作者:
kikijuice (Last Cigarette)
2018-05-22 14:53:41The Ripple Effect
漣漪效應
The Kings were gifted a chance to do something great.
國王被賦予了一個可成就偉大的機會.
By Babygiraffe @TimMaxwell22 May 17, 2018, 12:35pm PDT
原文出自sbnation https://tinyurl.com/y7b6nmff
A kiss at the altar.
The birth of a child.
An unexpected death of a close friend.
These are some of the many defining moments in a person’s life:
crystal clear, life altering.
And just as those singular occasions are the culmination of many millions of
decisions, both voluntary and involuntary, so do the successes and failures of
NBA franchises often rise and fall on an individual moment:
the zenith of a thousand influences.
A tipped ball: a scramble for the rebound, a made three-pointer,
championship hopes extinguished.
A tweet: the Kings are saved. Here We Stayed.
A trade: DeMarcus Cousins is gone. Another rebuild has begun.
These are just a few.
踏入愛情墳墓的那一吻. 一塊心頭肉的新生. 好友突如其來的辭世.
這些都是人生中眾多決定性時刻中的一隅: 無比清晰, 而又餘韻繚繞.
而正如同這些因緣際會其實是無數有心或無意間的決定所匯聚成的焦點一般,
NBA球隊營運的成敗起伏時常也決定在一剎那間:
無數刀光劍影下的華山之巔.
被撥偏的那一球: 一次籃板爭搶的混戰, 一箭穿心的外線, 冠軍夢灰飛湮滅.
一則動態: 國王無恙. 我們不走了.
一起交易: 胖者已矣. 我們又墮入重建的深淵.
這些只是其中的冰山一角.
Last night was the apex of a a full year of defining instances, some
realized in the moment, some completely unknown as they were unfolding.
昨晚僅只是這一年滿滿決定性時刻的頂峰.
某些事件在當下就震天嘎響, 而某些僅只是逐漸地揭開它們的序幕.
May 16, 2017: The Kings jump in the lottery for the first time in 28
years. They move to 3rd place, but slide back to 5th due to a previous
trade with Philadelphia.
June 22, 2017: Vlade Divac selects De'Aaron Fox with the fifth overall pick.
November 9, 2017: Our rookie point guard hits the game-winning shot to
defeat the Sixers 109-108.
January 25, 2018: De’Aaron Fox dunks all over the Miami Heat for his
second clutch bucket of the year.
February 22, 2018: The Bulls blow a lead to the Sixers with just a
few seconds remaining. Bobby Portis misses a game-winning two-footer.
Chicago loses.
March 1, 2018, prime tanking season: De’Aaron Fox once again is the man in the
clutch. He sinks an overtime-forcing floater as time expires. The Kings
win the game 116-111.
April 11, 2018: Houston rests their starters against Sacramento. The Kings are
victorious over the Rockets and the Bulls lose to the Pistons
by 32 points. Chicago and Sacramento end the season in a tie for 6th
place.
April 13, 2018: A coin is flipped. The Bulls win. Sacramento moves to the 7th
slot in the lottery.
2017年5月16日: 國王28年來樂透順位第一次超車. 這衰仔前進到第三順位, 但由於先前
與76人的交易, 順位交換權運作後滑落到第五.
2017年6月22日: 老狄以第五順位選了De'Aaron Fox.
2017年11月9日: 我們的菜鳥控衛投進致勝球, 幫助球隊以109-108擊敗了76人.
2018年1月25日: 狐狸驚天一灌讓熱火成為他新秀賽季內第二次致勝一擊下的冤魂.
2018年2月22日: 公牛在幾秒內就搞丟了對76人的領先. 鐵拳兄在讀秒階段近距離出手沒
進, 公牛落敗.
2018年3月 1日: 狐狸再度成為關鍵殺手. 他在停錶前的一記底線拋投將比數追平. 國王
(競坦時日) 在延長賽勝出, 116-111.
