[外電] With new coach and style, the Pistons are tough to beat

[kerrys (台北不是我的家)]

    原文出處：
              http://0rz.net/9e119

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AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons are off to one of the best starts in NBA
history because a championship-caliber team has found a way to improve.
    奧本山訊 -- 底特律活塞本季打出了NBA史上最佳的開季成績之一，因為這支原本就具
備冠軍隊體質的球隊已經找到了進步的方法。

New coach Flip Saunders has managed to help the 2004 champions, who fell just
short of repeating last year, become more explosive on offense while
maintaining their stifling defense.
    新任教練老桑已經幫助這支去年差點就能再度奪冠的'04年冠軍隊在保持窒息式的防守
外，還釋放出更多的進攻潛力。

"He has brought a new brand of basketball here," Detroit point guard Chauncey
Billups said. "We're not boring to watch anymore."
    活塞控衛槍蜥說"他為這支球隊帶來新的籃球風格，我們的比賽再也不枯燥乏味了。"

The Pistons focused on their defense and were deliberate on offense the
previous two seasons under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, and the two years
before that with Rick Carlisle as coach.
    活塞前2個球季在名人堂教練L.Brown的帶領下專注於他們的防守，但在攻擊面卻太過
謹慎，而再之前2年的總教練則是R.Carlisle。

Now, if they're open early in the shot clock, they shoot -- instead of being
forced to run plays their previous coaches called from the sideline. They
rarely walk the ball up the court anymore, choosing to push it for easier
baskets.
    現在，如果他們在進攻時間還剩下很多時只要有空檔，他們就會投籃 -- 而不像之前
只依據前教練在場邊交代的戰術來執行場上的play。他們之前很少設定作EO，而會審慎尋
找最加的出手選擇。

At the other end of the court, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace patrol the paint
as well as any two in the league while Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and
Billups harass opponents with chest-to-chest defense on the perimeter.
    在場上另一端，當小王子、RIP和槍蜥在外線以胸對胸的嚴密防守對敵手造成困擾時，
班蛙和溪蛙也固守禁區，提供不亞於聯盟中任2名大個子球員一樣優異的防守。

Detroit is among the top teams offensively, averaging 100 points entering
Friday's game against Memphis, and still ranks among the best on defense,
giving up 90.6 points a game. Last year, the Pistons averaged 93.3 points and
allowed 89.5 per game.
    活塞已經擠身攻擊強隊之林，在禮拜五與孟斐斯灰熊交手前，單場平均可得100分，並
仍是聯盟最佳防守球隊之一，平均一場比賽只丟掉90.6分。上一季，活塞平均得到93.3分
，丟掉89.5分。

But the most gaudy numbers are in the wins and losses columns.
    不過最顯著不同的數據是在勝、敗場數上。

The Pistons were 35-5 through 40 games, trailing just three teams in NBA
history and tied with two others.
    活塞在前40場比賽拿下35勝5敗，在NBA史上排名與其他2支球隊並列第4。

Three teams were 37-3 at the same point: the Chicago Bulls (1995-96),
Philadelphia 76ers (1966-67) and Los Angeles Lakers (1971-72). The 1991-92 and
1996-97 Bulls also won 35 of their first 40 games.
    3支球隊都有37勝3敗的開季成績：'95-'96球季的芝加哥公牛、'66-'67球季的費城76
人、'71-'72球季的洛杉磯湖人，而'91-'92、'96-'97球季公牛隊開季40場比賽都拿下35場
勝利。

Those five teams all won championships.
    那5支球隊全都奪下冠軍盃。

"The worst thing that any team can do is think about their record," said
Detroit assistant coach Ron Harper, who helped the Bulls win a league-record 72
games a decade ago. "The minute you start thinking more than one game ahead,
you will start losing. We never even thought about 70 wins in Chicago until we
got to around 65. Then it became a goal, but we were still focused on the next
game."
    10年前幫助公牛隊創下例行賽72勝聯盟紀錄的活塞助理教練R.Harper表示"當球隊開始
在乎是否能破紀錄，這可說是最糟糕的一件事。你開始想著能否再多贏一場的那一分鐘起
，就會開始輸球了。在我們勝場數來到65附近前都沒想過達到70勝的可能性，之後那成了
一個目標，但我們仍專注於接下來的每一場比賽。"

Detroit beat the Grizzlies 95-89 Friday night, its season-high 10th straight
victory to improve to 36-5 -- the fourth-best record midway through an NBA
season.
    禮拜五晚上活塞以95比89打敗灰熊，以本季最佳的10連勝將戰績推進至36勝5敗 --
NBA例行賽上半季第4佳紀錄。

The Pistons were expected to be good this season, though most thought Miami or
Indiana would be better in the Eastern Conference. Some predicted an adjustment
period with their third coach in four seasons.
    活塞本季前景看好，但季前其實大家都認為邁阿密熱火或印第安那溜馬在東區的戰績
會優於他們，有些人甚至預言他們還得花一些時間適應4個球季來第3位教練的帶隊風格。

