidd) 上周被问及布莱恩特打小球中锋时也表示赞同。
“当我们审视现在的比赛方式时，我不知道这是否真的该被称为小球，或者这只是比赛的自然（演变），”基德说。“很多球队都有能够拉开防守空间的小球5号位，或者他们更加强壮，是为了防守目的而留在场上的。”
布莱恩特为马刺队提供了这两方面的特质，但最令球队感兴趣的是他的防守。
“卡特是我们最好的防守者之一，所以他可以胜任球场上的多个不同位置，”前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 说道。“他的全面性让我们能够安排他打小球5号位。作为一名新秀，在防守端，他能够迅速掌握很多不同的东西，比如当你打5号位时如何成为防守核心。最重要的一点是发声沟通。他在防守端制造了很大的破坏。”
布莱恩特愿意走出舒适区并承担这一极具挑战性的角色，这突显了他渴望上场打球的决心。
“我是一名竞争者，”他说。“我想打球。我想竞争。我想帮助球队赢球。但我也明白，我的时间表和别人不同。我不必和所有人保持一致。我始终相信，在15、20年后，我们会回过头来看，会有很多球队说，‘我们当初是怎么错过这家伙的？’我坚信我会成为那届选秀中的佼佼者。所以，理解我自己的过程，我必须保持耐心。”
每次挑战一个“巨兽”。
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：Spurs' Carter Bryant battling NBA 'behemoths' heading into playoffs
Spurs’ Carter Bryant battling NBA ‘behemoths’ heading into playoffs
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, left, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, center, and San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant, right, battle for a rebound at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
Carter Bryant’s versatility was one of his selling points to NBA teams after his one-and-done freshman season at Arizona.
“Throughout my pre-draft process, I was kind of like, ‘Yeah, I would love to be able to guard one through five eventually,’” Bryant said.
“Eventually” came much faster than he anticipated.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson utilized Bryant for much of the second half of the season as a “small-ball" center in a role pitting the 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward against much bigger players.
“It was eventually small, and then it’s like I’m playing these games and you’re guarding behemoths of human beings,” Bryant said. “(Portland’s 6-10, 249-pound) Robert Williams and (7-3, 280-pound) Donovan Clingan are massive, … guarding guys like (Denver’s 7-0, 284-pound Nikola) Jokic. I think when we played Minnesota, we had a few minutes where I was guarding (7-1, 255) Rudy Gobert.
“Yo, these dudes are huge.”
But Bryant didn’t shrink from the challenge, understanding he wasn’t being called on to protect the rim anywhere near as effectively as his 7-foot-plus teammates Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.
“My job isn’t to block every shot,” Bryant said. “I’m not Vic or Luke.”
Bryant is ready for more minutes as a small-ball five during the playoffs, beginning with the first-round series against the Trail Blazers. Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Conference matchup is set for 8 p.m. Sunday at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) is embraced by San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the LA Clippers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Friday, March 6, 2026. The Spurs defeated the Clippers 116-112.
“He’s been great,” Wembanyama, 22, said of his 20-year-old teammate.
“He’s on a learning curve, but he’s very impressive,” the French star added. “It’s a pleasure to watch him play because you can tell he’s super involved. And the progress he’s making, you can see it happen before our eyes. It’s great because it just makes you wonder what he can be in one (playoff) series from now. Not even talking about one year or five years from now.”
Bryant benefited in his battles with the “behemoths” from a few tricks he learned from his teammates.
“It’s not about how physical you are, it’s more about using your brain,” forward Julian Champagnie said. “But Carter’s really strong for a young guy, so he can maybe knock them off their spots. But for me, I’m trying to get around them, trying to make it a little difficult with my hands.”
Bryant, the 14th overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft, poses his own set of challenges for opposing big men with his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor. The native of Riverside, Calif., finished the season strong after a slow start, averaging 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 56.3% from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts over the last three games.
For the season, Bryant averaged 4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 33.5% from beyond the arc on 2.2 attempts in 71 games.
In years past, Gregg Popovich favored using veterans over rookies off the bench in the playoffs, but Johnson doesn’t expect Bryant and fellow rookie Dylan Harper, who the Spurs selected No. 2 overall, to freeze up against the Blazers in the bright playoff spotlight.
Harper, who suffered a thumb injury last week in the loss to Denver in the regular season finale, is probable for Sunday’s primetime game on NBC/Peacock after averaging 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 34.3% from deep on 2.6 attempts over 69 games.
“I think they’ll be excited,” Johnson said. “I think they’ll play hard. I think they’ll play fast. And they’re 19 (actually 20). I hope they enjoy it.”
Harper was a key reserve all season while it took Bryant awhile to earn a spot in the rotation.
“I think the fact that Carter’s been out there when we’ve gone small shows the equity and trust he’s gained from us as a coaching staff,” Johnson said. “Because that’s a much different (role). … He’s doing some really, really good things and that’s probably as big of a reflection of his growth than any stat or something that maybe the surface level can’t quantify.”
The Spurs selection of Bryant as a lottery pick was the “steal” of the draft, many analysts said. It was also in keeping with Spurs general manager Brian Wright’s plan to stock the team with versatile players who fit well in today’s position-less NBA.
“Positions in this day and age don’t matter as much,” Wright said on draft night.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd agreed when asked last week about Bryant playing small-ball center.
“When we look at the way the game is played now, I don’t know if it’s called small ball really or it’s just a natural (progression of the game),” Kidd said. “You have a lot of teams that have small-ball fives who are able to stretch the defense, or they’re more physical and they’re in there for defense purposes.”
Bryant gives the Spurs both of those qualities, but it’s his defense that intrigues them most.
“Carter is one of our best defenders, so he can play a variety of different positions on the floor,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “His versatility allows us to be able to play him at the small-ball five. As a rookie, he’s been able to pick up so many different things on the fly defensively just in terms of how to anchor a defense when you’re playing the five. The biggest thing is using your voice. He’s caused a lot of disruption on the defensive end.”
Bryant’s willingness to step out of his comfort zone and take on the challenging role underscored his desire to find a way to get on the court.
“I’m a competitor,” he said. “I want to play. I want to compete. I want to help us win games. But while still understanding that my timeline’s different than everybody else. I don’t have to have the same timeline as everybody else. I still believe at the end of the day, we’re going to look up in 15, 20 years and there’s going to be a lot of teams that say, ‘How did we pass on this guy?’ I truly believe I’m going to be at the top of that draft class. So understanding my process, I just have to be patient.”
Taking on one “behemoth” at a time.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News