[爆料] Ekpe Udoh的救贖

[DK47 (杉原‧冷氣機)]

◎Redemption for Ekpe Udoh
Ekpe Udoh的救贖 by David Yapkowitz，《Basketball Insider》
原文網址：https://goo.gl/dLC3tZ

本翻譯同步刊登於《JazzNation.TW爵士國度》：
https://www.facebook.com/JazzNationTW/




Following the departure of Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics in free
agency, the Utah Jazz were tasked with retooling their team in order to stay
competitive and try to offset his loss. Last season, the Jazz were one of the
better defensive teams in the league. Rudy Gobert is one of the most
intimidating rim protectors in the NBA and a perennial Defensive Player of
the Year candidate. Paired with Derrick Favors and Joe Ingles, they make up a
formidable defensive front court.
隨著自由球員Gordon Hayward東去波士頓賽爾提克，爵士隊因而必須重新整裝以保持競爭
力以及抵銷Hayward東遊造成的傷害。上一季，爵士是聯盟中防守較優秀的球隊之一。
Rudy Gobert是NBA中最有恫嚇力的籃框保護者，並且長期來看他都會是一名最佳防守球員
角逐者。搭檔Derrick Favors以及Joe Ingles, 他們打造了一個驚人的前場陣容。



One free agent that the Jazz brought in who should help strengthen the front
court defensively is Ekpe Udoh. Udoh last played in the NBA during the
2014-2015 season for the Los Angeles Clippers. He only suited up in 33 games
that year and averaged career-low numbers across the board. Known for his
defensive ability during his stints with the Clippers, Golden State Warriors,
and Milwaukee Bucks, he’ll be asked to help bolster one of the league’s
most daunting defenses.
其中一位爵士引進的，可以幫助加強前場防守的自由球員就是Ekpe Udoh。Udoh上一次在
NBA出賽是2014-15球季的事了，當時他效力於洛杉磯快艇隊。該季他僅出賽33場，並留下
了生涯新低的平均數據。以防守見長的他，在經歷快艇、金州勇士、及密爾瓦基公鹿後，
他將被賦予支撐聯盟最懾人的前場防守陣容的任務。



“I’m going to add to it. I think of myself as one of the best defenders,”
 Udoh told Basketball Insiders. “I just got to get the pace. The pace is
going to be totally different, but once I get that conditioning and
understand the game, I’ll be ready.”
「+1。我覺得我是最好的防守者之一。」Udoh說。「我只是需要找到節奏。節奏將會跟在
土耳其聯賽完全不同，但一旦我抓到感覺並瞭解比賽後，我就準備好啦！」



The pace that Udoh will need to adjust to is the NBA game. He’s spent the
past few years playing in Turkey where he had a Stephon Marbury-type
experience. Udoh became a bit a fan hero while playing for Fenerbahce Ulker
of the Euroleague. He led the team to its first ever Euroleague championship
and he was named MVP of the Final Four.
Udoh需要調整的是NBA比賽的節奏。過去幾年他都在土耳其打球，有一個Stephon Marbury
式的經驗。Udoh在歐洲聯賽為Fenerbahce Ulker效力時成為了球迷心中的英雄人物。他帶
領球隊第一次拿到歐洲聯賽總冠軍，而他本人也榮膺最後四強的MVP。



He was named to the All-Euroleague First Team and his defensive prowess was
definitely on display. He finished second in the Best Defender voting and his
68 blocks last season was a Euroleague record for most blocks in a single
season.
他也被提名為歐洲聯賽第一隊，而他在防守端的能量也充分展現。他在最佳防守球員中票
選獲得第二，並且以單季68顆火鍋的成績破了歐洲聯賽單一賽季最多阻攻紀錄。



Reaching the NBA is a dream come true for many basketball players. While Udoh
initially achieved that dream, it wasn’t all fun and games his first few
years in the league. He was a lottery pick, drafted sixth overall by the
Warriors in the 2010 draft after a collegiate career that saw him transfer
from Michigan State to Baylor.
進入NBA對很多籃球員來說是美夢成真的事。當Udoh首度達成這個夢想的時候，最初的幾
年並非充滿樂趣。他當時是個樂透區新秀，在經歷從密西根州大轉學到貝勒大學的大學生
涯後，2010年以第六順位被金州勇士選中。



The Warriors used Udoh sparingly off the bench. He played only one-and-a-half
seasons there before being traded to the Bucks. He saw his role decreased
even more in Milwaukee, and by the time he signed with the Clippers in the
summer of 2014, he had been relegated to an end of the bench role.
勇士讓Udoh從板凳出發。他只打了一個半球季就被交易到公鹿，並且他發現他的角色在公
鹿顯得更不重要。2014年他與快艇隊簽約時，他已經被打入冷宮，只能在板凳末端顧開特
力了。



