[外電] A POINT TO PROVE: Rookie Blalock gets handle on new role

[kerrys (台北不是我的家)]

    原文出處：
              http://myurl.com.tw/qk1h

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Decades from now, Pistons rookie Will Blalock will remember 2006 as the year he
began the tedious transformation into adulthood.
    從現在開始的數十年，活塞的菜鳥W.Blalock將會記得'06年是他正式踏入人們苦悶的
成人時期的關鍵年度。

Last winter, Blalock was a junior at Iowa State. He played basketball for the
Cyclones, starring with good friend Curtis Stinson. They lived together and
played video games in their spare time. Blalock's mother, Sheila, moved to
Ames from Boston, where Blalock grew up, and called herself the team "Mama."
    去年冬天Blalock還是愛荷華州大的三年級生，和好朋友C.Stinson一同效力於籃球校
隊 - 颶風隊。他們住在一塊並且在空閒時間一起打電玩。Blalock的母親Sheila從Blalock
長大成人的波士頓搬到安姆斯，並笑稱自己是球隊的"媽媽"，為球員打理一切事情。

Life was steady, his role certain and his surroundings comforting.
    生活過得很平順，他所扮演的角色很明確，周遭環境也令人覺得舒適。

Now, as winter circles back, Blalock has learned life changes in a hurry.
    不過在冬天再次降臨的此刻，Blalock已經認識到生活通常在一瞬間就有了很大的轉變
。

After taking the gamble to enter the NBA draft, Blalock was the last pick in
June, No. 60 overall. It's a slot usually reserved for players who never make a
roster.
    在做了孤注一擲棄學投身NBA選秀會的決定後，Blalock在六月的選秀會上成了最後一
個被選中的球員。而在這個順位才入選的球員通常註定一輩子都無法順利打進正式球員名
單當中。

But because of injuries, Blalock is now second on the Pistons' depth chart at
point guard. And although coach Flip Saunders has said Blalock won't play more
than 10 or 15 minutes per game while starter Chauncey Billups and backup
Lindsey Hunter nurse injuries, those are 10 or 15 minutes more than Blalock
expected to play this season on a veteran team such as the Pistons.
    但因為活塞飽受傷兵問題困擾，Blalock目前成為了球隊的二號控衛。雖然老桑教練表
示Blalock在先發控衛槍蜥和主要替補獵人養傷期間也不會得到超過10或15分鐘的上場時間
，但這已經比Blalock原本所預期本季在這支由經驗豐富的老將為主體所組成的活塞隊中能
分得的上場時間多出10到15分鐘了。

"I wasn't expecting any playing time, to be honest," Blalock said. "I just
wanted to get better. I wasn't expecting to get my feet wet, really."
    "說實話，我原本並不預期能有任何上場機會，"Blalock說。"我只希望能更進步，並
不期待能親身參與球賽。"

Consider his Nikes soaked.
    而他的Nike球鞋總是濕透的。

Until early December, Blalock -- a point guard Billups describes as "pass first
, pass second, maybe shoot third" -- was happy to be the first Piston into the
practice facility each day, happy to do some extra shooting afterward with
assistant coach Terry Porter and happy to learn the ins and outs of NBA life
while wearing his sports coat on the sideline.
    直到12月初，這個被槍蜥形容為"傳球第一，傳球第二，或許投射第三"的控衛一直樂
於成為每一天第一個使用訓練器材的活塞人，樂意在訓練時間結束後與助理教練T.Porter
再做一些額外的投籃練習，也樂意穿著運動外套坐在邊線學習NBA生活的大大小小細節。

That attitude alone impressed the coaching staff.
    那樣樂觀進取的態度讓整個教練團隊印象深刻。

"I think he's a young man who wants to be good," said Porter, a longtime NBA
point guard. "He puts in the work. He always has questions about the position,
what it takes to be successful. You always like to see that in someone who's
just trying to get his feet into the league."
    "我認為他是個上進的年輕人，"曾經長期在NBA擔任控衛的Porter說。"他認真地投入
工作之中。他總是能發掘許多問題，而那足以讓他變得更為出色。你總會樂於在這樣一個
剛踏入聯盟的年輕人身上看到這樣積極的學習精神的。"

As the injuries piled up at point guard -- first Hunter's Achilles tendon, then
Billups' right calf -- Blalock found himself activated, wearing a jersey and
running alongside some of the NBA's best players.
    在陣中控衛一個接著一個因傷高掛免戰牌後 -- 一開始是獵人的阿基里斯腱受傷，接
著又是槍蜥的右小腿中獎 -- Blalock發現他成了可上場球員名單中的一員，能夠穿著球衣
和某些NBA的最佳球員一起在場上奔馳。

That hasn't been easy. His welcome-to-the-NBA moment actually came during the
preseason, courtesy of 5-foot-5 Denver point guard Earl Boykins. The pint-sized
Eastern Michigan alum picked Blalock's pocket on consecutive possessions.
    那並不輕鬆。他第一次有"原來NBA是這樣"的感覺是在季前賽期間，當時負責主
持這個迎新活動的人是丹佛金塊的控衛孩子王，這位身高僅有5呎5吋的前東密西根球員在
Blalock握有球權時連續好幾次劫走了他手上的那顆籃球。

