来源：http://www.cbssports.com/nba/feature/25551583/flips-script Flip's script Flip的蓝图 EMBODIED BY KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, GUARDED BY KEVIN GARNETT, THE 20-YEAR VISION OF THE LATE FLIP SAUNDERS REMAINS ALIVE. 由KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS体现，KEVIN GARNETT守护，已逝世的FLIP SAUNDERS这20年的蓝图 仍然执行中。 BY ZACH HARPER / April 12, 2016 NBA writer Kevin Garnett was drenched in sweat as he breathed desperately. It was 1995. High school players were again making the jump to the NBA, and as the focused eyes of executives who would decide Garnett's fate gazed upon him, judging his every movement, the entire weight of reopening the history books rested on his shoulders. It was making him a wreck. There was too much adrenaline in his body. Shots were wildly missing and nothing was going according to plan. Kevin Garnett满身是汗、气喘吁吁。那是在1995年，过了这麽多年，再度有高中生打算 跳级至NBA[注]，一双双球探专注的眼睛将决定Garnett未来的命运，他们注视着他的每一 个动作，而这个再度写下历史新页的重担深深地压在他的肩膀上，让他喘不过气来。他的 体内分泌了过多的肾上腺素，投篮频频打铁，没有一件事情按照计画进行。 注：根据Wiki的资料： https://www.wikiwand.com/en/NBA_high_school_draftees 在1995年前，上一次有高中生被NBA选中是1975年的Bill Willoughby，但自从1995 年KG被选中後，接下来每一年都有高中生被选中，直到2006年禁止高中生参选为止。 Well, at least not KG's plan. 至少，这不符合KG的计画。 Flip Saunders' plan, however, was right on schedule. 然而，Flip Saunders的计画，则正在顺利进行中。 The 1995 draft class was stacked with college stars. Two in particular, North Carolina teammates Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, had the eye of Saunders, whose Timberwolves held the No. 5 pick. Those two weren't likely to fall that far … unless … Saunders could somehow push Garnett up. 1995年的选秀充斥着大学明星，持有五号签的Saunders特别注意到来自North Carolina大 学的Rasheed Wallace和Jerry Stackhouse，然而他们两位的实力不太可能跌至第五顺位 ，除非，Saunders想到办法把Garnett哄抬上去。 Saunders was famous for his ability as an amateur magician, often able to find quarters behind your ear or impossibly show you the card you picked from the middle of the deck. His newest trick was to feign enough interest in Garnett to get people thinking he knew something they didn't. Get one of the teams with a top-four pick to bite on him. It wouldn't be easy. At the time, particularly with all that college talent available, using a top-four pick on a skinny high school kid was something more than risky. It was playing with your job. Maybe your career. Saunders以他业余魔术师的能力闻名，像是在你的耳朵後方取出一枚硬币，或是不可思议 的向你展示你在牌堆中预先选中的牌等等，而他最新的把戏是想办法装做自己对Garnett 很感兴趣，让人们想知道他是否知晓什麽不可告人的秘密。要让手握前四顺位签的其中一 支球队买他的帐并不容易，特别是在那时候有这麽多具有天赋的大学球员可供选择，要你 花一个前四顺位签去选一个骨瘦如材的高中小子实在是太过冒险，你这麽做是在玩火，你 可能玩掉你的职业生涯。 Still, that was the plan. Until, in an instant, it changed. 尽管如此，这个计画仍旧持续进行。直到某一刻，事情发生了变化。 Before the eyes of Saunders and Wolves GM Kevin McHale and everyone else in that gym, Garnett began to display the freakish ability that would one day turn him into a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He started to find a rhythm with his jumper, showing off a feathery touch that belied his big-man frame. Upon request, he casually jumped and slapped the top of the box above the rim. His feet had hardly touched the ground before he exploded again, this time conjuring images of a spring-loaded action figure as he violently slapped the same spot on the board with two hands. 