By J.R. Wilco | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-05-08 13:20:00
随着系列赛带着 1-1 的平局从圣安东尼奥转战明尼阿波利斯，我与来自 Canis Hoopus 的蒂洛·维德 (Thilo Widder) 的讨论仍在继续。在第一场比赛之前，我们讨论了马刺需要如何应对森林狼的身材优势。随后，在马刺因球星缺乏进攻火力而遭遇绝杀惜败后，我们讨论了需要做出哪些改变才能让他们重回正轨。现在，在马刺第二场取得大胜之后，我们回顾了马刺是如何实现如此惊人的逆转，以及森林狼必须做出哪些调整才能找回状态。
蒂洛·维德 (Thilo Widder)
好吧，也许我不该把上一篇前瞻称为“略显自负”，但哎呀，我什么时候还能再用到这个词呢？
那确实是一场令人难忘的比赛。虽然对森林狼来说不是什么好事，但确实令人印象深刻。森林狼的后卫线在没有犯规麻烦困扰的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 的防守压力下崩盘了，而杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 则不幸站在了斯科特·福斯特 (Scott Foster) 判罚的对立面。
森林狼仍然是联盟中表现最不稳定的球队之一，马刺一波 16-7 的高潮就足以建立起 25 分的领先优势，而且情况变得越来越糟。那波进攻高潮只是明尼苏达众多问题中最小的一个，他们的后卫全场投篮仅为 36 投 10 中。
阿约·多苏姆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 是我之前强调过的变数球员，他在受伤离场前的 10 分钟上场时间里仅贡献了 1 次盖帽和 1 次抢断。伯恩斯·海兰德 (Bones Hyland) 的表现持续低迷。安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 显然仍受困于伤病，步履蹒跚。
如果这就是系列赛剩余比赛的缩影，那太糟糕了（至少对我这个球迷来说是这样，我确信你会持不同意见）。幸运的是，作为内容创作者和精彩篮球的爱好者，这种情况可能不会持续下去。
说到这里，我很好奇你看到的最大的变化是什么，以及这些变化是否具有可持续性。显然，德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 和维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 表现得更好了，但这本就在预料之中。是什么让第二场比赛从第一场的势均力敌变成了那种规模的大胜？
J.R. 威尔科 (J.R. Wilco)
我们观看体育比赛的原因之一就是为了看到意料之外的事情。而最不能满足这一目的的莫过于一场大胜。我非常享受观看第一场比赛，尽管那个夜晚对我来说结局很糟糕，但我对那场每一回合都至关重要的势均力敌的较量留下了美好的回忆。
在常规赛中，当对方打出进攻高潮时，你会告诉自己比赛时间还很充裕，你的球队肯定能追回来。但在周一那样的比赛中，即使是 7 分的领先优势也显得难以逾越。两支球队都专注到那种程度，这是作为球迷的乐趣之一，没有什么比这更动人的了。
当然，作为球迷的另一大乐趣是看着你的球队彻底击溃一支刚刚战胜过他们的队伍，所以我不打算撒谎：周三晚上的比赛也很有趣。只是另一种形式的乐趣。福克斯在禁区内穿梭自如。文班亚马在场上无处不在——我是字面意思，而不仅仅是垂直空间，因为我看到了一张朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 开始投篮动作时的定格照片，当时文班甚至还没出现在屏幕里，而那张照片的取景范围一直覆盖到了中场！朱利安和德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 完成了篮球场上最罕见的配合之一：空接三分球。我现在还在为此兴奋不已。
我也在为约翰逊 (Johnson) 和芬奇 (Finch) 之间的战术博弈而着迷。以下是我认为马刺能够掌控全局的原因：
首先，他们通过包夹和陷阱防守，迫使爱德华兹和朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 变成传球手，就像去年西决雷霆队所做的那样。其次，当森林狼针对“文班必须封盖他们每一次投篮”的言论做出回击时，文班意识到对方并没有直冲他而来，于是他选择留在地面，仅进行干扰并保护篮板，而不是试图去封盖每一次尝试。这使得明尼苏达的进攻大多只有一次机会。第三，圣安东尼奥致力于抓住每一个机会打反击，尤其是在对方得分后。他们在进攻早期阶段拿到了太多分数，而明尼苏达看起来对这些快速突击准备不足。
这些都是克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 需要回应的问题。你认为第三场比赛会发生什么？
