原文網址:
http://ppt.cc/wAvp
圖文部落格(附表格):
http://leelou.pixnet.net/blog/post/32089217
The Brooklyn Nets are the most expensive team in NBA history, and their most
important player right now is a guy making the league minimum.
The key to the Nets’ 22-9 record since Jan. 1 has been their defense, which
is fifth-best in that time and has forced 19.2 turnovers per 100 possessions.
No team has forced that many turnovers over a full, 82-game season since
1997-98.
The most important element of that improved Brooklyn defense is the length of
Shaun Livingston, a guy who was signed to be the back-up point guard but who
ranks third on the team in minutes and has started every game he’s played (he
’s missed one) since … Jan. 1.
布魯克林籃網是史上最貴的NBA球隊，然而他們現階段最關鍵的傢伙只有領聯盟最低薪資
。自從1月1日起籃網打出一波22-9的戰績，靠得就是防守，這段期間內他們每100回合能
夠製造對手19.2次失誤。打從1997-98球季以來，就沒有任何球隊能在完整82場比賽的球
季中做到這種程度。讓布魯克林防守大躍進的重要元素便是人高手長的Shaun Livingston
，他原本是被簽來做為替補後衛的，現在他在隊上的出賽時間排名第3，而且最近幾乎場
場先發(除了1場缺席)，而他變成固定先發正是從…1月1日開始。
Playing small, the Nets have struggled on the glass, haven’t blocked many
shots, and haven’t done a great job of keeping their opponents off the free
throw line. But they’ve had defensive success due to contesting shots and
forcing mistakes.
Kevin Garnett has been Brooklyn’s defensive anchor since Brook Lopez was
lost for the season, but the Nets have gone 5-1 without KG in March. They’re
allowing less than a point per possession because they still have backcourt
length, which allows them to switch screens, help and recover and both get
into the space of ball-handlers and into passing lanes.
打小球讓他們的籃板和火鍋呈現劣勢，也沒辦法阻止對手站上罰球線，但是他們靠著干擾
投籃以及製造失誤來取得防守上的成功。Kevin Garnett一直以來都是布魯克林的防守中
樞，尤其是在Brook Lopez確定本季報銷以後，不過籃網在三月份KG缺席的比賽中拿下了
5-1的成績，同時讓對手平均每回合得不到1分，這是因為他們仍然在後場擁有高度優勢，
當遇到掩護時可以選擇換防，或是協防後還原都沒問題，並且能同時阻止持球者突破或是
傳球。
As a 6-foot-7 point guard with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Livingston is the
embodiment of Brooklyn’s new identity. He can smother opposing guards and
switch onto forwards. With the game on the line in the final minute on
Monday, Livingston poked the ball away from Toronto’s Terrence Ross.
“He’s so versatile,” Deron Williams said of his backcourt-mate after the
win on Monday. “He’s been guarding the best players a lot of nights.”
It’s more than that. Livingston’s size unlocks everything the Nets do
defensively. Without his size and activity, the scheme doesn’t work nearly
as well, and the numbers bear that out. The Nets have been 8.5 points per 100
possessions better defensively since Jan. 1 when Livingston has been on the
floor.
憑藉著6呎7吋的身高加上6呎11吋的臂展，Livingston為布魯克林注入了一股活水，重新
擦亮了籃網的招牌。他可以窒息式緊貼對方的後衛，也可以換防去守到前鋒，在星期一那
場激烈比賽的最後關頭，Livingston從暴龍的Terrence Ross手中把球撥走，用防守鎖定
了勝利。(影片: http://on.nba.com/1qvGoRu)
「他非常全面，」賽後Deron Williams談到他的後場搭檔：「他幾乎每晚都得防守聯盟中
那些最佳球員。」
其實不只這樣，Livingston用他的身材優勢活化了籃網的防守，若是少了他的身材和活動
力，許多策略將無法順利執行，而數據也支持這個論點。從1月1日以來，當Livingston在
場上時，籃網的DefRtg將會下降8.5分。
We all know Livingston’s story and it’s great to see him playing such a big
role on a playoff team seven years after his gruesome and devastating knee
injury as a Clipper. Less than 15 months ago, he was waived by the 3-22
Washington Wizards.
After doing a solid job in Cleveland in the second half last season,
Livingston was Jason Kidd‘s choice to back-up Williams. Some of us thought
he was a bad fit because of his poor (non-existent, really) perimeter
shooting. But Kidd was right all along … although he couldn’t have known
that he’d be relying on Livingston as much as he has.
The 28-year-old has already started more games (39) than he ever has and will
surpass his career high in minutes next week.
我們都知道Livingston的故事，7年前他在快艇時遭遇膝蓋十字韌帶全斷的慘案，所以看
到他現在能在一支季後賽球隊中角色吃重，確實讓人開心。其實不到15個月前，他才被戰
績3-22的巫師釋出而已，不過去年下半季在騎士的穩健表現，讓Jason Kidd選他做為
Williams的替補，雖然有些人認為不適合，因為他外線跳投的能力很差(幾乎不存在，真
的)，但是Kidd始終是對的，儘管他沒有想到他會如此倚重Livingston。28歲的
Livingston已經先發了39場比賽，比過去都還要多，而下個星期他的出賽時間將會創下生
涯新高。
“I didn’t know what to expect, coming in, being a back-up,” Livingston
said. “But things happen in the NBA.”
This isn’t just a feel-good story, though. The Nets need Livingston, who has
given them the identity that’s turned them into the team we’d thought they’
d be at the beginning of the season with their $82 million starting lineup.
“You just try to find your niche,” he said. “Sometimes, you got to find
your value on the court. What’s going to help my team win games? [Andrei]
Kirilenko is the same way. We’re active. We’re long. So we have to use that
to our advantage.”
「當時我做為替補，不知道接下來會發生什麼事，」Livingston說：「然而在NBA什麼都
有可能。」這不只是個勵志故事，籃網確實需要Livingston，他為這支球隊重新定位，而
且讓籃網轉變為季初時大家認為他們該有的樣子，畢竟他們的先發陣容薪水高達8200萬。
「你只能試著去找到定位，」他說：「有時候，你必須找出你在場上的價值，如何才能幫
助球隊贏球，就像Kirilenko一樣，我們都有活動力也有身高，所以我們必須好好利用。
」
The Nets are just two games over .500 and in sixth place in the weak East,
but that 22-9 mark is the conference’s best in 2014. They’ve established
themselves as a tough out for any team they’d face in the playoffs,
including the Miami Heat. Brooklyn is 2-0 against Miami as the Heat host the
Nets tonight (7 ET, ESPN).
It’ll be another game featuring a bunch of high-priced stars. And a guy
making the minimum will play a big role.
籃網目前只比5成勝率多贏2場比賽而已，在偏弱的東區排名第6，但是來到2014年，戰績
則是東區最佳的22-9，他們已經準備好對抗任何季後賽的對手了，包括邁阿密熱火。本季
布魯克林對上邁阿密是2-0，而今晚熱火將在主場迎戰。
這又是一場球星雲集的比賽，然而這個領底薪的傢伙將會舉足輕重。