By Jon Krawczynski | The Athletic, 2026-05-13 11:15:00
圣安东尼奥——很久以前，在一次遥远的季后赛征程中，处于劣势的明尼苏达森林狼队在面对孟菲斯灰熊队时命悬一线。在2022年首轮系列赛的第六场，他们眼睁睁看着又一次领先优势化为乌有，这迫使主教练克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 采取了激进的行动。
他在第四节将球队名气最大的球员之一、首发控卫德安吉洛·拉塞尔 (D’Angelo Russell) 按在板凳上，换上了乔丹·麦克劳林 (Jordan McLaughlin)。在赛季即将终结的边缘，这无疑是一次孤注一掷的尝试。但这一举动并不足以激活森林狼，他们最终遗憾出局。
四年后，森林狼再次走到了悬崖边上。芬奇可能不得不考虑再次做出重大调整，以阻挡维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和那支坚韧不拔的圣安东尼奥马刺队。周二晚上的第五场比赛，森林狼以126-97惨败，这使得马刺在西部半决赛中以总比分3-2领先。
明尼苏达在多方面都表现糟糕，包括对比赛计划的执行力不足。但首当其冲的问题是开局阶段的低迷，这已成为本系列赛的顽疾。第一节还没过半，森林狼就落后了15分，再次给自己挖了一个大坑。随着他们准备迎接周五晚上在标靶中心 (Target Center) 举行的生死战第六场，首发阵容的糟糕表现让人不禁思考：是否必须做出改变了？
森林狼在第一场早期曾以10-17落后（那场他们逆转获胜），第二场惨败时首节仅得17分，第三场开场不到七分钟就以1-14落后。而文班亚马在上一场因肘击纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid)被驱逐仅出战12分钟后，本场比赛憋足了劲，在第一段出场时间里就摧毁了森林狼，砍下16分和5个篮板，带领马刺取得24-9的领先。
在那个令人眩晕的开局阶段，森林狼既投不进球，也防不住对手。尽管他们在第三节一度抹平分差并追平比分，但开局的劣势始终如影随形。这些比赛的开局似乎总缺少点什么，而森林狼在周五晚上绝对承受不起再次大幅落后的代价。
由阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu)、安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards)、杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels)、朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 和鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 组成的首发五人组在过去两场比赛中联袂登场，但效果并不理想。在第四场比赛中，这组阵容在33分钟内的每百回合净胜分为-12.1分，尽管其中很大一部分时间文班亚马并不在场。接着是第五场，他们在首节对文班亚马毫无招架之力。
“得投进球，但更重要的是做出更好的进攻决策，”芬奇在谈到首节表现不佳时说道，“我认为我们尤其在第一节的一些投篮选择有点草率。其实有更好的机会，我们必须在开局阶段更努力地去寻找更好的投篮机会。”
芬奇已经对阵容做过一次调整。迈克·康利 (Mike Conley) 在前三场比赛中首发，部分原因是多孙穆当时仍在处理小腿伤势。到了第三场，康利仅出战4分钟，多孙穆在第四场取代他进入首发。但目前森林狼面临的更大问题出在前场。
兰德尔在第五场比赛中17投6中得到17分，三分球4投0中，还顺便罚丢了两个球。他在系列赛中的命中率仅为36%，且有18次失误却只有9次助攻，这与他在上赛季季后赛前两轮的出色表现相去甚远。他在本系列赛中的投篮挣扎让马刺能够投入更多的精力去限制爱德华兹。
爱德华兹在第五场上半场仅出手5次，圣安东尼奥在他刚过半场时就采取了激进的双人包夹，迫使他出球。森林狼无法让马刺为此付出足够的代价来迫使对方改变策略，导致爱德华兹度过了一个沉寂的夜晚——13投6中得到20分、2个篮板并有4次失误，与他母亲节的英雄表现判若两人。
“‘蚁人’ (Ant Man) 现在是带伤作战。他是你最好的球员，在这个系列赛中倾尽全力，”前球星特雷西·麦克格雷迪 (Tracy McGrady) 在NBC的中场休息节目中说道，“你是球队的二号人物，朱利叶斯·兰德尔。你打算怎么做？你要如何帮助你的队友，你的超级巨星？”
在前三节比赛胜负未分时，兰德尔12投仅2中得到8分。
“我觉得我们在开场时得到了一些不错的机会，但我认为关键在于把握住机会并做好防守，”兰德尔说道，“文班在开场时非常有侵略性，所以也要想办法稍微限制一下他。”
戈贝尔打出了系列赛最差的一场比赛，上篮打铁数（3次）几乎和得分（4分）一样多，且仅抢下5个篮板。他在首节对文班亚马束手无策，尽管随着比赛进行他表现得更积极了一些。他虽然只被计入一次失误，但多次接球脱手导致进攻受阻。他在投篮和终结方面的局限性让文班亚马在防守端可以自由地在半场游走，封堵住那些通常存在的突破路线。
杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯是首轮击败丹佛掘金队时的突破性球星，但本场比赛他的影响力再次因犯规困扰而受限。他13投6中得到17分，但出场时间不足30分钟，对于森林狼对他的需求来说，这个数字低得令人无法接受。比犯规次数更糟糕的是他在几次防守中的决策，包括一次距离篮筐90英尺的犯规，以及另一次对朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 三分投篮的犯规。
“我认为一切都始于杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯，”爱德华兹说道，“要尽量让他远离犯规困扰。他对球队太重要了，对我们每个人都非常关键。他陷入犯规麻烦时，每个人都会受到影响。”
在客场面对一支取得62胜的球队时，五名首发中有三人表现不佳。这显然无法赢得比赛。但每一个替代方案也都有其自身的问题。
芬奇可以让里德顶替戈贝尔，改打小阵容将文班亚马拉出禁区。里德在系列赛中表现出色，他在外线的持球能力、冲击篮筐以及三分投射都是森林狼战术体系的重要组成部分。
主教练实际上已经开始逐渐将轮换向这个方向倾斜，当文班亚马在场时，他更多地让兰德尔和里德搭档，而当卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 替换文班时，再派上戈贝尔作为应对。戈贝尔在周二晚上仅出战了22分38秒，这表明他在这种对位中的价值有所下降，这与他在首轮对阵尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 和丹佛时的卓越表现形成了鲜明对比。
戈贝尔更多的问题出在进攻端，但文班亚马在首节大杀四方时他也在场。第三节森林狼从半场落后12分追平比分时，他确实发挥了作用。随后圣安东尼奥以一波30-12的高潮结束了第三节，彻底杀死了悬念。
撤下戈贝尔会极大削弱森林狼的防守，使球队在面对篮下冲击和进攻篮板时变得脆弱。
芬奇也可以用里德换下兰德尔；根据Cleaning the Glass的数据，常规赛期间里德和戈贝尔搭档且兰德尔不在场时，球队每百回合净胜3.5分。但兰德尔是一名自尊心很强的球员，进入替补席在他眼中可能被视为一种降级。这也会带走球队常规赛的助攻王，给爱德华兹带来更大的进攻压力，即便兰德尔的组织能力在圣安东尼奥针对性的防守面前已经陷入停滞。
有人可能会认为这种切换也会让森林狼在防守端受益，但芬奇并不认为兰德尔在第五场的防守是个问题。
“我不认为现在的防守崩盘有很多是围绕朱利叶斯的，”芬奇说，“我认为这是很多不同因素综合作用的结果。”
芬奇可以让杰伦·克拉克 (Jaylen Clark) 回到轮换阵容以加强防守，但这会牺牲进攻，而这支球队在本系列赛中已经有两次得分未能破百。他也可以给海兰德 (Bones Hyland) 另一个激活进攻的机会，尽管马刺那些身体强壮、身材高大的后卫无疑会在防守端针对他，就像系列赛早期那样。凯尔·安德森 (Kyle Anderson) 可以提供组织和防守，但他的投篮短板会给文班亚马更大的防守自由度。
“打得更好一点”这一老生常谈的调整或许是森林狼的最佳选择。兰德尔必须投进球。麦克丹尼尔斯必须远离犯规困扰。戈贝尔必须在篮板球上保持活跃，并在篮下进攻中表现得相对可靠。这些都是可以实现的，但有一个问题笼罩着全局。
赛后教练和球员都谈到了森林狼在战术执行上的失误，这导致了马刺在第一节和第三节打出进攻高潮。他们漏掉了防守人，搞砸了球探报告，并在错误的时间单打独斗，为圣安东尼奥创造了优势。
“各方面都有点问题——不了解比赛计划，进攻执行力差，”爱德华兹说，“我们知道他们会在防守端打得很有侵略性，我们也知道该如何应对。而在防守端，我们知道防守策略，知道在对方打挡拆时该做什么，我认为我们只是做得不够好。”
这涉及到一个困扰森林狼多年的篮球智商问题。他们的决策能力和纪律性通常较差，而这正被一支打得更聪明、更年轻的球队所利用。马刺了解自己的任务，坚持比赛计划，并且总的来说，在整个系列赛中的执行力要好得多。这让他们更有希望获得可复制、可持续的成功。
与此同时，森林狼必须依靠他们丰富的经验。2024年第二轮，他们在第五场客场惨败给掘金队，让约基奇砍下40分和13个篮板，大比分2-3落后。随后他们回到主场，在第六场狂胜掘金45分，并在丹佛赢下第七场，成功晋级西决。
“我们知道该做什么，”里德说，“我们知道自己所处的境地。我们以前也遇到过这种情况。现在不是恐慌的时候。这是需要保持冷静并打出我们风格篮球的时候。”
文班亚马和马刺看起来比两年前的约基奇和那支掘金更具威慑力。爱德华兹认为，这会让这次逆转显得更加了不起。
“我没看到更衣室里有谁太担心，”爱德华兹说，“归根结底，伙计，这只是一场篮球赛。所以，站出来，穿好你的靴子，准备去战斗吧。”
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：Do the Timberwolves need a lineup change after Game 5 drubbing in San Antonio?
Do the Timberwolves need a lineup change after Game 5 drubbing in San Antonio?
SAN ANTONIO — A long time ago, in a playoffs far, far away, the underdog Minnesota Timberwolves were facing elimination against the Memphis Grizzlies. They were letting yet another lead slip away in Game 6 of that 2022 first-round series, causing coach Chris Finch to do something drastic.
He benched starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, one of the highest-profile players on the roster, in the fourth quarter for Jordan McLaughlin, an act of desperation as the Wolves’ season was slipping away. The move was not enough to jumpstart the Wolves, who saw their season end.
Four years later, the Timberwolves are right on the brink again, and Finch may have to think of making another dramatic change to hold off Victor Wembanyama and the relentless San Antonio Spurs. The Wolves fell, 126-97, in Game 5 on Tuesday night, putting the Spurs ahead 3-2 in the Western Conference semifinal series.
So many things went wrong for Minnesota, including a lack of attention to the game plan. First and foremost, though, was another putrid start to the game, which has been a recurring issue in this series. The Wolves trailed by 15 points before the first quarter was halfway over, digging themselves another huge hole. As they prepare for a do-or-die Game 6 at Target Center on Friday night, the starting lineup’s poor performance leads one to wonder if something has to give.
The Wolves were down 17-10 early in Game 1 (a game they came back to win), scored just 17 points in the first quarter of a Game 2 blowout loss and were down 14-1 less than seven minutes into Game 3. A determined Wembanyama came off a game in which he played only 12 minutes due to his ejection for elbowing Naz Reid, and destroyed the Wolves in his first shift, putting up 16 points and five rebounds to push the Spurs out to a 24-9 lead.
The Wolves could not hit a shot or keep the ball out of the net during that dizzying start, and it haunted them even after they came all the way back to tie it in the third quarter. Something just seems to be missing at the beginning of these games, and the Timberwolves cannot afford to fall behind so big again on Friday night.
The group of Ayo Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert has started the last two games, and it has not been pretty. In Game 4, that group had a net rating of minus-12.1 points per 100 possessions in 33 minutes, despite a good portion of those coming without Wembanyama on the floor. Then came Game 5, in which they had no answers for Wembanyama in the opening quarter.
“Got to hit some shots, but better offensive decisions,” Finch said of what has not been working in the first quarters. “I think some of our shot selection in the first quarter in particular is a little iffy. I think there’s some better shots. We have to work a little harder to find some better shots early.”
Finch already made one change to the group. Mike Conley started the first three games at point guard, in part because Dosunmu was still working through a calf issue. By Game 3, Conley played just four minutes, and Dosunmu replaced him in the starting lineup for Game 4. But the bigger issue facing the Wolves right now is in the frontcourt.
Randle scored 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting in Game 5, missing all four of his 3-pointers, and a couple of free throws for good measure. He is shooting 36 percent in the series and has 18 turnovers and only nine assists, a far cry from his stellar play in the first two rounds of the playoffs last season. His shooting struggles in the series have allowed the Spurs to throw even more of their attention toward taking Edwards out of the game.
Edwards only took five shots in the first half of Game 5, with San Antonio aggressively trapping him as soon as he crossed half court and forcing the ball out of his hands. The Wolves were not able to make the Spurs pay enough to get them out of the approach, leading to a quiet night from Edwards — 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting with two rebounds and four turnovers, a far cry from his Mother’s Day heroics.
“Ant Man is on one leg. Your best player, and is putting forth effort in this series,” former star Tracy McGrady said on NBC’s halftime show. “You’re the next guy up, Julius Randle. What are you going to do about that? How are you going to help your teammate, your superstar player?”
Randle was 2 of 12 with eight points through the first three quarters when the game was still up for grabs.
“I feel like we’re getting some good shots at the start of the game, but I think it’s that and getting some stops,” Randle said. “Wemby’s super aggressive to start games, so slowing him down a little bit, too.”
Gobert had his worst game of the series, with nearly as many missed layups (three) as points (four) and only five rebounds. He couldn’t do anything with Wembanyama in that first quarter, though he did assert himself more as the game went on. He was only charged with one turnover but had several other fumbles that short-circuited possessions. His limitations as a shooter and finisher give Wembanyama the freedom to roam all over the half court on defense and take away drives that would normally be there.
