[外電] For the Blazers, growth comes in spurts

看板BLAZERS作者Fernandez05 (Rudy Fernandez)時間15年前 (2009/04/18 07:29)推噓16(16推 0噓 8→)

留言24則, 16人參與討論串1/1

For the Blazers, growth comes in spurts By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports http://tinyurl.com/dkcwu2 PORTLAND, Ore. – They cleared out their lockers, said their goodbyes, and before the Portland Trail Blazers could scatter for another summer, Nate McMillan gave each of them a few words to chew on. No more excuses, the Blazers’ head coach said. No more waiting for the future to arrive. 波特蘭，奧勒岡(2008)－他們清空了他們的置物櫃，並且跟它們說掰掰，在夏天來臨之前, Nate跟他們講了一些值得讓他們深思的話:沒有任何藉口，不需要任何多餘的等待，你們可以的，未來是你們的。 McMillan knew his Baby Blazers were ready to stand among the NBA’s better teams. But if they wanted to take that next step, if they wanted to end the franchise’s cursed playoff drought, they first needed to have faith in themselves. Rank A知道他的寶貝拓荒者們準備好要帶來一股炫風，但是要成功破解季後賽魔咒的前提是，他們必須對自己有信心，信賴自己也信賴隊友。 Ask Brandon Roy about McMillan’s message from a year ago and he smiles. The Blazers heard their coach, but Roy isn’t sure they fully believed him. They do now. 當Roy被問到還記不記得一年前Nate說了什麼，他笑了。拓荒者們當然有聽到，但Roy他們那時並不怎麼相信Nate說的話。不過，現在他們相信了。 “We’re not waiting,” Roy said, and his edge suggests the NBA elite better get used to the idea of Portland crashing their party. ＂我們不再等待。＂Roy說:＂其它那些菁英們最好習慣波特蘭的強大。＂ Rip City roars once again. The Blazers have rushed into the playoffs for the first time in six years, awakening what had long been one of the league’s most fervent fan bases. As Portland finished off its latest victory to secure home-court advantage for its opening-round series with the Houston Rockets, streamers fell from the Rose Garden rafters, touching off a celebration that seemed nearly a decade in the making. RIP City再次沸騰了。拓荒者們經過了六年，再一次重返了季後賽，喚醒了可能是聯盟裡最狂熱的一群球迷。拓荒者在球季最後一場，這個讓他們拿下季後賽第一輪主場優勢的比賽,慶祝勝利的彩帶漫天飛舞,吹亮了經過這快十年來漫長等待的第一聲號角。 Finally, Roy and his teammates appear to have run off all those Jail Blazer ghosts. Blazers owner Paul Allen, who had briefly put the franchise on the market just three years ago after the team’s boorish behavior and uninspired play eroded much of its local support, strode down the hallway late Wednesday, accepting congratulations from well-wishers on each side of him. Allen soaked up the moment, no doubt thrilled by his team’s success, but also the future that awaits it. 終於，Roy和他的夥伴們從Jail Blazers的噩夢中逃出。三年前，保羅艾倫老闆曾經動過念頭要轉手球隊，因為他受不了那些粗野的、毫無生氣的比賽逐漸腐蝕著球迷的心。但他終於在星期三大步的走過了長廊，接受四面八方來的恭喜慶祝。艾倫沉醉在那個摸門特，不僅是為了現在為止的成功，更是為了他們的美好未來。 For in these playoffs of Kobe, LeBron and the Celtics, no team is more intriguing than the Trail Blazers. Will the Blazers succumb to their inexperience, allowing the postseason pressure to swallow them? Or are they simply too young and too talented to know better? 在這個屬於Kobe、LBJ、和超賽等球隊的季後賽裡，沒有哪一隻球隊比拓荒者更菜了。拓荒者會被"沒有經驗"這股壓力屈服吞噬嗎？或是他們太年輕了以至於無法獲得成功？ If their play from the past three weeks is any indication, you might want to hold off betting what’s left of your 401(k) on the former happening. 如果他們過去三個星期的表現是一種暗示的話，你可能會想要拿出你的退休金老本來賭賭看他們的表現。 