原文网址:
http://ppt.cc/wAvp
图文部落格(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.
布鲁克林篮网是史上最贵的NBA球队，然而他们现阶段最关键的家伙只有领联盟最低薪资
。自从1月1日起篮网打出一波22-9的战绩，靠得就是防守，这段期间内他们每100回合能
够制造对手19.2次失误。打从1997-98球季以来，就没有任何球队能在完整82场比赛的球
季中做到这种程度。让布鲁克林防守大跃进的重要元素便是人高手长的Shaun Livingston
，他原本是被签来做为替补后卫的，现在他在队上的出赛时间排名第3，而且最近几乎场
场先发(除了1场缺席)，而他变成固定先发正是从…1月1日开始。
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.
打小球让他们的篮板和火锅呈现劣势，也没办法阻止对手站上罚球线，但是他们靠着干扰
投篮以及制造失误来取得防守上的成功。Kevin Garnett一直以来都是布鲁克林的防守中
枢，尤其是在Brook Lopez确定本季报销以后，不过篮网在三月份KG缺席的比赛中拿下了
5-1的成绩，同时让对手平均每回合得不到1分，这是因为他们仍然在后场拥有高度优势，
当遇到掩护时可以选择换防，或是协防后还原都没问题，并且能同时阻止持球者突破或是
传球。
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.
凭借著6呎7吋的身高加上6呎11吋的臂展，Livingston为布鲁克林注入了一股活水，重新
擦亮了篮网的招牌。他可以窒息式紧贴对方的后卫，也可以换防去守到前锋，在星期一那
场激烈比赛的最后关头，Livingston从暴龙的Terrence Ross手中把球拨走，用防守锁定
了胜利。(影片: http://on.nba.com/1qvGoRu)
“他非常全面，”赛后Deron Williams谈到他的后场搭档：“他几乎每晚都得防守联盟中
那些最佳球员。”
其实不只这样，Livingston用他的身材优势活化了篮网的防守，若是少了他的身材和活动
力，许多策略将无法顺利执行，而数据也支持这个论点。从1月1日以来，当Livingston在
场上时，篮网的DefRtg将会下降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.
我们都知道Livingston的故事，7年前他在快艇时遭遇膝盖十字韧带全断的惨案，所以看
到他现在能在一支季后赛球队中角色吃重，确实让人开心。其实不到15个月前，他才被战
绩3-22的巫师释出而已，不过去年下半季在骑士的稳健表现，让Jason Kidd选他做为
Williams的替补，虽然有些人认为不适合，因为他外线跳投的能力很差(几乎不存在，真
的)，但是Kidd始终是对的，尽管他没有想到他会如此倚重Livingston。28岁的
Livingston已经先发了39场比赛，比过去都还要多，而下个星期他的出赛时间将会创下生
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.”
“当时我做为替补，不知道接下来会发生什么事，”Livingston说：“然而在NBA什么都
有可能。”这不只是个励志故事，篮网确实需要Livingston，他为这支球队重新定位，而
且让篮网转变为季初时大家认为他们该有的样子，毕竟他们的先发阵容薪水高达8200万。
“你只能试着去找到定位，”他说：“有时候，你必须找出你在场上的价值，如何才能帮
助球队赢球，就像Kirilenko一样，我们都有活动力也有身高，所以我们必须好好利用。
”
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.
篮网目前只比5成胜率多赢2场比赛而已，在偏弱的东区排名第6，但是来到2014年，战绩
则是东区最佳的22-9，他们已经准备好对抗任何季后赛的对手了，包括迈阿密热火。本季
布鲁克林对上迈阿密是2-0，而今晚热火将在主场迎战。
这又是一场球星云集的比赛，然而这个领底薪的家伙将会举足轻重。