By Zach Colwell | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-01 16:00:00
回到今年8月，在马刺迎来拥有维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的第三个休赛期之际，我曾撰文分析了这支球队的现状，以及马刺是如何一步步重返巅峰的。
自2022年夏天以来，圣安东尼奥马刺队经历了NBA生命周期的四个阶段：推倒、重建、季后赛和争冠。今年8月，在连续七年无缘季后赛之后，这支底蕴深厚的豪门正处于“季后赛”阶段的起点。总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 和管理层做出了必要的运作，表明他们已经准备好打破无缘季后赛的魔咒。然而，接下来发生的事情超出了所有人的预料，甚至连最乐观的马刺死忠也未曾想到。
周三晚上，当整个篮球世界的目光聚焦在阿拉莫城，迎来2026年NBA总决赛第一场对决时，这支曾五次夺得NBA总冠军的球队将向他们的第六座奥布莱恩杯发起冲击。那么，一支全联盟最年轻、最缺乏经验的球队，是如何在短短十个月内，从一支季后赛边缘球队蜕变为夺冠大热门的呢？让我们一探究竟。
新晋联盟第一人的崛起
很难将这仅仅称之为“崛起”，毕竟早在NBA选秀抽签之夜，传奇记者埃德里安·沃纳罗斯基 (Adrian Wojnarowski) 就曾将文班亚马称为“团队运动历史上最伟大的新秀”。但在第二赛季因血栓问题戛然而止后，文班在今年迎来了强势复仇。全明星、最佳阵容一阵、最佳防守球员、最佳防守阵容一阵以及常规赛MVP票选第三，这些仅仅是这位法国神童在22岁赛季所取得的部分荣誉。
马刺之所以能挺进队史第七次总决赛，是因为在最关键的比赛和最重大的舞台上，他们拥有一个不仅愿意承担责任、甚至主动索求责任的领袖。从锁定季后赛席位时对阵菲尼克斯太阳队的绝杀，到在明尼苏达的系列赛第三战中狂砍39分的惊艳表现，再到对阵卫冕冠军时首战奉献的大师级首战表现——每当圣安东尼奥需要有人挺身而出时，维克托总能给出答案。
马刺能超越预期有许多原因，但没有一个比这位身高7英尺5英寸的“外星人”更具决定性。
无惧年轻的无畏双子星
去年五月，当乐透之神连续第三次眷顾马刺，送上又一个前四顺位签时（在新乐透改革下，其他任何球队都不会再享有这种待遇了），马刺算不算幸运？当然算。但这不是他们需要纠结的。他们只是做了该做的事——在已经充满天赋的年轻核心阵容中，加入了全美排名第二的新星后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。
与此同时，新科最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 也急于证明自己。这两位后卫不仅在场上的打法上如出一辙，在对成功的渴望上也是志同道合。卡斯尔在第二年实现了巨大的飞跃，在提升本就处于精英级别的外线防守的同时，得分效率也大幅提高。
至于哈珀，在经历了前41场比赛的起起伏伏后，这位新泽西小伙子仿佛突然打通了任督二脉，此后的每周都在我们眼前蜕变成一颗耀眼的明星。他冲击篮筐并完成终结的能力让人无法阻挡，控球稳健，防守端也坚韧可靠。
但让整个联盟为之震惊的最大变数，是这两位年轻后卫在三分线外的进步。他们转瞬之间就从不稳定的投手蜕变为命中率高达40%的神射手，并在常规赛收官阶段保持着空前高涨的自信心。
在他们开启首次季后赛之旅前，外界充满了疑问。他们能顶住大场面吗？他们会在压力下退缩吗？他们会被对手研究透吗？而他们的表现给出了最响亮的肯定答案。每当有对手或障碍横亘在面前，他们都会直接碾压过去——字面意义上的碾压。
万众一心，志在夺冠
想要赢得总冠军，队内的每一个人都必须步调一致。如果有人特立独行，就会破坏化学反应，夺冠的机会便会转瞬即逝。你需要无私的球员，他们愿意为了球队的利益牺牲个人数据和名气。
这支马刺队拥有极佳的更衣室氛围。德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 曾连续五年打出场均25分、5个篮板和5次助攻的数据，但他甘愿做出牺牲，以扶持前述那对无畏双子星的成长。还有效力马刺时间最长的凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)，他曾在这家联盟里拿到过场均22分，如今却毫无怨言地接受了第六人的角色。当然，还有德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)，在效力球队的六个赛季中，他尝试过无数种不同的角色，但他从未抱怨过一次，如今总能在关键时刻做出帮助球队赢球的战术选择。
夺冠绝非一人之功，而是需要全队的共同努力，而马刺正拥有这样一个极具凝聚力的集体。随着文班登顶联盟之巅，卡斯尔和哈珀打破了人们对年轻后卫的固有认知，每个人都为了球队的利益各司其职，主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 及其教练组也完美应对了挑战。一切都水到渠成，马刺就这样重新回到了NBA生态系统的顶端。
那么，接下来呢？正如传奇球星蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 所说：
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：How the Spurs got back to the NBA Finals
How the Spurs got back to the NBA Finals
Back in August, in the midst of the Spurs third offseason with Victor Wembanyama, I wroteabout the state of the franchise and how the Spurs were progressing on their way back to the top of the proverbial NBA ladder.