It was then that he decided to head overseas in search of something different.
就是那時他決定要去海外看看不一樣的世界。



Despite the fact that his time in the NBA hadn’t quite gone as he’d
imagined, he always knew that one day he’d be back.
即使他在NBA的日子並不如他想的那樣順遂，但他打從心裡相信有一天他會回來。



“I always wanted that. I went out on a sour note,” Udoh told Basketball
Insiders. “It’s almost like redemption for me, to show that I can play.”
「我一直想要回來，我當時離開得有點難堪。」Udoh這麼說。「這對我來說像是救贖，告
訴大家我還行。」



Often times, a player’s success in the NBA depends greatly upon the
situation they’re put in. When Udoh was in Golden State, they were
transitioning to being built around Steph Curry. In Milwaukee, they had a
deep frontline at the time comprised of Larry Sanders, Ersan Ilyasova, Zaza
Pachulia, and John Henson—there were no minutes available. And in Los
Angeles, Doc Rivers favored Spencer Hawes and Glen Davis.
很多時候，一個球員在NBA的成功與否很大一部分取決於他們所在的環境。當Udoh在勇士
隊時，勇士正在進行以Stephen Curry為中心的陣容與打法轉換；在密爾瓦基，他們有一
個相當有深度的前場，包含了Larry Sanders、Ersan Ilyasova、Zaza Pachulia、以及
John Henson—幾乎沒有任何時間可以分給Udoh了。而在洛杉磯，Doc Rivers比較愛用
Spencer Hawes跟 Glen Davis。



In Utah, however, Udoh should have a clearly defined role. As of now, he will
likely be the primary backup to Gobert. Although he came into the league as a
power forward, in today’s NBA, he is probably best suited to playing center.
It was tough for him to leave the success and adoration he had in Turkey, but
he is excited for the next chapter in his story.
不過，在猶他，Udoh應該會被賦予一個很明確的角色定位。目前來說，他將會被安排做為
Rudy Gobert的主要替補。即使當初是以大前鋒的身分進入聯盟，但在現今的NBA，以他的
條件，中鋒反而是最適合他的位置。對他而言，放下在土耳其所有的成功與所適應的一切
很困難，但他很期待在他的傳奇中寫下下一個篇章。



“I’m so grateful, it’s a great opportunity,” Udoh told Basketball
Insiders. “I’m just getting ready for this next challenge.”
「我很感激，這是個很棒的機會。」Udoh說。「我準備好面對下一個挑戰了。」



And a challenge it will be.
的確是個挑戰。



The Western Conference has grown even stronger with several high-profile
players arriving through trade and free agency. The Jazz came close to having
home court advantage in last season’s playoffs, but they will need to get
better in order to keep pace with the rest of the conference. Whatever the
team needs from him, though, Udoh is ready to provide.
在幾名大咖明星自由球員空降以及幾筆重磅交易後，西區變得越來越難混了。爵士上季很
接近取得季後賽主場優勢的種子順位，這季他們得加緊腳步才能跟上西區其他球隊的步伐
。而不論球隊需要的是什麼，Udoh都準備交出來了。



“I’ll just do whatever I can to get on that court,” Udoh told Basketball
Insiders. “I want to give my team the best chance to win.”
「我會在球場上使盡渾身解數。」Udoh說。「我要帶給我的球隊最好的贏球機會。」


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※ 文章網址: https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/UTAH-JAZZ/M.1503805103.A.2E5.html
推 htggh556: 推 啊爵是需要這種硬派球風
推 rangertsao: 來互相傷害阿~~
噓 FAYeeeeeeee: 能調整回來的話真的很補 看了他在歐洲的表現很強
推 Actus: 推推推！
噓 chi12345678: 有底狗的精神~~
噓 tf310244: 他好像本來就可以打中鋒的樣子？
推 cyp001: 有他在歐洲的數據嗎?
噓 Knicks: gp32 mpg32 12.1ppg 7.8rpg 2.2apg 1spg 2.2bpg fg%.584
推 Jazz1336: https://goo.gl/Th4mj3
→ Jazz1336: udoh除了防守中樞外，更重要的是傳球跟換防能力
→ Jazz1336: 健康的Fav在進攻端比Udoh更具破壞力，防守端就不一定了
→ Jazz1336: https://youtu.be/FxFY4iZ9vco
噓 happyreach: 看來明年的比數很多場應該類似是72:77  LOST
推 taxi777: 推推推!!!!
推 monmo: 不要忘記2年前的Fav呀…
噓 qaz13579: 至少fav不用在硬去補替補中鋒 去年季後賽看他燃燒真的很
→ qaz13579: 怕壞掉
噓 FAYeeeeeeee: https://youtu.be/1ZNvQvPUZEE 幫各位回顧
噓 FAYeeeeeeee: 那個身材和那個爆發力 只能以brutal來形容
推 cyp001: 看完了 活動力真的不錯 又有中距離