2018年4月11日: 火箭在最後一場作客沙城的比賽中讓所有先發休息. 國王收下這場勝利
而公牛大敗給活塞32分. 牛王賽季以並列倒數第六作收.
2018年4月13日: 公牛於擲銅板大賽中獲勝. 國王落到第七順位.
These individual drops in the water, as well as many others, have created
ripple after ripple after ripple for two ill-equipped organizations. The stage
is set. The ping-pong balls rattle in their cage; the combination is read:
14-7-6-8. Sacramento is awarded the second selection in a two player draft.
Chicago falls to seventh. Those insignificant waves have transformed from
scattered events into a tidal wave of possibilities for a derelict franchise
bereft of hope for well over a decade.
這一點一滴, 就如其他瑣事般, 在這兩個難為無米之炊的球隊之間, 掀起了不斷的漣漪.
萬事俱備, 彩球在透明箱裡不斷的跳動. 14-7-6-8, 這組魔術數字讓沙城在絕代雙驕的
競逐中射下了次彩. 公牛則落至第七. 這些看似無關緊要的風波由原本的涓涓細流, 反
化為這超過十年來百廢待舉, 看不見曙光的球隊所掀起的萬丈波瀾.
That single moment not only changed the Kings' drafting position, but it
also directly affected Vlade Divac’s legacy, the Front Office’s free agency
plans and reputation, as well as the ceiling of our young core.
這一剎那不僅改變了國王的選秀順位, 也直接左右了老狄手上的牌, 管理層的FA大計與風
評, 以及我們年輕核心的最終上限.
Interestingly enough, the actual decision-making is mostly out of Vlade Divac's
hands. Assuming our GM doesn’t do something foolish and 1) trade the pick
outright, 2) trade back, or 3) select someone not named Doncic or Ayton,
Phoenix is essentially picking for the Kings. If they take Luka to pair with
his old coach, Sacramento can walk away with a smile on their face and the best
big man in the draft. If the Suns select the Arizona product, DeAndre
Ayton, our Front Office fills their desperate need at small forward with the
most prolific European prospect in history. There’s really no unsavory result
for Sacramento either way.
有趣的是, 這後續的沙盤推演老狄幾乎都無法左右.
假設他不幹以下幾樣愚蠢的事情:
1. 馬上把籤換出去
2. 向下交易
3. 選擇Ayton或Doncic以外的人
太陽基本上就是在幫國王選秀.
如果他們選了Doncic和他過往的教練搭配, 我們可以帶著這屆選秀最好的長人微笑離開.
如果太陽選了家鄉英雄Ayton, 我們的管理層也可以大方地用這史上最全能的歐洲天賦彌
補我們千瘡百孔的三號側翼. 幾乎不管怎麼選, 沙城都不會因此失望.
The massive jump that the franchise was afforded greatly benefits Vlade Divac
in a much more personal way: job security. His favor with the fanbase has
continued to slip over the last three years, and while he’s not making the
boneheaded decisions of his first year in office, the win column hasn’t grown
and mistakes are continue to occur. Last February, Vlade allowed himself two
years to significantly improve the roster. While that timeline was never fully
believable, nor was the notion that he would step down if the team didn't
reach that goal, our GM was granted a reprieve last night.
順位的大幅前進某種程度上對老狄的個人影響更直接: 他的飯碗.
死忠球迷對他的愛戴在過去三年裡逐漸消失, 而在他乳臭漸乾後即便不重蹈覆轍, 球隊的
勝場也沒有增加, 操作上的失誤也層出不窮. 去年二月驚天交易過後, 老狄給了他自己兩
年的時限大幅改善陣容. 當然, 這個時間表聽來並不可信, 若球隊到時百尺竿頭尚缺數步
他大概也不會因此引咎辭職, 但老狄昨晚因為有了這支籤, 尚未淪於萬劫不復, 任人宰割.
(待續)