McDaniels, the breakout star from the first-round win over the Denver Nuggets, had another game in which his impact was limited by foul trouble. He scored 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting but did not get to 30 minutes, an unconscionably low number for what the Timberwolves need from him. Worse than the number of fouls were the decisions he made on a few plays, including a foul 90 feet from the basket and another when he fouled Julian Champagnie on a 3-pointer.
“I think everything starts with Jaden McDaniels,” Edwards said. “Trying to keep him out of foul trouble. He’s so important to the team. He’s so important to us. It hurts everybody when he gets in foul trouble.”
That is three of the five starters who played poorly against a 62-win team on its home court. That just will not get it done. But each alternative has its own set of issues as well.
Finch could put Reid in for Gobert and go small to draw Wembanyama out of the paint. Reid has played well in the series, and his ability to handle on the perimeter, get to the basket and shoot the 3 are big parts of the Wolves’ identity.
The coach has gradually started inching his rotations in that direction anyway, pairing Randle and Reid together more when Wembanyama is on the floor and then using Gobert as the counter when Luke Kornet takes Wemby’s place. Gobert played only 22:38 on Tuesday night, a sign of his diminished value in this matchup, which runs counter to his superb performance against Nikola Jokić and Denver in the first round.
More of the issues for Gobert have been on offense, but he was on the floor for much of Wembanyama’s mammoth first quarter. He made an impact in the third quarter when the Wolves came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to tie the game. Then San Antonio closed the third quarter with a 30-12 run to remove any doubt.
Taking Gobert out compromises the Timberwolves’ defense significantly, making the Wolves vulnerable to rim attacks and offensive rebounds.
Finch could put Reid in for Randle; lineups with Reid and Gobert and no Randle during the regular season were plus-3.5 points per 100, per Cleaning the Glass. But Randle is a prideful player, and a move to the second unit would likely be considered a demotion in his eyes. It would also take away the team’s assists leader during the regular season, putting more pressure on Edwards to drive the offense, even if Randle’s playmaking has dried up against San Antonio’s determined defense.
One could argue that the Wolves would benefit defensively from that switch as well, but Finch did not think Randle was an issue on defense in Game 5.
“I don’t think there’s a ton of breakdowns around Julius’ defense right now,” Finch said. “I think it’s a combination of a lot of different things.”
Finch could put Jaylen Clark back in the rotation to help out with the defense, but that would sacrifice offense on a team that has failed to crack 100 points twice in this series. He could also give Bones Hyland another shot at jumpstarting the offense, though the Spurs’ physical, oversized guards would no doubt target him on defense the way they did earlier in the series. Kyle Anderson could help with playmaking and defense, but his shooting shortcomings would give Wembanyama free rein.
The age-old adjustment of “just play better” may be the best alternative for the Wolves. Randle has to hit shots. McDaniels has to stay out of foul trouble. Gobert has to be active on the glass and somewhat reliable on offense around the rim. Those are all attainable, but one issue looms over this whole thing.
Coaches and players spoke after the game about the Wolves making game-plan mistakes that led to the Spurs’ big runs in the first and third quarters. They missed assignments, botched scouting reports and freelanced at the wrong times to create advantages for San Antonio.
“It’s a little bit everything — not knowing the game plan, executing on offense,” Edwards said. “We know they’re gonna come out to be physical defensively. We know how to go against that. And then us defensively, we know our coverage, what we’re supposed to be doing when they’re in pick-and-roll, and I think we’re just not doing it enough.”
This gets to a basketball I.Q. question that has plagued the Wolves for years. Their decision-making and discipline have often been poor, and it’s being exposed by a younger team playing much smarter basketball. The Spurs understand their assignments, adhere to the game plan and have, in totality, executed much better over the course of this series. That gives them more hope for repeatable, sustainable success.
The Wolves, meanwhile, have to lean on their considerable experience. They were down 3-2 to the Nuggets in the second round in 2024 after giving up 40 points and 13 rebounds to Jokić in a Game 5 road wipeout. Then they went home, waxed the Nuggets by 45 in Game 6 and won in Denver in Game 7 to advance to the West finals.
“We know what we gotta do,” Reid said. “We know the situation we’re in. We’ve been in this situation before. It’s no time to panic. This is when you keep calm and play our brand of basketball.”
Wembanyama and the Spurs look far more imposing than Jokić and those Nuggets did two years ago. That will make this comeback even more impressive, according to Edwards.
“I don’t see nobody in the locker room that’s too worried,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day, man, it’s another basketball game. So you come out, put your boots on and get ready to go to war.”
By Jon Krawczynski, via The Athletic