By Jeje Gomez | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-17 19:58:25
2025/26赛季马刺的迷人之处在于，它重新带回了人们的期许。在长达半个年代的时间里，圣安东尼奥在卡怀·莱昂纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 闹剧的余波中蛰伏，拼凑着一些虽有尊严但平庸无奇的阵容，似乎一直在寻找一个信号、一条出路。为了打造一支以维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 为核心的崛起中的争冠球队，一些深受球迷喜爱的老将和本土培养的年轻人不得不选择离开。
无论是球迷还是管理层，恐怕都对接下来发生的一切始料未及。在文班的第三个赛季，马刺的表现远超预期，这让球队的目标发生了转变，不再仅仅是打进季后赛。原本温和的期许有些不情愿地发生了蜕变，而狂喜与心碎的概率也随之增加。在极短的时间内，圣安东尼奥马刺就从一支未来之师蜕变为真正的争冠强队，他们不仅闯入了总决赛，甚至差一点就捧起了奥布莱恩杯。
如今看来，这种崛起似乎是顺理成章的，但在赛季初期并非如此。虽然现在听起来已成陈年旧事，但马刺在进入这个赛季时确实面临着一些严峻的疑问。维克托·文班亚马因深静脉血栓错过了上赛季末段的比赛，没有时间与新加盟的达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 进行磨合。当时被视为核心拼图的杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 在随波兰国家队训练时受伤，给本就是明显软肋的前锋位置带来了更多的不确定性。圣安东尼奥在选秀大会上做出了一个略带争议的决定，用榜眼签选中了控球后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)，这虽然增加了一位天赋异禀的才俊，但也造成了后场的人员拥堵。最后，菜鸟主帅米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 留任，并去掉了“临时”标签。
季前预测认为马刺是一支胜率在50%左右的球队，这在当时看来是合理的。早期的伤病让人无法立刻看清这支银黑军团的上限，但人们隐约感觉到他们可能会带来惊喜。虽然需要时间来观察福克斯和文班亚马的化学反应，但即便首发阵容有所变动，圣安东尼奥依然取得了不错的开局。马刺在开局前10场比赛中赢下了8场，其中“外星人”在揭幕战中奉献了巨星级的表演，随后经历了几场起伏。当文班受伤时，球队的战绩本可能一落千丈，但他们挺了过来。自由市场的重要新援卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 镇守内线，而福克斯在被赋予更多进攻球权后展现出了强大的得分能力。赛季进行到四分之一时，尽管面临严重的伤病缺席，银黑军团依然高居西部前列。
在此期间，他们取得了一些令人瞩目的胜利，但也有几次输给潜在季后赛对手的经历，这表明对球队上限保持谨慎态度是合理的。然而，随着马刺在文班亚马没有首发的情况下连续三次击败雷霆，这些顾虑烟消云散。这主要得益于他们后卫线的出色发挥，并展现出了让他们成为对手噩梦的球队特质。圣安东尼奥展现出了一支坚韧防守型球队的姿态：他们拥有年轻的活力去冲击篮筐和推反击，拥有足以与任何对手抗衡的后场天赋，以及文班亚马这位只要登场就如同超级巨星般改变比赛防守走势的球员。在晋级阿联酋航空NBA杯（Emirates NBA Cup）决赛的过程中，他们展现出了赢下硬仗的信心。虽然输给尼克斯的比赛预示了银黑军团本赛季的结局，但到了赛季中期，显而易见的是，马刺已经强势崛起。
当然，并非一切都尽善尽美。年轻后卫们缺乏外线投射能力，这迫使福克斯不得不更多地去打无球，这并非最理想的状态。索汉在米奇·约翰逊的战术体系中逐渐边缘化，因为他也无法拉开空间，并且在替补席上与科内特搭档时显得格格不入。新秀卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 被硬塞了一些上场时间，显得有些不知所措，而哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 在经历了一个惊艳的开局后开始显露疲态。随着交易截止日的临近，尽管凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 打出了一个高效的赛季，但补强前锋轮换（这看起来仍是软肋）似乎势在必行。然而，管理层并不同意，或者未能找到合适的报价。索汉被裁掉，不久之后，朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 取代巴恩斯成为首发大前锋，这一调整被证明足以帮助圣安东尼奥在西部群雄中脱颖而出。
马刺时隔七年重返季后赛，他们以西部第二的身份迎战从附加赛突围、实力稍逊一筹的开拓者。尽管文班亚马因脑震荡缺席了一场比赛，他们依然轻松解决战斗。第二轮本应是他们的重大考验，因为常规赛收官战输给掘金让圣安东尼奥注定要与公认的西部第三强队相遇。然而，在一场伤兵满营的对决中淘汰掘金后，站在他们面前的却是森林狼。这是一场更为艰难的对决，对抗强度骤增，导致沮丧的文班亚马对纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 肘击，这一危险动作让他被驱逐出场，但所幸未被禁赛。最终，在安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 受到限制的情况下，明尼苏达火力不足，马刺顺利晋级分区决赛，为所有人奉献了期待已久的巅峰对决。
