By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-09-02 06:54:02
期望是一件难以应对的事情。有许多年轻球队过早崭露头角，却再也未能达到他们超额表现所触及的高度的故事。看看凯文·杜兰特和拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克的俄克拉荷马城雷霆队，他们在2012年输掉了NBA总决赛，四年后便分道扬镳。想要保持一条通往总冠军乃至王朝的直线上升轨迹，何其艰难。
在上赛季总决赛输给纽约尼克斯之后，圣安东尼奥马刺将寄望于直线进步。马刺如今已坚定地处于“不夺冠即失败”的模式，阵容中充斥着年龄刚够在酒吧点酒的年轻核心球员。这些期望承载着巨大的分量。但马刺球迷相信球队能够扛住这一切。
根据我们最新的SB Nation Reacts调查，略过半数的马刺球迷认为球队将超越2025-26赛季62胜20负的战绩。联盟中的每支球队都会比以往更加拼命，确保他们无法做到这一点。作为崭露头角的年轻劲旅，他们会激发其他所有球队拿出最佳状态。而且，由于联盟规则变更导致摆烂球队减少，他们将有更多夜晚面对真正全力以赴的对手。
当然，也会有很多球员将矛头对准马刺最好的球员。维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 在季后赛中因过于激进的打法招致了不少批评。各支球队都会向他发起冲击，希望激怒他，以此削弱他在攻防两端的影响力。他和球队其他成员需要极大的成熟度来应对来自全联盟的猛烈攻势。
幸运的是，马刺引进了一些援兵，应该能帮助他们保持冷静的头脑。托拜厄斯·哈里斯是联盟中最受尊敬的 veteran 之一。虽然哈里斯未必赢下过很多季后赛系列赛，但他一直是胜利球队中的一员。正是这种球员，能在常规赛的艰难时期提升球队的下限，从而改善整体战绩。
圣安东尼奥如今也是NBA阵容深度最强的球队之一。小塔里斯·里德的加盟，为他们提供了上赛季迫切需要的第三名大个子。球队在侧翼和后场位置上人才济济，即使出现伤病或球员需要轮休，也能有人顶上。这是他们能否追平上赛季62胜的关键因素。
FanDuel 为马刺设定的胜场数为60.5场，略低于他们上赛季的成绩。即便无法超越2025-26赛季的战绩，圣安东尼奥在FanDuel上仍以+230的赔率位列夺冠热门之一。
由生成式 AI 翻译，翻译内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
查看原文：For the Spurs, improving in 2026-27 means dealing with expectations
For the Spurs, improving in 2026-27 means dealing with expectations
Expectations are difficult to deal with. There are many stories of young teams arriving too early and then never reaching the heights they overachieved to get to. Look at Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in the NBA Finals in 2012 and then disbanded 4 years later. It’s hard to keep a linear trajectory that leads to a championship and then a dynasty.
The San Antonio Spurs will be counting on linear improvement after losing to the New York Knicks in last season’s Finals. The Spurs are firmly in championship-or-bust mode, with a roster filled with key players who are barely old enough to order a drink at the bar. Those expectations come with a lot of weight. But Spurs fans think the team can handle that.
According to our last SB Nation Reacts survey, just over half of Spurs fans think the team will improve on their 2025-26 record of 62-20. Every team in the NBA will be pushing harder than ever to make sure they don’t accomplish that. Being the new shiny young team will draw every other franchise’s best effort. And, with fewer teams tanking due to a change in the league’s rules, there will be even more nights where they’ll face a team really going for it.
Of course, a lot of players will be gunning for the Spurs’ best player, too. Victor Wembanyama drew a lot of criticism for his overaggressive play in the playoffs. Teams are going to be coming at him and hoping they can get under his skin as a way to combat the impact he makes on both ends. It will take a lot of maturity for him and the rest of the team to respond to this onslaught from the rest of the league.
Luckily for the Spurs, they brought in some reinforcements that should help them stay level-headed. Tobias Harris is one of the league’s most respected veterans. While Harris hasn’t necessarily won a lot of playoff series, he has consistently been a member of winning teams. Those are the kinds of players who can raise the floor of a team during the dog days of the regular season, improving the overall record.
San Antonio is also now one of the deepest teams in the NBA. The addition of Tarris Reed Jr. gives them the third big man they desperately needed last season. The team is loaded with wings and guards that can fill in if injuries arise or a player needs a rest. That is a major key to matching the 62 wins they had last season.
FanDuel has the Spurs’ win total at 60.5, just slightly under what they had last season. Even without beating their 2025-26 record, San Antonio is still one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +230 on the site.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock