Re: [外電] Post-draft wrap: The young get younger

[AdamHmc ()]

It's hard to imagine a circumstance in which the Trail Blazers, the NBA's
youngest team in the 2007-2008 season, could get even younger after last
month's NBA player draft and trades.

無法想像最年輕的球隊又更年輕了。

Yet assuming that all the seismic moving and shaking activity ignited by the
Blazers on draft night is over for awhile, that's exactly what happened. To
sum up, the Blazers have added:

雖然選秀已經過很久了，但現在交易確實成真了。

‧ Arizona freshman point guard Jerryd Bayless, 19, who averaged 19.7 points
per game last season for the Wildcats and entered the draft ranked by most
mock drafts as the fifth best player available;

JB，19歲，平均19.7分，被評為最佳球員第五名。

‧ Forward/guard Nicolas Batum, 19 of France, a 6-8 athletic swing man who is
considered one of the rising young stars of Le Mans Espoirs of the powerful
Euroleague;

Batum，六呎八，被評為有活力的歐洲聯盟新星。

‧ Indiana Pacers three-year veteran forward Ike Diogu, 24, a 6-8 banger out
of Arizona State who was the ninth pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA
draft, taken just ahead of Channing Frye.

溜馬的3年老鳥Diogu，2005年第九順位，剛好在Frye的後面。

To make all of this happen, the Blazers gave up three-year veteran Jarrett
Jack, 24, last year's little-used forward Josh McRoberts, 21, and this year's
13th pick -- Brandon Rush of Kansas. Subtract also from the Portland roster
the June 25 decision by James Jones, 27, to opt out of his contract and
become a free agent, and presto, the new Blazers are younger yet.

拓荒者放棄了3年老鳥Jack，少用的McRoberts，和13順位選的Rush。Jones跳出合約後，
拓荒者又更年輕了。

Putting a number on it, try this: Players who are currently under contract
with Portland or whose rights are owned by the Trail Blazers and could be
signed to contracts this summer, average 23.6 years of age.

加上一些今年會簽約的球員，現在平均年齡是23.6歲。去年的話是24歲。

Last year's Blazer roster, at this time, averaged 24.0 years of age.

This is not to say that the Trail Blazers are done dealing for the year, or
that the James James may yet be resigned by Portland as a free agent, or that
general manager Kevin Pritchard may still want to tweak the roster to bring
some age and veteran leadership into the mix.

這不表示今年拓荒者的交易已經完成了，或者Jones會重簽合約，也許KP還想找一些有經
驗的來加強陣容。

But it is to say that Pritchard really likes what the team has done so far
this summer. He believes he and his scouting team and advisors, with owner
Paul Allen's help and support, have made the team better and far more
balanced than last season's roster.

但KP很喜歡現在的陣容，他相信所有團隊和大老Allen的幫忙，都讓這球隊的陣容比上季
來得完整。

"As we look at our team, and who could potentially be backing them up . . . I
like our top ten -- a lot," said Pritchard in a press conference following
the draft. "I think we have a balanced roster. I think it's a good group to
start the season with."

"我很喜歡現在的陣容，她們也都很有潛力"，KP在選秀會的記者會說"我想我們現在有個
完整的陣容，而且很適合下一個賽季。"

Later asked if he was done, Pritchard said, "I think there's some tinkering
(to be done), but I like this team."

當被問到是否還會做交易，KP說"我想還有一些修補的東西要做，但我很喜歡現在的球隊
。"

So what are the experts outside of Portland saying about the Trail Blazers'
draft performance for 2008?

所以專家怎麼看拓荒者呢?

Writer Chad Ford of ESPN.Com gave the Blazers an A-minus, without even
mentioning that the Blazers also are adding to their roster last year's No. 1
draft pick, Greg Oden, plus last year's 24th first round pick, Rudy Fernandez
of Spain.

Chad Ford給了拓荒者 A-，甚至還沒有提到這陣容會加入去年的狀元Oden和24順位的Rudy
。

Ford wrote: " For the third straight year, the Blazers walk away with an A in
the draft. Portland GM Kevin Pritchard continues to be the most daring,
creative and active GM in the league. If I were to use a draft term to
describe him, I'd say he's got an amazing motor.

Ford寫到:"連續三年，拓荒者都在選秀拿到A，KP還是整個聯盟裡面在選秀會上最活躍的
人。如果要我形容他，我會說他是個令人驚艷的馬達。"

"The Blazers," Ford wrote, " had a prearranged deal with the Pacers to move
up to No. 11 if D.J. Augustin or Bayless were on the board. After the draft,
Pritchard told me they had Bayless ranked fourth on their board -- so that's
great value at No. 11. As part of the trade, they also picked up Ike Diogu,
an undervalued big man who has been injured a lot.

"拓荒者"，Ford提到，"已經先跟溜馬打好交易要在11順位選到Augustin或是Bayless。當
選秀完，KP跟我說他設定Bayless是第四順位的目標--所以能在11順位得到實在是賺翻了
。此外他們還順便挑了Diogu，過去因為受傷一直被低估的球員。"

"Portland also bought the No. 27 pick from the Hornets and traded up late in
the first round to get another player it wanted, Nicolas Batum.

"拓荒者還向黃蜂買了27順位，並交易到Batum。"

"Bayless is an upgrade over the guy the Blazers lost in the trade, Jarrett
Jack," added Ford in his assessment of Portland's draft-day performance.
"Bayless is a better athlete and a much better shooter. If he develops his
point guard skills, he could be a Chauncey Billups-type of point guard."

"Bayless就像是被交易走的Jack的升級版，"，Ford說，"Bayless更有活力，更棒的投籃
。如果他在PG方面有進步，他可以成為Bilups型的PG"

Jonathan Givony, president of Draft Express.com, said of Portland's
selection, "Bayless obviously is a great pick. People around the league are
going to look very stupid in a few years. We had him pegged as a top 5 player
in this draft all along and still think he will be just fine."

Givony對於拓荒者的選擇說，"Bayless無疑是個好的選擇，聯盟裡的其他人過了幾年之後
會後悔的。我們認定他是在選秀會上前五順位的球員，現在仍然認為他很好。"

One scout rated Bayless over other notable point guards, Russell Westbrook of
UCLA and D.J. Augustin of Texas. "He's a better shooter and scorer than
Westbrook and a better defender with NBA-preferred size than Augustin," the
scout said.

另外一個球探評價Bayless比另外幾位出名的控衛，Westbrook和Augustin，來得好。"他
比Westbrook更會得分，防守也比Augustin的身材來得有優勢。"

His combination of elite athleticism, shooting ability and quickness make him
an excellent NBA prospect, summarized Chad Ford of ESPN.com. One scout, Ford
added, compared him to a better shooting, more intelligent Monta Ellis,
another to an Arizona Wildcat of the past, Gilbert Arenas.

Ford提到，他過人的運動力，投籃能力，速度讓他在NBA會有很好的前途，認為他會像
Monta Ellis或是Arenas.

Bayless has been a known basketball talent since high school. As a junior at
St. Mary's High School in Phoenix (the same high school to graduate another
Trail Blazer, Channing Frye).

Bayless高中就有出名的籃球天份。(高中和Frye是同一所學校)

Bayless averaged 37.9 points, 8 rebounds. 7.4 assists and 3.2 steals. His
senior season (2006-07), Jerryd averaged 33.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.1
assists and 2.0 steals, and shot 89.1 percent from the free-throw line to
help St. Mary's to a 19-13 record and state runner-up finish.

Bayless平均拿37.9分，8籃板，7.4助攻，3.2抄截。高三那年得了33.2分，7.8籃板，6.1
助攻，2.0抄截，89.1%罰球命中率。

As a result, he was named to the McDonald's All-American team and
participated in the 2007 Jordan Brand Classic. He also was named the Gatorade
Arizona State Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons, finishing his
career with a 28.3 high-school scoring average -- the best in state history.

