Re: Nets: Keep stars for a playoff run - 布魯克林籃網 Brooklyn Nets

※ 引述《NetsFan (隨時做好準備)》之銘言：
Friday, February 23, 2007

BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO
Star-Ledger Staff

In the end, it came down to this: Rebuilding is for the other guy, but not
Rod Thorn.

整件事情最後的結論就是：重建是其他人要做的事，而不是 Rod Thorn的
工作。


The Nets never let go of a superstar, or a role player, or their goal of
becoming an elite team again as the final opportunity to make trades passed
yesterday, when their chief executive saw no other alternative but to stand
pat.

籃網隊並沒有送走他們的超級巨星、他們的關鍵球員，交易可能是他們重
返榮耀的最後機會，但一直到了交易截止日仍然沒有任何事情發生。他們
的總裁也意識到除了維持現狀，並讓這支球隊更進一步地磨練之外，已經
沒有其他選項了。


"Our focus is, we want to be as good as we can every year. We think that's
important," the Nets president said yesterday, dismissing the notion of
scrapping the current group -- including the team's two stars on the wrong
side of 30, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter -- and starting anew.

「我們的目標，是每一年都盡力成為最好的球隊，我想這是非常重要的。
」籃網隊總管 Rod Thorn這麼說道，他打消了拆散這支隊伍的想法，打算
以原有的陣容重新開始。而籃網隊目前的兩個球星 Kidd 和 Carter 都已
年過三十了。


"We've had a time to build a tradition here the last five or six years, and
we want to try to maintain it as best we can. Without using it as any crutch
whatsoever -- because a lot of teams have had injuries -- we've been without
our second- and third-leading scorers (Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic)
for quite some time, and obviously that's taken a toll on our team.

「在近來的五、六年之中，我們建立了球隊的優良傳統，同時也試著好好
地保持下去。傷兵問題奪走了我們球隊中得分排名第二和第三的球員（小
傑和小克），對我們來說這很明顯是個相當大的損失。


"You have to be cognizant of that when you assess where your team is, and
what your team can do. You have to look at it and assume (it would improve)
when everybody is reasonably healthy."

「你必須很清楚你的球隊的能耐，還有他們能發揮到什麼程度，假設他們
都健康的話。」


That's his spin, and he's sticking to it. And even though the ship might be
headed for the rocks at 25-30, Thorn said holding on to Kidd and Carter sends
a message to the team's fan base that the Nets will try to make a push for a
playoff spot.

這是他的看法，而他也信守他的教條。儘管這樣的做法使得球隊目前呈現
25 勝 30 敗這樣差強人意的戰績，但 Thorn 認為將 Kidd 和 Carter 留
在隊上可以讓球迷們相信籃網隊正在為他們的季後賽而努力。


"I would think we're saying we're not giving up on the season, No. 1," he
said. "And that our team could be a very good team going forward."

他說：「我想我們還沒有放棄這個球季，我們還有登頂的機會，我相信我
們是支很棒的球隊，可以走得很遠。」


The inaction wasn't entirely unexpected, as Thorn had anticipating very
little reshuffling of his roster over the past two weeks despite having the
instinct to pursue a trade of Kidd, whose value will never be higher; or of
Carter, who can opt out of his contract this summer.

在交易截止日之前沒有任何動作並不完全出乎意料，Thorn 對於將球隊陣
容重新洗牌本來就不那麼熱衷，儘管他在過去兩週內有那麼一點意思想要
尋找 Kidd 和 Carter 的交易機會，而 Kidd 的價值已經無法再提升了，
Carter 則是有可能在這個球季結束後選擇跳脫他的合約。


And the fact that he didn't make a move -- which would automatically trigger
a rebuilding process -- surprised none of his peers.

做出這樣的交易無疑地會啟動球隊的重建之旅，然而對於他沒有進行任何
動作，他的同事們一點都不感到驚訝。


Bryan Colangelo's reaction was typical: "I doubt, knowing the competitive
spirit that Rod Thorn has, that he was ever going to go into that fire-sale
mode," the Toronto president said yesterday." ... Knowing Rod, at the end of
the day, he fully intends to try to catch the Toronto Raptors."

Bryan Colangelo 的反應是最典型的：「以我對 Rod Thorn這個人的了解
，我本就懷疑他會做這種跳樓大拍賣式的動作。」這位暴龍隊的總管說：
「我瞭解 Rod 這傢伙，他一直到最後一刻都還是想把暴龍隊給拉下來。」


And Thorn couldn't do that by trading either Kidd or Carter.

而 Thorn 當然無法透過交易 Kidd 或 Carter 其中任何一人來達成這個目標。


"We had conversations with a whole bunch of people in the last three or four
days, and I can't say we ever got close to doing anything," Thorn said.