The Western Conference-leading San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks have
twice as many losses -- including two by the Spurs to Detroit, by 15 points
each time -- and every other team in the Eastern Conference had three times as
many losses.
    西區領先集團是聖安東尼奧馬刺和達拉斯小牛，但敗績已有活塞兩倍之多 -- 包括馬
刺二度以15分敗給活塞的比賽 -- 而其他東區球隊的敗場數都已經是活塞的三倍以上。

"They have a point to prove to a lot of people, and they go out to prove that
every night," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "They feel like they blew one last
year, and the only way to prove that point is by winning it again."
    波士頓教練D.Rivers說"他們有一件事要向很多人證明，而他們每晚的比賽都在證明這
件事。他們覺得去年只差一點就贏得總冠軍，而唯一能證明自己實力的方法就是再拿一次
總冠軍戒。"

Hamilton said the Pistons are more hungry to become a champion again after
having the title taken away seven months ago by San Antonio.
    RIP表示球隊在7個月前眼睜睜地看著馬刺將冠軍盃帶回家後對於總冠軍的渴望越來越
強烈了。

"We're on a mission," he said.
    他說"我們有要務在身。"

And Detroit has the ultimate incentive to play well every game before the games
really count from April through June.
    此外，活塞在4到6月進行的季後賽前還有個強烈動機要在每一場比賽都好好爭取勝利
。

"We're motivated to keep this up because we want home-court advantage, after
losing Game 7 on the road at San Antonio last year," Ben Wallace said. "That
will help us get back to being champions."
    班蛙說"在去年總冠軍賽第7場敗給馬刺後，我們有維持聯盟最佳戰績的動力，爭取季
後賽全部的主場優勢，那將會幫助我們再度取得總冠軍。"

While the Pistons have changed coaches frequently in recent years, they've
resisted changing their nucleus.
    儘管活塞近年來更換總教練的頻率相當之高，他們的核心球員未有任何變動。

They have begun games with the same lineup for nearly two years since Rasheed
Wallace was added, and four starters have been together during 11 playoff
series the past three postseasons.
    他們自從將近2年前溪蛙加盟後一直維持相同的先發陣容，而另4名先發球員過去3個球
季的季後賽已經一起打了11個系列賽。

"The last three years, they've been great, but they're better now than they've
ever been," said former NBA guard Steve Smith, who was on the Heat's team
against Detroit in the conference finals last year. "The biggest thing is their
continuity and chemistry."
    去年東區冠軍賽還和熱火一起對抗活塞的前NBA後衛S.Smith說"過去3年他們已經是一
支優秀的球隊，但他們現在的狀況比以往任何時候都還要好，最重要的是他們有足夠的續
航力，球員間也有良好的化學效應。"

The Pistons have won so many important games, home and away, they don't seem to
get rattled or nervous late in games. They know Billups or Rasheed Wallace will
take and make a key 3-pointer; or Hamilton will connect on another mid-range
jumper; or Prince will make a stop, or Ben Wallace a block.
    活塞已經贏了許多重要的比賽，不管是主場或客場，他們最近很少陷入苦戰。他們知
道槍蜥或溪蛙將會投進關鍵的三分球，或RIP將會以另一個中距離串聯起全隊的攻勢，或小
王子將會擋下對手的攻勢，或班蛙會賞給對手一個麻辣鍋。

"I've been here for five months, and this team still amazes me with its poise,"
Saunders said.
    老桑說"我到活塞執教已經5個月了，而這支球隊仍持續以低調的優異表現使我感到驚
訝。"

Detroit's record has been so impressive that the Motor City is making
comparisons to the 1984 Tigers, who also won 35 of their first 40 before going
on to win the World Series.
    活塞的戰績令人印象深刻，所以汽車城的居民將他們拿來和'84年的老虎隊作比較，他
們贏得冠軍盃前也在前40場比賽取得35勝。

"There are a couple similarities," former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell told
The Associated Press. "One, the Pistons get it and we got it, in terms of
playing as a team and not just giving it lip service. Two, they don't rely on
one guy every night, just like we didn't have one star that we depended on
every game.
    前老虎隊游擊手A.Trammell向美聯社表示"這的確是有得比，第一，不是說客套話，活
塞跟我們一樣都拿到35勝5敗的開季戰績；第二，他們不是只倚賴某一位球員，就像我們當
初隊上連一個明星球員都沒有。"

"When we were 35-5, Sparky (Anderson) would always say that it didn't mean
anything unless we won the whole thing."
    "當我們35勝5敗時，S.Anderson還是說除非球隊贏得總冠軍，否則這戰績根本不具任
何意義。"

The Pistons are saying that, too.
    而活塞也這麼說。

"If we don't win the title, no one will remember that we were 35-5," Saunders
said.
    老桑說"如果我們沒拿到總冠軍盃，沒有人會記得我們拿過35勝5敗的戰績。"

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※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 222.250.136.156      (01/30 09:42)