The Blazers have won 10 of their previous 11 games, routing the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns along the way – in addition to gutting out a tough home win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Their season-ending demolition of Denver didn’t mean much, considering the Nuggets had lost most of their incentive by tip-off, but the Blazers have still left quite the boot-heel impression on many of their opponents. 拓荒者在過去11場比賽裡贏了10場，擊敗了馬刺、宅爵、太陽，也在主場艱辛的贏得了對湖人的勝利。雖然他們對金塊這場勝利不算什麼，因為這場勝利完全不會影響到金塊，但拓荒者們還是給他們的對手們帶來了深刻的印象。 “They’re a machine right now,” said one Western Conference scout. “They have the size and length, and their guys are playing with so much confidence. I think they can make a run.” ＂他們就像一部勝利機器＂一位不具名的西區球隊人員表示＂他們又大又長，而且他們的信心爆棚，我認為他們一定可以有所表現。＂ If the Blazers do so, it will be with a total of just 35 games of playoff experience – the fewest of any team in a dozen years. Nineteen of those games belong to end-of-the-bench veteran Michael Ruffin. Among Portland’s regulars, point guard Steve Blake has appeared in nine postseason games, making him the team’s battle-hardened playoff graybeard. 拓荒者全隊只有35場季後賽經驗(LaFrentz不算)，這是好多年來NBA裡面最少的一隊。而其中有19場是屬於＂板凳末席之領先30分時的第四節最後45秒主力＂的Ruffin大叔的。其他正常的拓荒者裡，小黑漢典兄有最多的9場，這就足以讓他成為球隊裡最有季後賽經驗的老人。 Said Blake, laughing: “I’m still trying to learn as well.” Blake邊笑邊說：＂其實我也還在學習怎麼打季後賽＂ They all are, and that’s what makes these Blazers unique. They start one rookie (forward Nicolas Batum) and count three others (Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez) as rotation regulars. For a team so young, they seem to lack the type of petty jealousies and insecurities which can create dissension. 他們都很菜，這也是拓荒者最獨一無二的地方，他們的新人扮演著非常重要的角色，Batum 是先發小前鋒，而Rudy和Oden是板凳上的大將(Bayless哭哭)。對這樣年輕的球隊來說，他們似乎欠缺能夠帶來爭吵不合那些問題，像是搶上場時間和表現空間。 “We just have a bunch of selfless dudes,” Roy said. “There’s no alpha dog in here.” ＂我們有的，只有一群不自私的好夥伴。＂Roy說:＂這裡沒有任何的流氓無賴。＂ Fortunately for the Blazers, Roy’s bite is worse than his bark. He’s become more vocal on the court – last month, he chirped at Lakers forward Trevor Ariza for his flagrant foul on Fernandez – but it’s his play that has made him Portland’s unquestioned leader. A two-time NBA All-Star in just his third season, Roy has thrived in pressure moments, a skill that could serve him well in the playoffs. 對拓荒者來說，幸運的是能夠擁有Roy這樣的人，他變的越來越敢為球隊出聲。上個月，他在Rudy被Ariza惡意犯規之後毫不猶豫的上前理論。這個2次進入明星賽的三年級生，毫無疑問的是拓荒者的領袖。他在許多關鍵時刻中成長，這樣的能力讓他有機會在季後賽也有出色的表現。 “That’s where Brandon Roy is so far ahead of the curve for a young guy,” said Nuggets coach George Karl. “Nate’s given him an advanced course in understanding close games.” 這個還看不到盡頭的成長曲線的頂端是B.Roy現在所在的地方。金塊教練Karl說:Nate的給 Roy單打戰術成功的讓他在拉鋸膠著戰中表現得更好。 The rest of the Blazers fall in line behind their 24-year-old captain. Six-foot-11 forward LaMarcus Aldridge is a matchup nightmare for opponents because of his versatility and range. Even Oden, whose injuries and subsequent struggles caused him to withdraw from teammates earlier in the season, has come to embrace his role off the bench. No longer does he seem so aloof. LaMarcus Aldridge則是其他的拓荒者球員中的領袖，這個24歲的6"11前鋒，是所有要對位守他的人的噩夢，因為他的進攻多樣性和範圍之廣太恐怖了。而Oden，這個因為傷勢以及隨後而來的各種挫折而消失在球場上一段時間的狀元，也慢慢的習慣在板凳出擊並且痛擊其他隊的禁區，他也不再總是看起來那麼冷淡難以接近了。 