Since the summer of 2022, the San Antonio Spurs have gone through four phases of the NBA life cycle; The Teardown, The Rebuild, The Playoffs and The Contenders. In August, the storied franchise was sitting at the start of The Playoff phase after seven years without a postseason appearance. Brian Wright and the front office made the requisite moves to signal they were ready to break their playoff-less streak. What happened next was unforeseen by everybody, even by the most optimistic of Spurs believers.
On Wednesday night, the five-time NBA Champions will be hunting for their sixth when the basketball world assembles in the Alamo City for Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. So how did one of the youngest and least experienced teams go from a playoff hopeful to a championship favorite in the span of just ten months? Let’s take a look.
The emergence of the new best player in basketball
It’s hard to call it an emergence when once upon a time on NBA Draft lottery night, the great Adrian Wojnarowski called Victor Wembanyama “the greatest prospect in team sports history”, but after a blood clot halted his second season in the league, Wemby came back with a vengeance this year. All-Star, All-NBA first team, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defense first team and third in MVP were just some of the accomplishments that the French phenom accumulated in his age 22 season.
What allowed the Spurs to make it to their seventh NBA Finals was that in the biggest games and on the biggest occasions, they had someone who not just only embraced the responsibility of the moment but demanded it. From his game-winner against the Phoenix Suns to clinch their playoff spot, to his 39-point performancein Game 3 in Minnesota, to his masterpiece of a Game 1 against the defending champions, every time San Antonio has called, Vic has answered.
There’s been a lot of reasons the Spurs have exceeded expectations but none bigger than the 7’5” alien.
The fearless duo that doesn’t care how young they are
Were the Spurs lucky last May when for the third straight time, the lottery gods blessed the franchise with another top 4 pick (which, under new lottery reform, won’t happen again for anyone else)? Yes, but that’s not for them to worry about. They just did what they were supposed to do and added guard Dylan Harper, the second-ranked prospect, to their already young talented core.
At the same time, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle was out to prove a point. The two guards were like two peas in a pod with not just how they played on the court, but in their drive for success. Castle made a major leap in year two, becoming a more efficient scorer while levelling up his already elite perimeter defense.
For Harper, after an up-and-down start in his first forty-one games, the flip switched for the New Jersey native, and with each passing week he was becoming a star in front of our eyes. Unstoppable getting to and finishing at the rim, under control with the ball in his hands and a stern and reliable defender.
But the biggest point of difference that turned the league on its head was the improvement from three-point range from the two young guards. From shaky shooters to 40% in the blink of an eye, and their confidence was as high as ever to finish the regular season.
A lot of questions were then asked heading into their first playoff run. Would they be able to meet the moment? Would they wilt under the pressure? Would they get figured out? The answer is a resounding YES. Every time they have met with someone or something in front of them, they have just gone right through them, literally.
Buying in with only one goal in mind
To win any championship, everyone must be on the same page. If one person goes rogue, it can shift the dynamics, and there goes your chance at glory. You need selfless players who are willing to sacrifice personal numbers and recognition for the betterment of the team.
This Spurs team has good people. There’s De’Aaron Fox, who for five years was a 25-5-5 guy but has routinely sacrificed to help the growth of the aforementioned fearless duo. Then there’s the longest-tenured Spur Keldon Johnson, who has averaged 22 points a game in this league, buying into his role as a sixth man. And don’t forget Devin Vassell, who has had a million different roles over his six seasons, but has never complained once and now makes all the winning plays.
It doesn’t take just one player. It takes a village, and the Spurs have one heck of a village. With Wemby ascending to the top of the mountain, Castle and Harper breaking the mold of what young guards should look like, everyone embracing their role for the good of the team, and Mitch Johnson and his coaching staff rising to the occasion, everything clicked into place and here the Spurs are, back at the top of the NBA ecosystem.
So what now? Well, in the words of the legendary Tim Duncan:
By Zach Colwell, via Pounding The Rock