蒂洛
天哪，很难说。往昔（或者是前些年，我忘了）的森林狼完全没有能力阻止快攻，或者说无法应对任何有节奏感的球队。我不怀疑这是一种状态的回潮。
森林狼的建队基石首先是将防守转化为进攻，不是通常意义上的反击，而是通过防守消耗对手，直到明尼苏达在另一端面对毫无抵抗的局面。
总的来说，这是一场消耗战。
然而，要让这种策略奏效，你不能允许任何轻松得分。29 分的快攻得分实在太多了。见鬼，对于这种“重锤出击”的风格来说，15 分可能都嫌多。
我认为随着阿约和爱德华兹变得更健康，这个问题的一部分会迎刃而解——更多的轮换人手通常意味着更少的快攻机会——但我认为解决方案在于坚持两个极端之一。
过去的森林狼，那些在转换防守中失分严重的球队，会疯狂地冲抢前场篮板。卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 会冲抢，鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 会冲抢，麦克丹尼尔斯也会冲抢。甚至有些回合明尼苏达只留下小迈克·康利 (Mike Conley Jr.) 一个人退防，只为追求那些诱人的二次进攻机会。
现在，我会建议在面对那个八英尺高的“半神”和他可靠的搭档（可能是联盟中速度最快的球员）时这样做吗？不，可能不会。那会非常愚蠢且风险极大，我简直不敢提出来，生怕像《点球成金》片场里的老派球探一样被大声斥责。
但这确实是一个选项。
另一个更可能的选项就没那么有趣了。与其全力争取额外回合，不如反其道而行之。尽可能放弃前场篮板。五防四的快攻比二防一或三防一要容易防守得多。戈贝尔成为你唯一的前场篮板手。兰德尔在完成中距离投篮后必须立刻退防。
但这很糟糕。更重要的是，这并不能解决失误问题。简单来说，这也是森林狼特质的一部分。他们不至于每场失误 22 次那么烂，但他们往往在处理球时过于随意。
最终，我认为芬奇会竭尽全力让这轮系列赛完全进入半场阵地战。这可能意味着很多保守的战术选择。保护篮板是开始，但我认为康利可能会获得更多上场时间，仅仅是因为他不像 TJ·香农 (TJ Shannon) 或海兰德那样容易做出错误的决定。
接着这个话题，我认为海兰德已经失去了他在本轮系列赛季后赛轮换中的位置。去年雷霆队通过持球压力和迫使传球彻底击溃了兰德尔，而马刺击溃海兰德的方法则仅仅是任由他过度运球。
这可能不是一个完整的答案，但确实是一个开始：打得更慢，打得更无趣，持续冲击篮筐，还有杰登：别再犯规了。
就此而言，感觉本系列赛最不被提及但最重要的关键点将是：谁能先让对方的外线防守核心犯满离场。麦克丹尼尔斯和卡斯尔在接下来的三到五场比赛中是如此重要，以至于失去其中任何一个都感觉会输掉比赛。
马刺在常规赛期间没有卡斯尔时表现如何？如果他像第一场那样坐冷板凳，马刺有备选方案吗？森林狼如何在不浪费有效进攻回合的情况下攻击他？
（天哪，丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 现在肯定会把马刺的沉退防守吃得死死的。这真是一个沉重的损失。早日康复，大肉酱。）
J.R.
曾几何时，我对森林狼的主要担忧之一就是他们如何能让迪文琴佐在整个系列赛中不爆发。那可是个绝对不能在三分线外被放空的球员！我仰慕丹特已经很久了。祝他一切顺利，早日康复。现在来回答你的问题。
本赛季马刺在没有卡斯尔的情况下取得了 11 胜 3 负的战绩，但那是常规赛，我们知道季后赛是完全不同的。但马刺摆烂的一个意外收获不仅是时机，还有阵容的重复性。通过交易得到福克斯，然后在去年选秀中幸运地获得榜眼签，意味着我们拥有了三后卫阵容。当他们中的任何一个人需要喘息、需要休息一晚……或者恰好犯满离场时，这是一个令人难以置信的依靠。
我们无疑深爱着卡斯尔，但我知道很多马刺球迷发誓迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 会比斯蒂芬更出色。是的，备选方案是一个新秀控卫，这通常会让我感到恐惧，但哈珀不是典型的新秀。虽然他现在的防守还不如卡斯尔，但迪伦的投篮命中率更高，在篮下的终结极其丝滑，而且对球的保护也更好。尽管卡斯尔不在场时球队会很想念他的防守，但没有他，球队依然运转良好。
如果这轮系列赛的剩余部分变成防守王牌之间深陷犯规麻烦的较量，那将是一种遗憾。关于其他对决中哨声的时机和频率，我们已经听到了太多的讨论，不希望这种混乱也侵入我们的系列赛。但毕竟现在是 2026 年，除了顶级争议，我们还能期待什么呢？希望我们能免于这些，周五晚上的比赛能再次成为一场充满竞争且赏心悦目的较量。
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：Do the Timberwolves have a Game 3 counter for Spurs’ lethal adjustments?