Bayless was just as explosive at Arizona. In 30 games, he averaged 19.7
points per game, third best in the Pac-10 and the first freshman to
accomplish that feat since Sean Elliott in 1985-86. He also was fourth in the
conference in free throw shooting (.839).

Against rival Arizona State, Bayless scored a career high 39 points on 12 of
18 shooting, including 6 of 10 from three-point range, He is one of only nine
guards in this year's draft to shooting better than 40 percent from
three-point range (59 of 135 for 40.7 percent.)

The book on Bayless by just about every scout who has seen him is remarkably
consistent considering the fact that opinions vary widely on so many other
players in the draft. Most agree that Bayless combines quickness and
athleticism with a good feel for the game. He has many weapons and ways to
score and generally is considered solid on the defensive end.

Ford's consensus report on Bayless, based on interviews with many NBA scouts,
coaches and GMs, is as follows:

    Positives: Big-time scoring guard who loves to attack the defense.
Excellent athlete with explosive leaping ability. Quick first step allows him
to get into the teeth of the defense. Good shooter who gets excellent
elevation on his jump shot. Has good floor vision and passing ability.

優點:愛攻擊的得分後衛，優越且爆發的運動力，快速的第一步。跳投不錯的射手，有好
的視野和傳球能力。

    Negatives: A bit of a tweener. Can play the point, but prefers to score.
Can play out of control at times. Poor rebounder. Doesn't collect steals at a
high rate despite his quickness and athleticism.

缺點:有一點不專精，可以當控衛，但又喜歡打得分。有時候會控制不住，籃板不強，不
會利用他快速的優勢來增加抄截。

The Trail Blazers' other first-round prize, Nicolas Batum, is a little more
difficult to categorize, partly because he has just begun his career at the
high-level Euroleague.

Batum有點難評論，因為他也才剛開始他的職業生涯。

Most scouts consider his strengths are a long reach (wingspan of 86 inches),
and quickness. He is very athletic and versatile, but raw. When Batum worked
out for the Trail Blazers twice last month, he showed good three-point range,
and the ability to put the ball on the floor, drive to the hoop or pull up
for an effective mid-range jumper.

大多數評論他手長，且敏捷，有運動力，多才多藝，但還欠磨練。當Batum上個月替拓荒
者測試了兩次，他有不錯的三分能力，籃板能力，進攻籃框的能力，中距離急停跳投。

International scouts are on record of being even more enthusiastic about
Batum's future as an NBA player.

大部分國際球探都看好他可以成為一個NBA球員。

Averaging 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in limited Euroleague action
for Le Mans this season, Batum, 19, is considered "a silky smooth swing man
with a high basketball IQ who can probably play several positions on the
floor."

在歐洲聯盟，平均8.5分，3.5籃板，Batum被認為是一個有高籃球智商的搖擺人，可以打
很多個位置。

His dominance at the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit had many scouts believing he would
be a lottery pick in 2008; however his play at Le Mans, while spectacular at
times, was uneven, thus explaining in part, why his stock slipped to the low
first round.

很多球探認為他可以在2008選秀中的樂透區被選到。不管怎樣，因為他在歐洲聯盟表現不
穩，導致他落到第一輪的後段。

Often compared to Memphis' Rudy Gay as the type of player he could become,
Batum, most scouts agree, needs experience at the top level. His ball
handling skills could be improved, as well as his confidence after some
disappointing games with Le Mans this year.

常被比較為Rudy Gay，很多球探認為他需要一些在高階聯盟的經驗，加強他對球的處理，
以及建立一些他在Le Mains失去的自信。

Following is one scouting report on Batum based on his performance this past
season at Le Mans:

    Strengths: Agile forward with size, an incredible wingspan, and great all
around skills ... Has a natural feel for the game, and great physical
attributes ... Competitive ... Team player, but also knows when to take over
.. Clutch player. Shows the ability to raise his level of play in big games
.. Makes his teammates better with his vision and ability to create ... Has
a diverse offensive game with the ability to pull up off the dribble, hit
from outside, and penetrate to the rim ... Shows a good stroke from outside,
and excellent confidence to shoot through cold spells ... Has 3 point range
.. Quick hands and feet, plus athleticism make him a potential lock down
defender ... His foot speed and first step is very quick ... He has huge
upside but needs to gain more experience.