McMillan, who has alternately nurtured and prodded his young roster, acknowledges that he and Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard looked until the trade deadline for a veteran who could help guide his teammates. One Western Conference executive said the Phoenix Suns talked to Portland while exploring trade options for Shaquille O’Neal, but that McMillan and Pritchard personally wanted assurances from O’Neal that he would be willing to play a role for the young Blazers. O’Neal declined, the source said, and the talks never progressed from there. Rank A，這個常常交替使用刺激與鼓勵方法的教練，承認他和KP曾經在交易截止日前想交易來一個有經驗的人去帶這群年輕人，另一位不願意具名的西區行政人員說拓荒者曾經有想過交易俠姬來，但是因為Nate和KP想得到Oneal願意認真當老師這個角色的保證，可是 Oneal似乎不感興趣，所以交易談判破局。 McMillan won’t comment on any of the Blazers’ specific trade targets, but he did make clear that he wouldn’t support bringing in any vet who would jeopardize the development of the team’s young core. Rank A不想多談其他胎死腹中的交易，但是他說他不願意做任何可能破壞球隊現有核心的交易只為了交易來某個有經驗的人。 “Our approach is, ‘You’re going to have to fit into our system and fit into our timeframe,’ ” McMillan said. “There’s no pressure from management to say, ‘win right now,’ as opposed to, ‘do it right.’ ” ＂我們的態度是，如果你要來，你必須要融入我們的球隊系統以及符合球隊未來藍圖。＂ Nate說＂球隊高層裡沒有任何人給我們壓力叫我們現在就一定要贏，但是我們必須做對的事情。＂ The Blazers have done it better than most, and their rebuilding plan figures to serve as the blueprint for future franchises – especially considering the ground-zero state at which they started. The atmosphere had grown so toxic around the Blazers early this decade that each day seemed to bring a new comedic low. 拓荒者在重建這條路上走的很快，特別是想想他們是從多麼荒涼的一個場景下開始重建的？在幾年以前這隻球隊的氣氛是多麼的詭異，每一天好像都比前一天還要糟糕。 After one practice, Rasheed Wallace fired a ball 100 feet at Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, leaving Wallace’s unsuspecting teammate crumbled on the court. While a trainer attended to Boumtje Boumtje, Wallace laughed and quickly scurried away as if he were a 6-year-old risking a weekend grounding from his parents. 在一次練習之後，溪蛙毫無徵兆的對準他的隊友Ruben Boumtje發射一顆球(?)在Boumtje 還驚魂未定的時候就看到溪蛙像個六歲調皮小孩一樣邊笑邊快步跑走。 When Omar Cook joined Portland on a 10-day contract, the Blazers’ equipment manager left personalized team luggage in Cook’s locker as a welcome gift. Ruben Patterson swiped it as his own before Cook could notice. 當OmarCook跟拓荒者簽了一個十天短約時，拓荒者給他一個個人置物櫃，而Ruben Patterson隨便拿他的東西就好像是他自己的櫃子一樣。 Zach Randolph was given bereavement leave by the team to attend the funeral of his girlfriend’s cousin, only to be spotted at a local strip club. The manager of the club later complained that Randolph left without paying his tab. Zach Randolph曾經說要去參加女友堂兄弟的喪禮而得到喪假，卻被發現出現在一個脫衣酒吧，而酒吧經理還抱怨Randolph當時根本就沒有付錢就揚長而去。 After a game in Sacramento, former Blazers guard Derek Anderson purchased a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to eat on the team’s bus ride. When Anderson returned to his locker after taking a shower, the box was gone. 在一場對國王的比賽之後，前拓荒者球員Derek Anderson買了一些甜甜圈想要在車上吃，當他洗完澡回到他的置物櫃，他發現甜甜圈不見了。 “What kind of teammate,” Anderson shouted, “steals your doughnuts?” Anderson 憤怒的咆哮:是什麼樣的隊友，會偷走你的甜甜圈? McMillan told Allen there would be no quick fix for the Blazers when he took over in the summer of 2005. Patience was a necessity. A little lottery luck helped speed the process, but Pritchard further fortified the roster with heady draft picks and trades. Fernandez, Rodriguez and Batum were all taken late in the first round. Nate跟艾倫老闆說：你沒有任何速成的方法重建，你必須要很有耐心。而一點樂透的好運氣則可以加速重建的腳步。但真正的功勞是來自Kevin Pritchard，拓荒者的經理。他用一連串令人目眩的交易和選秀鞏固了球隊陣容。Rudy、Sergio、Batum都是在一輪後段的人才。 Even one rival GM who complains that Pritchard’s job is made easier by Allen ’s riches also concedes: “Most of us are just jealous of his success.” 就連一個抱怨KP的成功大多是來自SPAM(Spend Paul Allen's Money)的敵對經理也承認:我們大部分人都只是忌妒他的成功而已。 How long the Blazers’ success lasts into the postseason remains to be seen, but playing the first two games on their home court should help. The Blazers have a 34-7 record at the Rose Garden, second only to the Lakers in the West. Two of those wins came against the Lakers, making Portland the only West team to beat Kobe and company twice this season. 拓荒者的腳步能走的多遠還等著大家去觀察，前兩場主場的比賽是重要的指標。拓荒者本季的主場戰績是34-7，在西區僅次於湖人。而其中有兩勝就是湖人貢獻的，這也是西區唯一一個曾經兩度擊敗過湖人的球隊。 “I know a lot of teams don’t want to come here and play in the Rose Garden, ” said Blazers center Joel Przybilla. “I guarantee you that.” ＂我知道很多球隊一點都不想到玫瑰花園來比賽＂大P說:我跟你保證！ Roy feels confident the Blazers can continue to give the Lakers problems should they meet in the second round – “We definitely feel like we can play and beat anybody,” he said – but he’s also not ready to look that far ahead. Portland’s nearly blank playoff résumé also makes an attractive target for its more experienced opponents. Roy 很有信心的覺得拓荒者能給湖人帶來麻煩，不過前提是兩邊都能夠晉級。他說：我們覺得我們可以擊敗任何人，但現在我們該面對的是眼前的比賽。不過拓荒者幾近空白的季後賽經驗也讓他們成為各隊都想面對的對手。 “I think everybody wants us,” McMillan said. Nate說:我覺得大家都想跟我們打。 “Experience is good, but we don’t have a lot of it. So we’ll go with what we got.” ＂有經驗是好的，但我們沒有，所以我們只好帶著我們所擁有的前進。＂ That was good enough for the Blazers to win 54 games in the regular season, including their last six. Still, even McMillan concedes he’s not completely sure how his young players will react in the playoffs. Will the Blazers be too satisfied with simply making the postseason? Can they earn enough respect from the refs? Will they develop what McMillan calls a necessary “hatred” toward their opponent? Can they play both loose and smart? 拓荒者能在例行賽贏54勝已經太足夠了，而McMillan也承認他不確定他的球員們能在季後賽表現得怎樣。拓荒者會因為光是進入季後賽就感到滿足了嗎？他們可以從裁判那得到足夠的尊敬嗎? 他們在面對對手時能夠發展出Nate所說的必需品"敵意"嗎？他們可以打的聰明而又能夠放鬆嗎? The Blazers will learn soon enough. Win or lose, McMillan knows this much: The season is already a success, and the future looks even brighter. 拓荒者們很快就會學習到了。不管最終的結果是勝利或失敗，Nate知道的是，這個球季已經是個成功，而未來看起來似乎更加的光明美好。 No one, however, has told the Blazers they have to wait on it. 沒有人，會再說拓荒者必須再等待成功的機會降臨了。 RIP CITY UPRISE! GO BLAZERS! -- ◢███◤ █ █ ＲＩＳＥ ★ ＷＩＴＨ ★ ＵＳ ★ █ Ｂｌａｚｅｒｓ███ ███ ◤ ◢█◣ ◢◢◣ ██◣ ◢█◤ ██◣ ◢█◤ ◢█◣ ◥██ █ ◤ █ ◢█◤ █ ◤ █◤◤ █ ◤ █ ◢ █ ◤ █ ◢ █ ◤ ◤ ◤ ◢ █◤◢ █ █◤◢ █ █ ◢ █ █ █ ◢ █ █ █◤◢ ◢ ◢ █ █ █ ◥█◤ ◤ ◤ █ ◥◤◥ ◤ █ ◥◤█ ◥█◤ ██◣ ███ ███ -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 68.185.206.195

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※ Fernandez05:轉錄至看板 NBA 04/18 07:49 ※ 編輯: Fernandez05 來自: 68.185.206.195 (04/18 08:56)

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