Do the Timberwolves have a Game 3 counter for Spurs’ lethal adjustments?
My discussion with Thilo Widder from Canis Hoopus continues as the series shifts from San Antonio to Minneapolis all tied up at 1-1. Before Game 1, we discussed how the Spurs would need to be prepared for the Timberwolves’ size advantage. Then, after a last second loss in which the Spurs got little offensive help from their their stars, we discussed what needed to change to get them going again. Now, after a blowout Spurs win in Game 2, we review what the Spurs did to create such an amazing turnaround and what adjustments the Wolves must make to get themselves back on track.
Thilo Widder
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have called the last frat “slightly braggadocious” but alas, when else am I going to be able to use that word?
That was certainly a game. Not a good one, but it was certainly one. The Wolves guards imploded under the weight of a Stephon Castle without foul trouble while Jaden McDaniels unfortunately found himself on the wrong side of Scott Foster.
The Wolves continue to be one of the least consistent teams in the league, but a 16-7 (Spurs) run was enough of a run to build a 25-point lead that just got worse and worse. That run was the least of the numerous problems Minnesota had, as their guards shot 10/36 on the game.
Ayo Dosumnu, who I highlighted as a swing player, had only a block and a steal in 10 minutes of playtime before getting injured again. Bones Hyland continues to play very badly. Anthony Edwards is still so clearly hobbled.
If that was a representation of the rest of the series, that would suck (for me as a fan at least, I’m sure you’d disagree). Fortunately for us as content creators and fans of good basketball, it probably won’t be.
On that note though, I’m curious what the biggest changes you saw and if they are sustainable. Obviously, DeAaron Fox and Victor Wembenyama played better, but that was always to be expected. What turned this from a neck and neck Game 1 to a blowout of that scale in Game 2?
J.R. Wilco
One of the reasons we watch sports is to see something that we don’t expect. And nothing fulfills that purpose less than a blowout. I had an absolute blast watching Game 1, and even though the evening ended poorly for me, I have good memories of that tightly contested game that felt like each play mattered.
In the regular season, when the other team goes on a run, you tell yourself that there’s plenty of time in the game and your team can definitely make it back. But in a game like we saw on Monday, even a seven point lead seems daunting. Both teams dialed-in to that extent is one of the joys of being a fan. Nothing else quite touches it.
Of course, another joy of being a fan is watching your team absolutely pummel a squad that they’ve recently lost to, and so I’m not gonna lie: Wednesday night was fun too. Just a different kind of fun. Fox was slithering through the lane. Wembanyama was flying all over the court — I mean that literally and not just vertically, because I saw a still shot taken at the beginning of the play he got his rebound dunk on, and Victor isn’t even on the screen when Julian Champagnie starts his shooting motion. And the screen covered all the way to mid court! Julian and Devin Vassell pulled off one of the most rare plays in basketball, the alley-oop three-pointer. I’m still geeking out about it.
I’m also geeking out about the chess match Johnson and Fitch are engaged in. Here are the things that I think are responsible for the way the Spurs ran the table.
They turned Edwards and Julius Randle into passers by doubling and trapping, much like OKC did in last year’s WCF. When the Wolves doubled back on all of the talk about how Wemby would have to keep blocking every shot they took, he recognized that they weren’t coming at him and stayed down so he could just challenge and rebound instead of trying to go after every attempt. That kept Minnesota’s possessions mostly one and done. Third, San Antonio committed to running at every opportunity, especially after scores. They just had so many buckets early in the shot clock and Minny looked unprepared for those quick strikes.
Those are the things Finch needs to respond to. What do you see happening in Game 3?
