[外電] Time Is Now For Rockets' upward mobi …
COMMENTARY
Time is now for Rockets' upward mobility
By JEROME SOLOMON
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 12, 2010, 11:54PM
Shane Battier says the Rockets are a middle-class NBA team.
巴隊長說火箭是支中等的NBA隊伍。
While that is far better than being in the poor house — which is where many
thought they would be at this point of the season — it is dangerous territory
for a team with postseason aspirations.
雖然這遠勝於殿底，也就是開季前人們認為火箭會落入的窘境，但對於打入季後賽的願望而
言，目前仍處於危險邊緣。
The Rockets are tied with Utah for the eighth-best record in the Western
Conference at 21-17, just ahead of New Orleans (19-17) and just behind Oklahoma
City (21-16).
火箭和阿爵緊緊咬住西區老八，同為21勝17負的戰績，後有著追兵黃蜂(19-17)，而前面老
七則是雷霆(21-16)。
Add sixth-place Portland (23-16) to the mix and, unless there is a major
shake-up, two of those five teams will not make the playoffs.
加入老六阿拓進入混戰的話，除非有重大變故發生，否則這五隊中會有兩隊與季後賽無緣。
Yeah, we're talking NBA playoffs in January before we've even reached the
midway point of the season.
是的現在是一月，而我們正在談論NBA季後賽，連一半的賽程都還沒打完。
That's a good thing. If the Rockets make a move by winning games over the next
few weeks, they could almost secure a solid position in the playoff race. If
not, they would likely face an anxious second half of the season fighting for a
playoff spot.
這是一個好情況，如果火箭可以在未來幾週得到多點勝利往上攀升名次，那麼我們將立於一
個較為穩固的季後賽名單中，反之，我們在下半季將會在焦慮中嘗試爭取晚點放假。
Starting tonight with a visit from Minnesota, which has the second-worst record
in the league, the Rockets play 10 of their next 12 games at the Toyota Center.
就從今天晚上全聯盟戰績第二差的灰狼來拖油塔中心作客開始，火箭未來12場中有10場可以
在家裡蹲。
Welcome home, boys.
歡迎回家，孩子們。
It is almost as if the league was out to get the Rockets, who have tied for the
fewest home games (with Golden State at 15) and the most road games (with
Cleveland at 23) in the NBA.
聯盟好像要和火箭作對似的，我們有最少的主場連戰(和勇士一樣只有15場)，還有最多的
客場連戰(和騎士隊同為23場)。
“It's going to be good to be home for a stretch,” Luis Scola said.
"能連續幾天在家真好"Scola表示。
This could be the most important stretch of the season. With the schedule
turning in their favor, the Rockets need to make sure this is a favorable
stretch.
這可能是整季最重要的一段時間，賽程轉為對火箭相對輕鬆的狀態，而球員們也必須讓這段
日子確實對戰績有所幫助。
It is not unusual for media to go nuts on such a thing this early, but Rockets
coach Rick Adelman says we aren't overdoing it this time. He has told his team
the next three weeks are crucial.
也許媒體很尋常捕風捉影似的過早追逐某些事情，但火箭教練矮豆人說，我們這次並沒有太
過大驚小怪，他認為他的隊伍在接著三週的確是關鍵期。
Time to make a push
動起來
“I've told them this stretch is really important for us,” Adelman said. “
It's going to tell you where you are. It's a period where we have got to get
consistency. If we don't and we lose some of these games, it's going to be that
much harder for the rest of the year.
"我已經跟他們說這段期間對我們而言真的很重要"矮豆人表示"這一切將會牽動火箭未來的
光景，這段時間我們必須保持住好的狀態，如果我們沒做到而且輸掉了其中幾場，那我們今
年剩下來的賽季將會非常艱難。"
“If you're five games above (.500) now and you have a really good stretch
right now, you kind of separate yourself from some of the teams below. It
doesn't take much to move up and down, and that's why we've got to win games to
separate.”
"如果你現在高於五成勝率的同時且迎接一段較為輕鬆的賽程，你有可能從中脫穎而出，那
其實不需要太多的勝利或失敗，所以我們需要贏得比賽殺出重圍。"
Not only are the Rockets set to play a bunch of home games, they are playing
teams that are middle and lower middle class.
火箭的優勢不僅僅於這段期間內主場佔多數，所面對的敵人也都是中後段班學生。
And they know it.
他們也知道
“As a coach, you've talked about all these games at home, you'd like to make a
statement and win all these games at home,” Adelman said. “You have to win
the games at home against teams like this. The nice thing about having a home
stretch is you do have time to rest your team, you have time to practice and
you can really regulate your schedule a lot more than when you are traveling.”
"身為一名教練你去談論所有這些在家裡的比賽，你發表聲明要贏得所有主場。"矮豆人表示
:"你必須像這樣堅決的去贏得主場比賽，主場賽程期間好的地方在於你有時間去讓隊伍休息
，你有時間去練習，你可以比連續的客場征戰做更好的行程安排。"
What Adelman is saying is his squad is ready to make a move, needs to make a
move.
矮豆人的意思是說他的隊伍已經準備好幹活兒了，也是必須要幹活兒了。
It's too early to talk playoffs, but it's basketball season, baby. And this
stretch of basketball might be the easiest the Rockets will see this season.
現在談論季後賽還太早，但鄉民們這是籃球賽季，這段期間可能是本季火箭過最爽的時間了
。
The Rockets are 5-6 in their last 11 games, but that stretch included two
three-game road trips, and road games against division leaders the Lakers,
Cleveland and Orlando.
火箭最近11場拿到了五勝六敗，但那段日子包括了二次的客場三連戰，對手包括了聯盟幾個
頭兒包括鬍人、騎士和魔術。
Three weeks of heaven?
三週的天堂?
Life shouldn't be anywhere close to that difficult in the next three weeks. The
Rockets haven't lost more than three games in a row, but they haven't won more
than that many, either. It's time they make move to upper middle class.
人生不可能總是像接下來的三週那麼爽，火箭目前還沒有超過三連敗過，但他們也還沒超過
三連勝過，是時候擺脫中段班了。
“You have got to take advantage of it,” Adelman said “You can have the best
schedule in the world — the Lakers had an unbelievable home schedule early in
the year and they took advantage of it — that's what we have to try to do.
"你必須要把握機會"矮豆人說:"你有最好的賽程，就像鬍人(因為很有禮貌)在開季有著誇張
的主場舒適賽程，而他們確實也把握住了，這正是我們試著要去達到的。"
“We can kind of put ourselves in position to be in pretty good shape right now
and now can we maintain that?”
"我們目前似乎使自己處在一個不錯的狀態中，而我們能夠維持這優勢嗎?"
--
火箭加油
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 114.32.4.192
推
01/13 17:42, , 1F
01/13 17:42, 1F
推
01/13 18:04, , 2F
01/13 18:04, 2F
推
01/13 18:09, , 3F
01/13 18:09, 3F
※ 編輯: zzahoward 來自: 220.134.133.52 (01/13 21:23)
推
01/13 23:15, , 4F
01/13 23:15, 4F