雷霆与马刺的对决没有让人失望。首战即成经典，这两支西部年轻的超级强权在系列赛中互不相让，肉搏对抗、势头转换以及教练间的战术博弈贯穿始终。新晋两届MVP得主谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 利用圣安东尼奥旨在限制其得分的侵略性防守，不断为队友创造机会，直到米奇·约翰逊做出调整。文班亚马则面对了各种类型的防守者，从高大后卫到中锋。俄克拉荷马城在缺少二号球星杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 及其天然替补阿杰伊·米切尔 (Ajay Mitchell) 的情况下，依然取得了3-2的系列赛领先，银黑军团的晋级前景一度不容乐观。然而，马刺再次用他们的沉稳震惊了所有人，文班亚马一马当先，其他球员也轮流挺身而出，最终完成了逆转，这也让他们成为了夺冠大热门。
遗憾的是，这段梦幻般的征程就此画上句号。从东部突围的尼克斯对于身材矮小得多的圣安东尼奥马刺来说是一个极其糟糕的对手。马刺进行了顽强的抵抗，每场比赛都曾取得过领先，有时甚至领先达到两位数，但他们没能坚持到最后，在最糟糕的时刻犯下错误，并且缺乏足够的阵容深度来挺过文班亚马不在场的时间段。每场比赛的进程都如出一辙，除了其中一场外，结果也完全相同。纽约总能给出回应，即使大比分落后也从未停止战斗，让自己有机会在比赛末段凭借更出色的执行力击败对手。甚至在马刺一度领先29分的一场比赛中，他们也一直在咬牙坚持，等待反扑的机会，并在机会出现时一击致命。在系列赛初期效率挣扎的杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 在关键时刻化身冷酷刺客，而圣安东尼奥所有的软肋也在此时集中爆发。
尽管结局有些残酷，但对马刺而言，这依然是一个令人难忘的赛季。他们重返季后赛，创下了十多年来最远的季后赛征程，见证了文班亚马成长为真正的超级巨星，并发现两位年轻后卫有望成为极佳的争冠拼图。总决赛1-4的大比分并不能真实反映他们距离拉里·奥布莱恩杯和第六面总冠军旗帜有多么接近。而且，几乎没有哪支球队能像他们一样，拥有如此光明且准备充分的未来。
但与此同时，这也会让人觉得错失了良机，马刺最受赞誉的传统美德——耐心，这一次或许起到了反作用。如果在交易截止日进行一次小规模的补强，如果能在大部分阵容年轻化的情况下建立起更成熟的进攻体系，或者教练组在关键时刻能有更直接的战术部署，也许最终的结果就会是一座总冠军奖杯。
这一切都取决于看待问题的角度。如今联盟的竞争比以往任何时候都更加均衡，而且这种趋势应该会延续下去，因为建立王朝的手段似乎已被规则条款所限制。在这种背景下，打进总决赛本身就可以被视为一种褒奖，尤其是对于这样一支年轻的球队而言。但它也可以被看作是在夺冠难度空前（即使拥有天赋异禀的阵容）的时代里，一次极其珍贵且罕见的夺冠契机。而马刺没能把握住。
人们希望，一路上汲取的教训能帮助圣安东尼奥做到许多其他球队梦寐以求却难以实现的目标：打造一支长盛不衰的争冠劲旅，并多次向总冠军发起冲击。天赋已经就位，现在是时候围绕其进行建设了。
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：The Spurs’ 2025/26 season brought back expectations, success, and heartbreak
The Spurs’ 2025/26 season brought back expectations, success, and heartbreak
The beauty of the 2025/26 Spurs season was that it brought back expectations. For half a decade, San Antonio lay dormant as it recovered from the Kawhi Leonard fiasco, putting together respectable but unremarkable teams as it seemed to look for a sign, a path. Some beloved veterans and homegrown young guys had to leave to allow for the creation of a burgeoning contender, led by Victor Wembanyama.
Nothing could have prepared the fanbase, and likely the organization, for what was to come. Instead of just making the playoffs in Wemby’s third year, the goals shifted as the Spurs proved much better than anticipated. The modest expectations somewhat reluctantly evolved, and the chance for elation and heartbreak increased. In a short period of time, San Antonio went from the team of the future to a legitimate contender, which not only reached the Finals but could have won them.
