多伦多猛龙队的教练盛赞布兰登·英格拉姆在幕后展现出的领导力

作者：亚当·拉斯卡里斯

任何一个在本赛季关注多伦多猛龙队的人都不会无理地认为这支球队已经接近成型的状态了。

但一步一个脚印地，这支球队似乎正努力在2024-25赛季常规赛的最后五周里最大限度地发挥出自身实力，即便在那些惜败的比赛中也是如此。

周六晚上，在丰业银行球馆，多伦多猛龙队以117比118输给了华盛顿奇才队。在这场比赛中，猛龙队起初看似已经赢下了比赛，然而经过视频回放判定，贾马尔·谢德那记有可能绝杀比赛的压哨球在终场哨响时还在他手中，因此进球无效 。

对于那些支持球队输球以便在乐透抽签中获得更好顺位的球迷来说，在球队取得三连胜之后，这场比赛或许是两全其美的结果。

对于球队管理层而言，他们考虑的似乎是更长远的大局，而不只是为了在今年春天获得状元签那几个百分点的概率。

在球队内部，猛龙队已经从布兰登·英格拉姆身上看到了球队未来的一些曙光。

英格拉姆曾是新奥尔良鹈鹕队的一员，在12月7日严重扭伤了脚踝。作为猛龙队在交易截止日的重要引援，他自上个月来到多伦多后，一直在慢慢融入这支球队。

虽然英格拉姆尚未正式为猛龙队登场比赛，但在周六比赛前，他走上了球场进行了一些热身活动，因为他已经接近可能复出的状态了。

猛龙队主教练达科·拉贾科维奇在赛后表示：“事情就是这样。当你从远处观察英格拉姆，把他当作一名球员来看待时，你知道他的打球方式，他在场上的表现，你会欣赏他的球技。然后当你有机会去了解他这个人时，那个时候你就会想，我懂了。我明白他为什么这么出色了。”

英格拉姆在2020年入选过NBA全明星，本赛季他在鹈鹕队场均能得到22.2分、5.6个篮板和5.2次助攻。

“我明白（他有多出色），因为他的决心、对细节的关注以及对比赛的热爱……这些都是无与伦比的，他给我留下了非常深刻的印象。他是个安静的人，但他也非常聪明，说话轻声细语，他在更衣室里和我们的球员相处得非常融洽。我真的对他印象深刻……”拉贾科维奇补充道。

猛龙队将于周一晚上在多伦多的主场再次迎战华盛顿奇才队。

Nobody that’s followed the Toronto Raptors this season could reasonably argue that the team is anywhere close to a finished product.

But brick by brick, the team seems to be trying to get the most out of the final five weeks of their 2024-25 regular season, even in close losses.

On Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto fell 118-117 to the Washington Wizards in a game they initially appeared to have won, before it was ruled on video review that Jamal Shead’s potential game-winning buzzer-beater was still in his hands as the clock expired.

For fans rooting for the team to lose to get better draft lottery position, the game was perhaps the best of both worlds after a three-game winning streak.

For the front office, they appear to be looking at the bigger picture than a few percentage points at getting the top pick this spring.

Internally, the Raptors have been getting glimpses of their future from Brandon Ingram.

Suffering a severe ankle sprain on Dec. 7 while a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, the team’s major trade deadline acquisition has been slowly integrating into the franchise since arriving in Toronto last month.

While Ingram has yet to suit up for the team officially, he took to the court pregame Saturday to get in some warmup action as he nears towards a possible return.

“It’s one of those things., when you look at [Ingram] from afar and you see him as a player, you know how he operates, how he he plays, and you admire his game. And then you get a chance to get to know him, and at that point, it’s like, I get it. I understand why he’s so good,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said postgame.

An NBA All-Star in 2020, Ingram averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game with the Pelicans this season.

“I understand [how good he is] because of his determination and attention to detail and love from the game… it’s second-to-none, I’m really impressed with him. He’s a quiet guy, but he’s also so smart, soft-spoken, he fits in with our guys great in the locker room. I’m really, really impressed with him…” Rajakovic added.

The Raptors return to the court Monday night in Toronto for a rematch against the Wizards.#我的观赛搭子#