The curious case of Kelenna Azubuike as a member of the Dallas Mavericks started March 22 when the club released athletic big man Sean Williams, who had spent most of the season with the D-League Texas Legends. Kelenna Azubuike在3月22日与小牛签下合约，这个动作让大家 感到困惑，小牛为了签下Azubuike清掉了运动能力不错的长人 Sean Williams，他大半球季都待在NBDL的德州传奇队。 A week earlier, the San Antonio Spurs had traded for Stephen Jackson and were closing in on signing Boris Diaw to bolster their roster for a deep playoff run. What were the defending champion Mavericks up to in releasing Williams and opening a spot on the 15-man roster? Who was on their radar that could provide an immediate jolt one month from the true start of their title defense? 在小牛签下他的一周前，马刺交易来了Stephen Jackson与 Boris Diaw来强化他们的阵容，卫冕冠军小牛为什麽要裁掉 Williams来清出15人名单的空间？小牛锁定了谁能够在一个 月内快速的融入团队踏上卫冕之路？ Last year, Dallas signed veteran sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic and the move paid off handsomely. At this point in the season, they could use someone like him. Three-point shooting -- heck, shooting in general --- had taken a significant dip throughout the truncated schedule and the Mavs would need firepower down the stretch and into the playoffs. 去年，小牛签下了老将射手Peja Stojakovic，是步漂亮的 棋。今年此时，小牛很需要他这样的球员，三分投射能力是 今年缩水球季小牛的一大缺点，球队在季後赛的关键时刻需 要更多的火力。 Could 3-point specialist Jason Kapono, recently released by the Lakers, be on his way? Maybe the 6-foot-7 Andres Nocioni? Sure, he was down on his luck, but still he was a 37.3 percent 3-point shooter throughout his career. 小牛会签下才刚被湖人释出的三分射手Jason Kapono？还是 6尺7寸的Andres Nocioni？没错，他的状况不好，但他生涯 的三分命中率还是有37.3%。 Turns out Kapono wasn't coming and neither was Nocioni. Who'd the Mavs have up their sleeve? 结果不是Kapono也不是Nocioni，小牛到底葫芦里卖什麽药？ Azubuike, an intriguing shooting guard, oh, about three seasons ago before a torn patellar tendon put his career on indefinite hold. 小牛签下了Azubuike，一个让人着迷的射手，不过三年前的膝 盖肌腱撕裂让他的职业生涯走到瓶颈。 And the Countdown ticks down to No. 10 ... KELENNA AZUBUIKE Pos: SG Ht/Wt: 6-5, 215 Experience: 5 years Age: 28 (Dec. 16, 1983) 2011-12 stats: Played total of 18 minutes in three games Contract status: Team option for next season 2011-12 salary: $280,192 2012-13 salary: $992,680 His story: The Mavs signed the 6-foot-5 London native March 23. This was not a shot-in-the-arm acquisition like the S-Jax trade or the Diaw signing the Spurs pulled off (and reaping the benefits). Azubuike was starting to make a name for himself in 2008-09 with the Golden State Warriors when the formerly undrafted free agent averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and knocked down 3-pointers at a 44.8-percent clip. He was a heck of an athlete built for an up-and-down game. Then, came the devastating patellar tendon injury nine games into the 2009-10 season. The impatient Warriors traded him to the New York Knicks, who waived him Feb. 28, 2011. On March 23, 2012, Azubuike got another chance in the NBA, thanks to the Mavs, who knew he wouldn't be helping them to defend the title. So what were the Mavs' hopes in signing him? An inexpensive option with hopeful upside at shooting guard and/or small forward for next season? Perhaps. After all, Jason Terry will likely be moving on and so could be Shawn Marion, maybe even Rodrigue Beaubois and Vince Carter, too, depending on various factors in Dallas' venture into free agency. Interestingly, Azubuike, after playing just three regular-season games with Dallas, was on the active roster in the first round against Oklahoma City, taking the spot of second-year guard and 2010 first-round draft pick Dominique Jones. 小牛在3月23日正式签下这位6尺5寸在伦敦出身的球员，这不像马刺 补进Jackson或是Diaw的这种即战力。Azubuike在08-09球季大放异 彩，未经选秀的他在金州勇士平均攻下14.4分5.0篮板，三分球命中 率44.8%，他的运动能力很适合快打球风。然而，在09-10球季的第 九场比赛，他的膝盖受到毁灭性的伤势，没耐心等待的勇士把它交 易到尼克，然後他在2011年2月28日被尼克释出。2012年3月23日， Azubuike有了重返NBA的机会，多亏了小牛的慧眼。不过他也知道他 并没有办法替卫冕献上心力。那小牛签下他为的是什麽？明年他的 球队选择权相当便宜，或许明年会是二号或三号的热门人选？毕竟 Jason Terry与Shawn Marion都有可能离开，甚至Rodrigue Beaubois 与Vince Carter也有机会离队，端看小牛今年在自由市场的操作而 定。有趣的是，Azubuike在只帮小牛打了三场季赛之後，竟被列入 季後赛对雷霆的出赛名单，把二年级的2010年首轮选秀球员DoJo给 挤在後头。 His outlook: The Mavs believe they have the best head athletic trainer in the game today in Casey Smith and an elite orthopedic crew headed by team doc T.O. Souryal. Azubuike will be three years removed from the horrific knee injury that put his burgeoning career in jeopardy and one that remains terribly difficult to watch on YouTube. But here's the hope for Azubuike: A second surgery in March 2011 was performed to fix the first surgery that wasn't done properly. Azubuike confirmed that fact on Twitter in March 2011, saying: "The 1st surgery in '09 wasn’t done right. Gettin it done right this time!” The Mavs' medical and training staffs have a track record with patellar tendon injuries after Caron Butler's awful injury on Jan. 1, 2011, in Milwaukee, which happens to be where Azubuike also blew up his knee. There's no guarantee that the the former Kentucky Wildcat will ever regain his explosiveness, but watching Butler this season with the Los Angeles Clippers has to be encouraging that he can at least be a productive player. At less than $1 million next season, Azubuike is low-risk and if he turns out to be high-reward, the Mavs will have made a shrewd move at a time when many were scratching their heads at the timing of the signing. 小牛相信他们拥有联盟最好的运动训练员Casey Smith，以及由T.O. Souryal所带领的医疗团队。Azubuike成长中的三年生涯中因为骇人 的膝盖伤势而消失，唯一剩下的只有在YouTube上让人不忍去看的受 伤片段。但2011年3月的第二次手术修复了第一次手术没有解决的地 方，这带给他希望。他去年三月在推特上证明了这一点，并说："09 年的第一次手术失败了，这次成功了！"小牛的医疗与训练团队在去 年1月1日Caron Butler膝盖肌腱受伤之後对这样的伤势有了纪录， 巧的是两人都是在密尔瓦基受伤的。没人能保证这位肯塔基出身的 选手能不能重回颠峰，但看看今年Butler在快艇的表现，证明了他 至少还能为球队做出贡献。明年他的合约只有不到1M，是个低风险 的投资，如果小牛能得到高的报酬，那签下他就会是个相当聪明的 决定，尽管当时大家都对这样的举动感到不解。 下集待续 --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 111.248.174.39 ※ 编辑: DM24Tim 来自: 111.248.174.39 (05/21 14:00)