優點:有身材又迅速的前鋒，不可思議的長臂人，所有的技巧都不錯，對比賽有sense，很
棒的體材，，有競爭心，團隊合作，但也知道何時該跳出來。有能力在更高階水準的聯盟
進步，有讓隊友更好的視野和能力。多樣性的進攻手段，有強大的心臟來投外線，甚至三
分能力。手腳快速，讓他有潛力成為一個好的防守者。第一步很快，但還需要更多的經驗
。

    Weaknesses: Needs a lot of weight ... Right now he's at least 15-20
pounds below where he needs to be ... Getting stronger will allow him to go
inside and finish as well as make him stronger defensively ... Must continue
to develop and gain experience ... Must gain more defensive intensity ...
Must prove himself on the senior level ..."

缺點: 需要增加重量，至少15~20磅，這樣才能讓他往禁區裡面打，同時也能加強防守。
必須持續進步，增加經驗。加強防守強度，並證明他可以在高階聯盟生存。

    Notes: One of the top prospects in his age group in Europe ... Led France
to win the 2006 U18 Championships in Greece ... Won MVP of the 2006 Albert
Schweitzer Tournament, leading France to first place.

It's too early to assess where Ike Diogu might fit in Portland's 2008-2009
scheme of things. He came into the league in 2005 as a highly rated power
forward, selected by Golden State with the ninth pick of the first round. He
played only 15 minutes a game for the Warriors in 2005-2006 and was traded to
Indiana the following year.

現在談論Diogu是否能適應拓荒者有點太早了。被評價為不錯的大前鋒，他2005年被勇士
用第九順位選到，在2005~2006年每場只打了15分鐘，隔年被交易到溜馬。

Last season with the Pacers, Diogu, 24, averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds
while playing just 10.2 minutes a game for 30 games. He once scored a
career-high 27 points at Detroit in 2005 and hauled in a career-high 13
rebounds against San Antonio in 2007.

上季在溜馬，Diogu，24歲，打了30場，每場10分鐘，平均得分5.6分，2.8籃板。在2005
年曾對活塞得了27分，2007年對馬刺抓下生涯新高13籃板。

Diogu's performance so far as an NBA player is well below the expectations
that most scouts had for him after a sensational three seasons at Arizona
State.

Diogu目前在NBA的表現都低於那些看他打過亞利桑那大學三季的球探的預期。

As a freshman in 2002-2003 at ASU, Diogu averaged 19 points per game in 32
games, shooting 60.8 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from three-point
range and connecting on 73.5 percent of his free throw attempts. He averaged
7.8 rebounds a game and was named by the Sporting News as the second best
college freshman in the nation.

But his production didn't end with his freshman year. He improved himself
every season at Arizona State, finishing his junior season as the first
player in Pac-10 history to lead the league in scoring (22.6 ppg.),
rebounding (9.8 rpg.) and blocks (2.34 bpg.).

He was a unanimous selection as the Pac-10 player of the year in 2004-2005,
and a consensus second team All-American -- the first ASU player to win that
honor in the school's history.

In 91 career games, Diogu averaged 21.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and
became the first player to lead the Pac-10 in scoring in back-to-back years
(2003-2004 and 2004-2005) since Stan Love of Oregon did it in 1969-70 and
1970-71.

Though regarded by scouts as a physical presence on the post and a player who
knows how to use his muscular 255-pound frame, Diogu, who grew up in Dallas,
Texas, also possesses a remarkable shooting touch.

At Arizona State, for example, he made 57.1 percent of his floor shots, 78.6
percent of his free throws and 38.7 percent on three-pointers (41 of 106).
The free-throw percentage is especially notable in that Diogu made more free
throws in his sophomore (243) and junior (248) seasons than any player in
Pac-10 history. (Mel Counts of Oregon State made 237 free throws in 1963-64,
to finish third on that list.)