「在最後的三、四天，我們和很多人討論過，但結果是我們甚至不能讓結
論稍微接近『交易』這個選項一點。」Thorn 這麼說道。


Kidd was the most sought-after player since the trade market opened in
earnest, but after weeks of speculation that the Lakers, Warriors and others
were willing to pay the price to extract him from the Nets, no offer came
close.

Kidd是今年的交易市場上最後歡迎的球員，但經過好幾個禮拜的討價還價
後，無論是湖人、勇士或其他球隊都沒有辦法提出令籃網隊滿意的價碼，
交易傳聞最後也就不了了之。


And just to illustrate how little regard the rest of the league seemingly has
for Carter, Orlando general manager Otis Smith drove home a dagger yesterday.

至於聯盟中其他隊伍對於 Carter 的興趣之低落，從魔術隊總經理 Otis
Smith 昨天直接開車回家就可以看得出來。


"I wouldn't give up a 21-year-old big man for a 30-year-old guard," Smith
told Florida Today, referring to rumors of a swap involving Darko Milicic and
Carter. "... I'm not going to take a step back and fall for what I call
fool's gold. It shines and it glitters, but it just doesn't stick or pass the
test."

「我不會放棄一個 21 歲的長人來換取一個 30 歲的後衛。」對於Milicic
和 Carter 之間的交易傳聞，Smith 昨天對著媒體這麼說道：「我不會做
讓球隊往回走的這種事情，我不會上當，（對於Carter）我稱之為"fool's
gold" ，表面上看起來可能閃閃發光，但無法通過嚴厲的考驗。」


Numerous general managers and coaches have said similar things without
attribution about Carter but few have ever publicly disrespected his game.

很多總裁以及教練有同樣的想法，但他們都沒有把矛頭指向 Carter ，也
幾乎沒有人公開地發表對 Carter 不敬的言論。


Thorn's response: "I have no comment on that."

Thorn 的回應：「對於他的發言，我不予置評。」


For now, however, that's all background music -- at least until the Nets play
Orlando again March 23. For now, the Nets are going to try to convince their
increasingly skeptical fan base that this season is still salvageable.

然而，這些都不是重點，至少在 3/23 籃網對上魔術時來說是如此。現階
段而言，對籃網最重要的事情就是找回球迷們越來越渙散的信心，他們必
須讓球迷相信這個球季是還有希望的。


One thing that could make a difference is that the trade deadline is no
longer hanging over the them.

現在有件事情可以改變這一切（指球迷越來越沒信心），那就是至少球隊
目前已經不受交易傳聞的影響了。


"It's as much of a distraction as you allow it to be," said Lawrence Frank,
whose team tries to end a three-game losing streak tonight against
Sacramento.

籃網隊教練 Lawrence Frank 說：「你的注意力是否要被（交易傳聞）分
散，這完全是你可以控制的。」籃網隊試著在今晚對國王的比賽中終止他
們的三連敗。


Notes: Kidd did not take part in practice yesterday, ostensibly to rest his
sore back, nor did he address the media. The Nets confirmed they concealed
that their most important player has been playing with a cracked rib, but
claimed it has not affected his game and that his 2-for-14 performance
Wednesday was a mere coincidence.

Kidd昨天並沒有參加練球，也沒有對媒體發表任何言論，他必須讓他的背
充分休息。籃網隊宣稱 Kidd 肋骨的問題並不會影響他的表現，上一場比
賽投 14 中 2 的表現只是一個巧合而已。


Frank spelled out the franchise's policy of truth manipulation --
especially around the trade deadline -- by stating, "We're not going to
divulge every nick, knack, bruise, bump if it's not preventing the guy
from playing." ... With his left knee wrapped in a cumbersome contraption,

Frank 對於隊長出賽的說明（尤其是在交易截止日附近）：「只要不會妨
礙球員出賽，我們不會揭露每一個問題不大的小傷病。」


這邊有關於KRSTIC的消息

Krstic took foul shots yesterday under the supervision of rehab specialist
Matt Gibble. All is well, the center said.

Krstic 在復健員 Matt Gibble 的幫助之下，昨天已經開始練習罰球。一
切都還不錯，這位中鋒說道。


When asked whether he's on a treadmill, he replied, "No -- just bike. I'm
soft, you know. ... I lost a couple pounds, that's good for me. I didn't get
fat." ... Carter, on the injury to Dwyane Wade, who might miss a month with a
shoulder separation: "It's definitely a great opportunity. But we still have
to win games. If we don't win games, we're just missing a great opportunity."

當被問到是否已經開始使用跑步機訓練時，他回答：「沒有，只有騎騎腳
踏車而已。我很軟，你知道的… 我瘦了一點，我想對我來說這還算不錯
，我並沒有變胖。」 Carter 對於 Wade 肩膀脫臼的發言：「對我們來說
這當然是個很好的機會，但我們還是需要贏球。如果我們沒辦法贏球，就
等於是白白錯失了大好機會。」


Dave D'Alessandro may be reached at [email protected]

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