Blalock can smile about it now. He made sure to get over the embarrassment of
that night by popping in game film and studying.
    對於這件事情，Blalock現在已經能微笑以對了。他確信自己在重新拿出比賽錄影帶觀
看、學習之後，未來一定不會再讓當晚的窘境重現。

"That was a wake-up call right there," Blalock said.
    "那對我來說就像是一記當頭棒喝，"Blalock說。

The calls haven't stopped coming. He has now played in eight games, averaging
11.5 minutes. He is still learning to harness his change-of-pace style and
apply it to the Pistons' half-court-oriented offense. He's grasping Saunders'
mammoth playbook, little by little. He's figuring out what he can do against
defenders, and what he can't.
    但他接受的震撼教育可還沒結束，他現在已經打過8場球賽，平均上場時間有11.5分鐘
。他仍在學習跟上不同的比賽節奏、適應活塞的半場進攻，並慢慢地吸收老桑有如電話簿
一般厚重的戰術本。他正在揣摩面對防守者自己能做些什麼，而又有什麼無法做到的。

"It's mind-boggling sometimes," he said. "It's tough. You're playing against
better competition, just guys who have scouted you. It's different than college
, where they've scouted you, but you can still take advantage. You're asked to
do more. Now you've got a whole bunch of perennial All-Stars on the team, so
it's different. I've got a different role than just always driving, always
go-go-go."
    "這有時候相當地令人訝異，"他說。"這很困難，你必須面對比自己還厲害的對手，而
他們通常是已經對你瞭若指掌的傢伙。這和在大學打球不一樣，雖然對手們一樣已經針對
你做過功課，但你可以佔有優勢。你會被要求做更多的事情。現在你所屬的球隊陣中有一
脫拉庫大學期間都是各校隊響噹噹的明星球員的傢伙，所以情況不一樣了。我現在有了不
一樣的任務，已經不像過去擔任球隊主控，那個吆喝隊友們衝-衝-衝的角色。

His growing pains also have come off the court. Blalock, 23 and the Pistons'
only rookie, is used to being the baby. His only sister is 30. His father is
more like a grandfather; he turns 76 this week.
    他成長的陣痛同時也來自場外。23歲的Blalock是活塞今年唯一一位菜鳥，而他過去通
常扮演嬰兒的角色。他唯一一位姊姊30歲了，他的父親更像是他的祖父；這星期就滿76歲
了。

But now Blalock has a baby of his own. His 7-month-old son, Nisiah, whose face
and name are tattooed on his right calf, lives in Boston with his mother.
Nisiah was born the day after Blalock left for Chicago to begin workouts with
Michael Jordan's former trainer, Tim Grover.
    但現在Blalock擁有自己的孩子了，他七個月大的兒子Nisiah和他的母親一起住在波士
頓，Blalock並把他的臉和名字刺在自己的右小腿上。Nisiah在Blalock前往芝加哥和前喬
神的訓練員T.Grover一同進行體能訓練的一天後出生。

That was the first part of what will be a long learning experience in balancing
a life as a professional athlete and as a father.
    那是學習如何同時成為一位優秀的職業運動員和一個好爸爸的漫長過程中的第一步。

"The first couple of months were hard," Blalock said. "She was supposed to have
him May 5. ... I was supposed to fly out on the ninth. I was waiting around,
and she didn't have him on the ninth. I was like, 'I've got to go, it's just
something I've got to do.' As soon as I left, she had him on the 10th."
    "頭幾個月相當艱難，"Blalock說。"孩子的預產期原本是5月5日...我則是預期在5月9
日離開。我一直在等待，但直到9日孩子還沒出世。我就這麼想，'我必須離開了，還有一
些事情是我必須立即去做的。'但我一離開，孩子就在10日來到這個世上了。"

Now, Blalock said he sees his son once every two weeks. They spent Christmas
together, and Blalock bought him a heap of toys. The baby, of course, was more
interested in pawing at wrapping paper.
    現在，Blalock表示他每兩個禮拜會去探望孩子一次。他們一同度過耶誕節，而
Blalock給他買了一堆玩具。當然啦，那孩子對於將包裝紙亂拆一通比玩具本身是有興趣地
多。

But Blalock still has some kid in him. His friends visit often from Boston, and
together they do "regular kid stuff," Blalock said. "Go to the mall, play video
games, watch DVDs."
    但Blalock仍是童心未泯。他的朋友們通常從波士頓來拜訪他，而他們會一起玩一些"
小孩子玩意，"Blalock說。"去逛大賣場，打電玩，看DVD影碟。"

His mother has moved back to Boston, although it doesn't sound like that was
Blalock's decision. "She didn't want to come here," he said. "It's not my fault
."
    他的母親搬回波士頓了，儘管那聽來並非Blalock的決定。"她不想來這，"他說。"那
不是我的錯。"

But maybe that's not the worst thing.
    但那或許不是最糟的事。

"I always had my way growing up," he said. "Not anymore."
    "我總是不斷改進自己的生活方式，"他說。"從未停止過。"

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 210.241.111.125
推 limitlesscit:推...期待他的成長XD
推 pennymarcus:Blalock加油啦！
推 kuwen:難得的機會 好好磨練一下
推 twister527:推~
→ kreen:推
推 tooavg:加油!!
推 Huajin:Blalock加油 在活塞的先發很難得受傷的XD 有機會要好好把握
推 whyg:大推!! Billups剛進聯盟也經過Payton震撼教育的洗禮
※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 210.241.111.125      (01/05 08:44)