The ascendance looks predetermined now, but it wasn’t the case early on. It seems ancient history by now, but the Spurs came into the season with some serious question marks. Victor Wembanyama missed the end of the past year with deep vein thrombosis and didn’t have time to gel with the new acquisition, De’aaron Fox. Jeremy Sochan, then considered a core piece, was hurt while training with the Polish national team, bringing further uncertainty to the forward spot, a noticeable weakness. San Antonio had made a somewhat controversial pick in the draft by selecting a point guard, Dylan Harper, second overall, adding a special talent but creating a logjam in the backcourt. Finally, Mitch Johnson, a rookie head coach, stuck around without the interim tag.
The preseason predictions of an around .500 team seemed prudent. Early injuries made it impossible to figure out just how good the Silver and Black could be right off the bat, but there was a sense that the team could surprise. It would take a while to see how Fox and Wembanyama fit together, but even with changes to the starting lineup, San Antonio got off to a good start. The Spurs won eight of the first 10, with a star-making performance by The Alien on opening night and a few up-and-down games. As Wemby got hurt, the team could have taken a nosedive down the standings, but didn’t. Luke Kornet, the big free agency addition, held down the fort inside and Fox showed off his scoring prowess on an expanded offensive role. A quarter into the season, the Silver and Black had one of the best records in the West despite serious absences.
There were some impressive wins along the way, but also a few losses to prospective playoff teams that suggested caution about the team’s ceiling was valid. Those concerns disappeared as the Spurs beat the Thunder three times in a row without Wembanyama starting, largely on the strength of their guard play and displaying the identity that would make them a nightmare to face. San Antonio emerged as a tenacious defensive team with the youth to pressure the rim and run, the talent in the backcourt to match up with anyone, and a game-changing defensive player in Wembanyama who looked like a superstar when he was available. The run-up to the Emirates NBA Cup Finals showed they also had the confidence to win big games, and while the loss to the Knicks foreshadowed how the Silver and Black’s season would end, by the mid-point, it was clear the Spurs had arrived.