在Saunders、灰狼队总经理Kevin McHale以及其他在体育馆的人们注视下，Garnett开始 展现他那前所未见的能力，那将会让他在未来成为第一轮无异议通过的名人堂球员。他开 始找到跳投的节奏，展现出与他巨大身躯不符的柔软手感。在其他人的要求下，他轻松的 起跳并拍击篮框上缘，紧接着在他脚才刚碰触地板时，他再次起跳，这一次他感觉像个弹 簧人，暴力的用双手拍击篮框上缘的同一位置。 That got everyone's attention, and suddenly, Flip's plan had turned against him. An hour earlier he'd wanted someone else to take Garnett. Now he and McHale wanted him for themselves. No, they were desperate for him. As desperate as the adrenaline-saturated breath of the young man showing that the doors to high school prospects were more than just wide-open. They'd been kicked off the hinges. 那抓住了每一个人的目光，而突然间Flip的计画改变了。一个小时前，他希望某个人在他 之前挑走Garnett，但现在他跟McHale希望能自己选走Garnett。不，应该说他们极度渴望 选走Garnett，与这位呼吸中充满着肾上腺素的年轻人渴望进NBA的程度相同。他不只为高 中生打开了进入NBA的大门，更是踢开了那门上的铰链。 *** In today's NBA, the traditional big man is all but extinct. Some will tell you nobody knows how to operate in the post anymore. Truth be told, you damn near can't operate in the post anymore, the defensive rule changes implemented in 2004-05 -- which allow defenses to zone off an entire side of the floor -- having eradicated most of the necessary space to do so. Now along comes Jahlil Okafor, the Duke freshman phenom out of Chicago's Whitney High School who is supposed to revive the back-to-the-basket big. 在现今的NBA，传统的大个子屈指可数，有些人会跟你说不再有人知道如何打低位了，但 事实是你几乎无法再打低位了，联盟在2004-05球季更改了防守规则，允许单边区域联防 ，那消灭了低位单打所需要的空间。而现在冒出了Jahlil Okafor，这位优异的Duke大学 新人从芝加哥的Whitney高中毕业，被人们期待是复苏低位单打的救星。 It is 2013. Saunders has since returned to Minnesota as part owner and team president, and he's rebuilding the Wolves on the fly. He'll hire Milt Newton as the general manager soon to help out with front office dealings. In a year, he'll become the coach once again. In a 2014 three-team deal, he'll trade Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a package that includes No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins, who will go on to win Rookie of the Year. On paper, the Timberwolves suddenly have a promising young core. Zach LaVine has more bounce than a trampoline. Shabazz Muhammad is a bully at the wing. Gorgui Dieng could be a double-double machine who protects the rim. 时间来到2013年，Saunders回到了明尼苏达，成为了灰狼队的部分持有人以及篮球事务总 裁，他开始着手重建灰狼队。他雇用Milt Newton作为球队总经理来协助管理层的决策。 他也在一年内回任教头。在2014年的三方交易中，他交易Kevin Love到克里夫兰骑士队， 换来了当年的状元Andrew Wiggins，後者接着夺取了年度最佳新人奖项。灰狼队突然间有 了让人感到希望的年轻核心，Zach LaVine比一般人踩着弹簧垫还要会跳，Shabazz Muhammad是侧翼上的恶霸，Gorgui Dieng可以作为一位能够护框的双十机器。 Mired in more than a decade of ineptitude, the Wolves haven't made the playoffs since 2004, when Garnett and Saunders led them to the conference finals. This latest rebuild has to work. This is the reason Saunders and Garnett, now the aging veteran, have returned. To finish what they started. 因为超过十年连续的操作失败，灰狼队从2004年起就没进过季後赛，那一年Garnett和 Saunders率领狼群打进了西区决赛。因此重建是必须进行的，这也是Saunders和Garnett 在上了年纪後还回归的原因，要让球队重返季後赛。 But they need one more piece to really start bringing it together. Saunders likes Okafor, who is in the process of leading Mike Krzyzewski to a fifth national championship. He compares him to Tim Duncan. Believes he can change a franchise. Make post-play cool again. The Wolves, after a brutal 16-win season, have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick, but given their cursed draft history, that only means they have a 75 percent chance of not landing it. 