ESPN專欄評估西區首輪:灰熊對快艇 - NBA

節錄自ESPN.com,作者 J.A. Adande

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

The stakes 兩隊基本條件

It's a team trying to live up to its trendy status versus a team trying to end
a downward trend that goes back decades. The Grizzlies became the chic pick
for Team Nobody Wants To Face In The Playoffs. People have fresh memories of
what they did to the top-seeded Spurs in the first round last year. In the
process, the Grizzlies won as many playoff series in the 10 years they've been
in Memphis as the Clippers have won since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles
in 1984. (Taking it a step further, the Grizzlies have won as many series as
the Clippers have since the franchise moved from Buffalo to San Diego in 1978.)

近期灰熊狀態上升而快艇下滑,灰熊是任何球隊最不想在季後賽面對的對手,因為看倌們應
有去年馬刺被黑八的記憶吧?灰熊在近十年嬴得季後賽系與快艇自1984自聖地牙哥搬至洛
杉磯後一樣多.

Has there been any franchise as desperate to shed its past as the Clippers,
yet one that seems perpetually unable to do so? The regular-season finale was
a classic example. After Chris Paul led the Clippers to their best-ever
winning percentage and turned them from chokers to clutch in crunch time, a
strained groin kept him out of the season finale in New York -- their most
important game in years. They lost and lost their grip on home-court advantage
against the Grizzlies in the process.

自從Paul領導快艇在期中打出隊史最佳勝率後,即江河日下,而Paul後來也受了傷,使他錯
失季賽最後一場比賽(對尼克),快艇最終輸了,也輸了他們在季後賽對灰熊的主場優勢.

Coach Vinny Del Negro survived the Clippers' slide in March. Would owner Donald
Sterling's affinity for Del Negro allow him to survive a first-round exit at
the end of the most anticipated Clippers season ever? With Paul uncommitted
beyond next season, it's crucial that the Clippers show they have
championship-caliber leadership on the bench.

Paul尚未承諾下季的合約,此時展現快艇得冠實力甚為重要

The Grizzlies have home-court advantage in a series for the first time ever,
and this is the first time they enter the playoffs with expectations. Can
Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph play like the two superstars that most championship
teams possess? Gay missed last year's playoffs with a shoulder injury.
Randolph is still rounding into shape after missing much of this regular
season. These playoffs could indicate if the Grizzlies have a foundation or a
need to trade someone while he still maintains value.

灰熊第一次在賽後有主場優勢且深獲期望,雙星Gay和Zach的在賽後表現十分關鑑,Gay去年
因肩傷而未參與季後賽,Zach至今尚在融入隊型,本季季後賽可給灰熊一些指示,是否他們
已具奪冠實力,或有需要做一些交易補強.

How it'll be decided 勝負因素

If protecting the ball is essential to playoff success, it is, to coin a word,
"essentialer" in this series. The Grizzlies put a premium on disrupting
passing lanes and getting steals. They forced the most turnovers in the NBA.
The Clippers, on the other hand, had the second-lowest turnover rate in the
league, largely because Paul has the ball so often. He had the second-best
assist-to-turnover ratio. It would be easier to pry all of his online
passwords out of him than get him to give up the ball.

灰熊的優勢是搶斷及抄截的能力,但他們面對的快艇擁有聯盟第二低的失誤率,主要係因
為Paul主控下,他在聯盟第二低的失誤助攻比率所致.

The Clippers won the season series 2-1, in part because they won the turnover
category by averaging only 12.3 per game.

快艇季賽以2-1略勝灰熊,部份即因為他們的平均失誤次數只有12.3.

It might be asking too much for even Paul's steady hand to compensate for a
lineup that features three starters (Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Randy
Foye) making their playoff debuts. And can Griffin make free throws? There's
no way the Grizzlies are going to let him rack up highlight dunks.
They will foul and foul some more. The same 55 percent rate he shot from the
line in the season will send the Clippers home.

Paul將疲於奔命,因為Griffin, Jordan, Foye等三名先發,都是季後賽菜鳥,而Griffin的
55%罰球命中率,將使灰熊施展駭芬戰術,而使快艇回家吃自己.

Randolph used to be as reliable a 20-point, 10-rebound guy as there was in
the league. But he hasn't scored 20 points in a game since March 16. Marc
Gasol's more prominent role takes a little pressure off Randolph. Still,
they could use a dose of the Z-Bo that gave them 22 and 11 in last year's
playoffs.

Randolph過去是20分-10籃板的公務人員,但從3/16後他不曾拿過20分,但小Gagol的崛起
減輕了他的壓力,他們在去年季後賽大暴發,平均有22-11的表現.

The Grizzlies aren't stylish. They like it grimy. The byproduct of their
style is that their games are usually close. It's tough for them to blow
anyone out, and it's tough to blow them out. This won't be the most
glamorous series, but it will be the best.

灰熊非流行隊伍,他們打得有點髒,他們的特色之一是每場比賽的勝負都相當接近,不容
易被擊敗,也不容易擊敗別人,這組對戰不會是最吸引人的系列,但將會是最好的系列戰.


心得:

筆者的傾向已相當明顯,快艇主將的菜將使Paul疲於奔命,灰熊雙星GZ的發揮,有可能使
本系列火拼至第七戰.另,如翻譯有誤,煩請指正.





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