It wasn’t all perfect, of course. The young guards could not shoot from outside, which forced Fox to an off-ball role more often than it would have been ideal. Sochan had lost ground in Mitch Johnson’s consideration because he, too, struggled to space the floor and didn’t fit well with Kornet off the bench. Rookie Carter Bryant was force-fed some minutes and looked clueless, and Harrison Barnes was showing signs of slowing down after a brilliant start. With the trade deadline nearing, a move to fortify the forward rotation, which seemed like a weakness despite Keldon Johnson’s productive year, felt appropriate. The front office disagreed or couldn’t find the right offer. Sochan was waived, and soon after, Julian Champagnie took over the starting big forward spot from Barnes, a change that proved sufficient to help San Antonio separate from the pack in the West.
The Spurs returned to the playoffs after seven years as the second seed in the West and faced the outmatched Trail Blazers, which came out of the play-in. They easily took care of business despite missing Wembanyama for a game due to a concussion. The second round was supposed to be their big test, as a loss to the Nuggets in the last game of the regular season put San Antonio on a collision course with the consensus third-best team in the conference. Instead, it was the Timberwolves who were there after eliminating Denver in a battle of injured teams. It was a tougher matchup, as the physicality increased, leading to a frustrated Wembanyama throwing a dangerous elbow to Naz Reid that got him ejected but not suspended. Ultimately, Minnesota didn’t have enough firepower with Anthony Edwards limited, and the Spurs advanced to the conference finals, giving everyone the matchup they were waiting for.
Thunder-Spurs didn’t disappoint. Game 1 was an instant classic, and the two West young superpowers traded blows in a series marked by physical play, momentum swings, and a coaching chess match. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the recently crowned two-time MVP, took advantage of an aggressive San Antonio defense geared toward stopping his scoring to set up his teammates, until Mitch Johnson adjusted. Wembanyama saw all kinds of defenders on him, from big guards to centers. Oklahoma City, despite missing their second-best player, Jalen Williams, and his natural replacement, Ajay Mitchell, got a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Silver and Black’s chances weren’t looking great. Once again, the Spurs surprised everyone with their poise, as Wembanyama led the way while other players took turns stepping up to secure a comeback win that made them the favorites to win the title.
Unfortunately, the dream run ended there. The Knicks came out of the East and were a terrible matchup for a much smaller San Antonio team. The Spurs put up a fight, always leading at some point and occasionally by double digits, but couldn’t hold on, making mistakes at the worst possible times and lacking the depth to survive the non-Wembanyama stretches. Every game was similar to the next, and the result was the same in all but one. New York always had an answer and never stopped fighting despite big deficits, giving itself a chance to out-execute its opponent late. Even in a game in which the Spurs led by 29, they just kept fighting, waiting for their opportunity to pounce, and taking advantage of it once it presented itself. Jalen Brunson, who struggled with efficiency early in the series, was an assassin when it counted, and all of San Antonio’s weaknesses manifested at the same time.
Despite the rough ending, it was a memorable season for the Spurs. They returned to the playoffs, made their deepest run in over a decade, saw Wembanyama emerge as a true superstar, and the two young guards as potentially great running mates. The 4-1 end result in the Finals doesn’t truly show how close they were to the Larry O’Brien and their sixth banner. And few, if any, teams looked better set up for the future.
At the same time, it can feel like a wasted opportunity in which the Spurs’ patience, one of their most praised virtues, might have backfired. A small addition at the deadline, a more developed offensive system installed despite the youth of a sizable part of the roster, and more direct involvement from the coaching staff to orchestrate things in key moments could have resulted in a title.
It’s all a matter of perspective. The league has more parity than ever, and it should continue to do so since the tools to build dynasties appear to have been legislated out of the game. In that context, a Finals appearance can be seen as a prize in itself, especially for such a young team. It can also be seen as a precious and rare chance to secure a title at a time when doing so can be considered harder than ever, even with talented rosters. And the Spurs couldn’t capitalize on it.
The hope is that the lessons learned along the way will help San Antonio do what many others are struggling to accomplish: build a lasting contender that has multiple opportunities to win it all. The talent is there. Now it’s time to build around it.
By Jeje Gomez, via Pounding The Rock