[外電] 30 teams in 30 days - Pistons (上)

[kerrys (台北不是我的家)]

    原文出處：
              http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=217838&hubname=

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Season Previews
Detroit Pistons
    底特律活塞季前預覽

It's becoming harder and harder to get a read on the Pistons. Ever since they
upset the LA Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals they have been on a steady decline
each subsequent year. In 2005 they reached the Finals but lost in seven games
to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2006 they reached the Conference Finals but were
eliminated by the eventual Champion Miami Heat. Then, last season, the team
once again reached the Conference Finals, but lost to a team generally
considered inferior - the Cleveland Cavaliers -who then got swept in the Finals
by the Champion Spurs.
    要解讀活塞越來越困難了。自從他們在'04年NBA總冠軍賽力退洛杉磯湖人黃金F4後，
他們在接下來的這每一年一直處於一個穩定的退步狀態。在'05年他們回到總冠軍賽但在鏖
戰七場後見負於聖安東尼奧馬刺。在'06年他們晉級東區冠軍賽但輸給了最終的冠軍邁阿密
熱火。再來，上個球季，這支球隊再次打進東區冠軍賽，但敗給了被普遍認為實力差了一
級的克里夫蘭騎士，而接著騎士在總冠軍賽被馬刺狠狠地修理了一頓，慘遭橫掃。

Despite the increasing setbacks, the Pistons are still considered one of the
best, if not the best, teams in the East. There is no denying that their core
is effective during the regular season, and likewise during the early parts of
the playoffs, but they've appeared increasingly vulnerable to teams employing
attacking wing players like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade late in the spring.
There is no real explanation to be offered here except that, perhaps, the
Pistons were never quite as good as everyone was led to believe.
    儘管受到越來越多的阻礙，活塞仍被認為是東區最頂尖的球隊，就算不是，也是其中
之一。你不能否認他們的核心陣容在例行賽期間是相當有效率的，而似乎在季後賽的初期
也都能維持一定的好表現，但他們在春末面對像是以LBJ或典韋等鋒翼球員作為主攻手的球
隊時已經顯得越來越拙於面對。沒有真正的原因能夠說明，除了那一點，可能，或許，活
塞已經不像他們過去給人們的印象中那樣無懈可擊了。

Now, that isn't to say that they aren't a good team, as they have been
mainstays in the Conference Finals for the last five years and that is nothing
to sneeze at. But each year that goes by seems to crack at the myth that the
Pistons truly are title contenders entering each season. At first many believed
that complacency might have set it, or that an aging roster is a factor, or
that the team simply needs people to doubt them to stoke their competitive
juices. Whatever the explanation, the Pistons haven't looked this vulnerable
going into a season since Jerry Stackhouse wore the red, white and blue.
    並不是說他們現在已經不是一支強隊，他們過去五年來都至少挺進東區冠軍賽，那真
的沒什麼好挑剔的。活塞在每個球季開始的時候都被認為是冠軍隊的強力候選人，但時間
一年一年過去，這樣的看法似乎已經越來越不像過去那樣堅不可破。一開許許多人會認為
那是因為他們過於志得意滿，或者球隊陣容平均年齡偏高也是個因素，或者這支球隊不過
是需要人們去質疑他們，才能夠激發出他們血液中那股不服輸的精神。但不管怎麼解釋，
自從牛排屋還穿著紅、白、藍三色的活塞球衣那時期以來，這支球隊還沒有哪個球季開季
前像今年這樣脆弱。

The biggest reason for this revolves around the now vacant centre spot. Chris
Webber has, at least as of this writing, opted not to return to the Pistons for
a second year, and that means that last year's free agent bust, Nazr Mohammed,
must return to the spot many felt he was ill-equipped to handle once they saw
his production as a Piston. Nothing else about his situation has changed from
last year (except the lowered expectations) and there is no reason to believe
that he'll be any more effective in that spot now than he was one year ago.
    會導致這種看法產生的最大原因莫過於他們仍然空著的中鋒位置。威爸，至少在這篇
文章寫作時，已經選擇不再回活塞努力第二個年頭，而那意味著去年以自由球員加入，但
始終沒辦法拿出符合身價表現的回教人，必須硬著頭皮回去扛那個許多人認為他自從穿上
活塞球衣後根本未曾證明自己能夠有所貢獻的位置。從去年到現在他的處境沒有什麼改變
(除了眾人對他的期望下降之外)，所以我們也沒有理由去相信他現在在同樣位置會有什麼
比去年更為出色的表現。