Thilo
God, hard to say. The Wolves of yesteryear (or yesteryesteryear, I forget) were absolutely incapable of stopping the fast break, or any team with pace in general. I don’t doubt that this is a return to that form.
The Wolves are built first and foremost on turning defense into offense, not in the typical sense but by wearing out their opponents with their defense until Minnesota faces no pushback on the other end.
It is, by and large, a war of attrition.
However, for that to work, you cannot allow any easy points. 29 fast break points is far too much. Hell, 15 is probably too much for the “beat them with hammers” approach to work.
I think part of that problem will fix itself with Ayo and Ant getting healthier – more bodies back typically means less opportunities on the break – but I think the solution is in committing to one of two extremes
The Wolves of the past, the ones that would bleed points in transition, were violently pursuant of offensive rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns would crash the glass. Rudy Gobert would crash the glass. Jaden McDaniels would crash the glass. There were even possessions where Minnesota would leave Michael Conley Jr. as the only man back in pursuit of those ever alluring extra possessions.
Now, would I suggest doing that against the eight foot demigod and his trusty sidekick, possibly the fastest player in the league? No, probably not. That would be dumb and obscenely risky and I simply would not have the heart to bring that up in fear of being yelled at like an old school scout on the set of Moneyball.
But it is an option.
The other, more likely option is far less fun. Instead of going all in on extra possessions, you do the opposite. You abandon the offensive glass as much as you can. A five-on-four break is infinitely easier to defend than a two-on-one or three-on-one alternative. Rudy Gobert becomes your only offensive rebounder. Julius Randle commits to getting back after his mid-range shots.
This sucks though. And more importantly, it doesn’t fix the turnover problem. Quite simply, this is also a part of who the Wolves are. They’re not 22 per game bad, but they tend to play fast and loose with the ball far too often.
Ultimately, I think Chris Finch will try incredibly hard to make this series be played in the half court entirely. That could mean a lot of conservative calls. Rebounding is the start of that, but I think Mike Conley probably gets more run, simply because he’s not as prone to bad choices as TJ Shannon or Bones Hyland.
To follow that up, I think Bones has lost his spot in the playoff rotation of this series. While the Thunder of last year absolutely broke Julius Randle with ball pressure and pass-forcing, the Spurs are breaking Bones by simply letting him overdribble.
That may not be a full answer, but it’s certainly a start: play slower, be more boring, keep going to the rim, and, Jaden: stop fouling.
To that point, it feels like the underspoken most important data point of this series will be who can foul out the opposing team’s perimeter stopper first. McDaniels and Castle are so hugely important in these next three to five games that it feels like losing either loses the game.
How did the Spurs play without Castle during the regular season? Is there a backup plan if he’s sitting like he was in Game 1? How do the Wolves attack him without burning through their usable possessions?
(God, Donte would be eating the Spurs drop coverage alive right now. Truly a crushing loss. Fly high, Big Ragu.)
J.R.
There was a point when one of the main fears I had about the T-wolves was how they could keep DiVincenzo from going off for an entire series. Talk about a man who can’t be left alone at the arc! I’ve been an admirer of Donte’s for a while now. All the best to him, and a quick recovery. Now to your questions.
San Antonio was 11-3 without Castle this year, but that was the regular season and we know that the playoffs are a different animal. But one of the accidental benefits of the Spurs’ bottoming out wasn’t just the timing, it was the repetition. Trading for Fox and then lucking into the second pick last draft means that we have a three-headed guard lineup, which is an incredible crutch to lean on when any of them have to take a breather, need a night off … or happen to foul out.
We love our Castle, no doubt, but I know a number of Spurs fans who swear that Harper will be even better than Steph. Yeah, the fact that backup plan is a rookie point guard would usually terrify me, but Harper isn’t your typical rookie, and while he’s not yet the defender that Castle is, Dylan shoots a higher percentage, is impossibly smooth around the basket, and takes better care of the ball. As much as Steph’s defense is missed when he’s not on the floor, the team plays quite well without him.
If the rest of this series turns into a battle of defensive aces struggling against foul trouble, that’ll be a shame. We already have too much talk about the timing and the frequency of the whistles in the rest of the matchups for that mess to invade ours too. But it’s 2026 after all, what else should we expect if not some top-tier controversy? Hopefully, we’re spared that, and Friday night’s game is another competitive and enjoyable contest.
By J.R. Wilco, via Pounding The Rock