Diogu also was in good company on the All-America team in 2005 -- a list that
included Chris Paul of Wake Forest, J.J. Redick of Duke, Andrew Bogut of
Utah, Deron Wiilliams, Dee Brown and Luther Head of Illinois, Salim
Stoudamire of Arizona, Sean May of North Carolina, Hakim Warrick of Syracuse
and Wayne Simien of Kansas.

In Dallas, the high school competition for Diogu's Garland High School was
challenging. Chris Bosh, now an NBA all-star with the Toronto Raptors, and
Bryan Hopkins (SMU) played at rival Lincoln High School; Deron Williams of
the Utah Jazz and Bracey Wright, who played at Indiana, were the stars at The
Colony High School and Daniel Horton, a solid player for Michigan, led a
balanced Cedar Hill team.

That Diogu hasn't lived up to his college reputation in the pros is as much a
case of a lack of opportunity as it is failed performance. In 158 games for
Golden State and Indiana, he has averaged only 13.3 minutes per game.

Diogu還沒打出像他大學時期一樣的聲望，在過去勇士和溜馬的158場比賽中，他平均只上
了13.3分鐘。

Yet based on a 48-minute game, Diagu's production translates to 23.4 points
and 11.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor and
81.1 percent from the free throw line. With Golden State, he scored a career
high 27 points against Detroit on Dec. 23, 2005, and hauled in a career-best
16 rebounds at Utah on April 19, 2006.

如果換算成48分鐘的話，Diogu的成績會變成每場23.4分，11.8籃板，將近5成的命中率，
81%的罰球命中率。在勇士時，對活塞拿下了27分，以及2006對爵士拿下了生涯新高16籃
板。(翻:咦，跟前面矛盾了...)

When the Blazers sign their draft choices next month, Pritchard points out
that the team will have 14 players, including Diogu, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas
Batun, and Jerryd Bayless, under contract with one opening left to fill.

KP說簽完合約後，包含Diogu, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batun, and Jerryd Bayless，
會有14個球員，還會空出一個位置出來。

Interestingly, 13 of those Blazers, came to the NBA as first round draft
choices as follows: Greg Oden No. 1 in 2007, LaMarcus Aldridge, No. 2 in
2006, Raef LaFrentz, No. 3 in 1998, Martell Webster, No. 6 in 2005, Brandon
Roy, No. 6 in 2005, Channing Frye, No. 8 in 2005, Ike Diogu, No. 9 in 2005,
Joel Przybilla, No. 9 in 2000, Jerryd Bayless, No. 11 in 2008, Travis Outlaw,
No. 23 in 2003, Rudy Fernandez, No. 24 in 2007, Nicolas Batum, No. 25 in
2008, and Sergio Rodriguez, No. 27 in 2006. (Washington selected Steve Blake
as the ninth player taken in the second round of the 2003 draft.)

有趣的是，13位拓荒者的球員來自第一輪的選秀:Oden，2007狀元，LA，2006榜眼，Roy，
2006第六，Raef，1998探花，Webster，2005第六，Frye，2005第八，Diogu，2005第九，
Joel，2000第九，Bayless，2008第11，Outlaw，2003第23，Rudy，2007第24，Batum，
2008第25，Sergio，2006第27。(Blake是2003第二輪第九順位。)

The day, weeks, months and even years after an NBA draft is often too early
to pass out grades for how a team has fared in acquiring talent.

在選秀會後的一天，一個禮拜，一個月，甚至一年都還太早評論這支擁有天份的球隊。

But no matter how one looks at Trail Blazer history -- from 1970 until this
current generation of players, coaches, general managers and scouts are gone
from the scene -- the crop of talent that is expected to join Portland's
already young, gifted and upstart team could prove to be the all-time
treasure chest.

不管誰從過去拓荒者的歷史看來，這些新加入的球員都是寶。

On pre-draft rankings alone, Oden and Bayless were top five picks and
Fernandez might have been a top five pick this year, too, had he entered the
2008 draft instead of entering the draft last year.