Another reason for concern with this team is age. Not age in terms of a player
breaking down so much as age as it relates to boredom. This team has been to
the Conference Finals so many times in a row it must be hard to look at another
regular season as anything but an annoyance. Last season the coaching staff
tried to employ increased bench usage to infuse some excitement into the lineup
, and while it helped unearth big-man gem Jason Maxiell, it did little to
inspire the longer-serving troops. Rasheed Wallace appears less and less like
the impact player that keyed their run to the title against the Lakers and more
and more like the player who coasted for games at a time in Portland while
racking up the technical fouls. Rasheed Wallace can be as good as he wants to
be, and he has made it clear that 65%-75% of his ability sits fine with him.
    關於這支球隊另一個需要關心的議題就是年紀。這邊並不單指因為年齡增長導致球員
體力下滑或變得容易受傷，反倒是隨著征戰沙場經驗而產生厭倦心態的問題更令人擔憂。
這支球隊已經連續這麼多年都至少擠進東區冠軍賽，他們很難不把另一個例行賽季當成一
個煩人而無用的東西。上個球季教練團試圖給予板凳更多上場時間以期在陣容中注入一些
刺激因素，這種做法雖然讓球隊挖掘出長人潛力股J-Max，但整體來說對於這支長期以來表
現平穩的球隊沒有太多的幫助。溪蛙在'04年幫助球隊技壓湖人拿下隊史第三座總冠軍時的
精采表現越來越少出現，反倒越活越回去，變得跟波特蘭時期那個偶有佳作但技術犯規領
不完的大孩子沒什麼兩樣。只要溪蛙願意，他可以表現得跟他希望的一樣好，而他也講明
了，他現在這樣不過是拿出65%-75%的實力而已。

So what is there to predict for this season? While the East is slowly improving
, very few teams have put together enough firepower to worry the Pistons. They
knocked off the Bulls fairly easily last season, and that team hasn't added
anything to frighten the boys from Detroit. New Jersey and Miami look to be
clinging to faded glory rather than reloading to make a run at the crown.
Toronto and Orlando are making some noise, but both are still too young to
challenge here. That just leaves last years improbable Eastern Conference
champs, the Cavs, as the only real concern for this team. Since neither team
has made much of a change to their rosters there isn't much of a reason to
expect things will end differently should those two meet again next May. We'll
check in again then, I suppose.
    所以我要怎麼預測這個球季呢？儘管東區球隊的實力緩慢地在進步當中，仍然沒有幾
支球隊足以讓活塞感到如芒刺在背。他們上個球季幾乎不費吹灰之力就解決了芝加哥公牛
，而那支球隊並沒有什麼足以讓這群來自底特律的壞孩子感受到威脅的特別補強。紐澤西
和邁阿密看起來比較像在逐漸遠離競爭者的行列，而不像是要重振旗鼓，準備與各路英雄
一爭歐布萊恩金盃。多倫多和奧蘭多會吸引一些目光，但他們都還太年輕，還難以挑戰東
區冠軍的位置。那真正足以讓這支球隊擔心的只剩下去年令人跌破眼鏡的東區冠軍騎士隊
了。因為兩支球隊的陣容都沒有太大的變動，所以沒有理由預期情況會有完全不一樣的發
展，兩隊應該還會在明年五月狹路相逢。我猜是這樣，我們到時候再來關心。

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※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 222.250.10.185
推 RAYBO:記得有個論點是規則對防守限制的改變 迫使活塞必須改變他們
→ RAYBO:以防守至上的比賽風格...
推 kreen:有時候我對於活塞的比賽態度還蠻不以為然的......
→ kreen:很多時候反倒不是輸球讓我失望，而是好像不在奮戰不懈了，而
→ kreen:這本來是我喜歡活塞的理由......
推 limitlesscit:想念布朗爺
推 spec0531:有時候我覺得活塞的球員比球迷還先認輸..
推 loki761124:真慘 唉
→ spec0531:或許是球員太老練了..但總覺得少了一些東西..
→ spec0531:而這些卻也讓活塞在東區登頂摔了兩年..
推 loki761124:我也覺得活塞好像不太有拼勁了 大班回來吧~~
推 Loj:布朗爺跟大班都不可能回來了 看看小將們會不會激起大家的鬥志
推 pennymarcus:對啊 希望新人能為老活塞球員們帶來些挑戰
推 Poleaxe:這篇文章最後一段連提都沒提到超級賽亞人隊  @@
推 twister527:先發手上都有戒指了...所以就...
※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 210.241.111.125      (09/12 17:15)
推 pianostar:還是很希望大班有一天可以棄牛投塞><