選秀前的排名，Oden和Bayless都是前五順位，Rudy如果今年來選的話也是前五。

Indeed, when you add the top pick in the land in 2007 -- 7-foot Greg Oden,
competing as a rookie -- then throw in a player many believe is the best
young shooting guard in Europe -- Rudy Fernandez of Spain -- to the 2008
draft choices -- Jerryd Bayless and Nicolas Batum, that collection of highly
prized rookies could well stand the test of time as the best entry class ever
for an NBA team.

確實，當你加入了2007年的狀元Oden和許多人認為是最佳的歐洲年輕射手Rudy，以及2008
年的Bayless和Batum，這樣子在NBA史上少有集合了眾多強大新秀的球隊能經得起時間的
考驗。

The next big challenge for the Trail Blazers in putting together a team that
could contend for a Western Conference playoff berth next spring, will be how
to distribute playing time. That is a much more compelling story than who
starts and who finishes games.

接下來拓荒者要團結爭取西區季後賽的最大挑戰就是上場時間的分配，對於誰該先發，誰
該做結尾是個很有趣的故事。

Playing time -- that curse of all evils that more often than not wrecks team
chemistry and fouls a lockerroom -- could be the greatest challenge for Coach
Nate McMillan in dealing with such a deep, talented and, as Pritchard has
noted, balanced roster.

上場時間，最容易影響球隊化學效應和更衣室氣氛的因素，是McMillan的最大挑戰，尤其
是這麼一個有天份和KP所講的完整的球隊。

Last season, for example, the Blazers, as a team, played 19,920 minutes,
including overtime periods, in fashioning their 41-41 record.

上季打了19920分鐘，包含了一些延長，最後拿下了41-41的成績。

If you subtract the minutes played by Jarrett Jack, James Jones, Taurean
Green, Von Wafer and Josh McRoberts, there would be 3,646 minutes available
for Oden, Fernandez, Bayless, Diagu and Batum. Assuming Oden plays 30 minutes
a game for 82 games (2,450 minutes) and Rudy Fernandez plays 25 minutes a
game for 82 games (2,050 minutes), that breaks the bank, leaving Bayless and
the rest without any playing time.

如果扣掉了Jarrett Jack, James Jones, Taurean Green, Von Wafer and Josh
McRoberts，會多出3646分鐘分配給Oden, Fernandez, Bayless, Diagu and Batum。假設
Oden在82場裡面每場上了30分鐘(2050分鐘)，而Rudy在82場裡每場上了25分鐘(2050分鐘)
，則這樣Bayless就完全沒有時間可以用了。(翻:我怎麼覺得這算法怪怪的............)

Obviously, that's not going to happen. Just as obviously, playing time for
the returning nine Blazers will have to be reduced significantly to make room
for the new players.

明顯的，這不會發生的。上場時間對於原本的拓荒者成員一定會因為新球員的到來有顯著
的下降。

If McMillan, at some point, wants to limit the rotation to eight or nine
players, rather than the usual 10 employed by many NBA teams, the minutes
available for the end-of-the-bench bunch will decline even more.

如果McMillan想要用8到9名球員來輪替，這樣其他板凳球員的時間一定會降得更多。

So, for any team in the NBA -- and the Trail Blazers aren't exempt from this
-- the good news is that the club has a deep, talented and balanced roster
from which to enter the rugged NBA schedule.

對於任何一支球隊來說，擁有一群有天分和陣容完整的球員，是個好消息。

And perhaps the bad news is that the team has a deep, talented and balanced
roster full of excited and anxious young players who both want and need as
much playing time as they can get.

但壞消息就是，這些球員會想要爭取更多他們能夠表現的時間。

--
跳過一些對於Bayless和Diogu高中及大學表現的部分...有錯見諒

--
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推 knight0123:本隊現在起更名為波特蘭正太隊
推 YuuAoi:跪謝翻譯 辛苦了 人太多也是一種煩惱啊 KP太有才了
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推 jessieptb:好長的文章，就算是摘譯也不簡單，辛苦啦～
推 BrandonRoy:推推推 辛苦了 人才多也有煩惱呢 XD 別隊看到會氣死 XD
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