但他们还需要一块拼图把事情都组合起来。Saunders喜欢Okafor，後者在Mike Krzyzewski教练的执教下，带领Duke大学夺取第五次的NCAA冠军盃。Saunders把他比做了 Tim Duncan，相信他会改变整个球队，让低位单打再次盛行。灰狼队在这惨烈的16胜球季 後，有了最佳的机率夺得状元签，但是考量到他们过去悲惨的乐透历史，更该意会到他们 有75%的机率抽不到状元签。 Flash to May 19, 2015. Glen Taylor and his wife Becky are representing the Wolves at the draft's lottery in New York City. Saunders and his crew are back at the Target Center watching on television, awaiting their fate. The No. 4 pick goes to the New York Knicks. "Give me one more [spot]," Saunders says to the television. "I won't be greedy." 时间快转到2015年5月19日，Glen Taylor和他的老婆Becky代表灰狼队在纽约市参与乐透 抽签大会，而Saunders和他的工作夥伴则待在Target Center看着电视，等待着决定他们 命运的一刻。电视正在宣布四号签属於 -- 纽约尼克队。「让我再上升一个顺位就好，」 Saunders对着电视说。「我不会太贪心的。」 The room cheers as the Philadelphia 76ers are announced as the No. 3 pick. 接着电视宣布探花签属於 -- 费城七六人队，房间里传出了欢笑声。 "Give me one more!" Saunders exclaims. "I'm selfish! I'm selfish right now! Just give me one more!" 「再让我上升一个顺位！」Saunders喊叫。「我很自私！我现在很自私！就让我多上升一 个顺位吧！」 Out of the envelope in commissioner Adam Silver's hand emerges ... a Los Angeles Lakers logo. The room completely erupts as reality sets in: the Wolves will have the top pick in the 2015 draft. Everyone is high-fiving and cheering like kids, jumping around with their arms above their heads. "Wow" comes out of nearly every person's mouth. Nobody can believe it. For months Saunders has been unraveling scenarios in his mind, how he could fashion an entire scheme around the kid who will play Lazarus to the post game. Now Okafor is theirs for the taking. 接着NBA官方主持人将白板打开，那是一个 -- 洛杉矶湖人队的图样。整个房间都陷入了 疯狂，灰狼队将会拿到2015年NBA选秀会上的状元签。每个人都在击掌、笑的像小孩子一 样，手臂举起来跳来跳去，每个人都在叫着「Wow」，没人相信它是真的。几个月来 Saunders已经在脑海中设想了许多计画，关於他如何塑造一整套的体系来围绕在那个会让 低位单打起死回生的孩子身上。现在，Okafor是他们的了。[注] 注：当时球队的兴奋状态可参考： https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHLRD_w6cPo Meanwhile, the hype around another big man, this one out of Kentucky, is starting to heat up. 与此同时，另一个来自Kentucky的大个子开始被媒体吹捧，并逐渐火热了起来。 *** "I guess I'm in search of the perfect game," Karl-Anthony Towns says. 「我只是试着让比赛完美。」Karl-Anthony Towns说道。 We are sitting in a hotel lobby in Salt Lake City, a light piano tune playing to soothe the weary traveler, and I've asked Towns if he's ever able to take a step back and realize his rookie season puts him in the company of Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan -- and that's it. Nobody else. Towns shrugs off the suggestion. He doesn't celebrate himself. He's been quoted as saying it's hard for him to even admit when he's had a good game. He's never satisfied. 我们坐在盐湖城某家饭店的大厅中，轻柔的钢琴声抚慰着疲劳的旅人们，而我问Towns是 否有留意到他杰出的新人球季是比肩於Shaquille O'Neal和Tim Duncan两位名人堂级球员 的？Towns耸耸肩表示对他而言他甚至都不觉得自己有打好过一场比赛，他从来没有满意 过。 Shaq is part of the long history of the Wolves' poor lottery luck. In 1992 they had the best odds to land the No. 1 spot, something they'd never owned. Securing it would've meant O'Neal. Even the No. 2 pick would have meant Alonzo Mourning, who also would have gone a long way in expediting the growth of a cellar-dwelling franchise just a few years in existence. Shaq是灰狼队长年悲惨乐透运的一部分，在1992年他们有最佳的机率夺得队史首次状元签 ，而那基本上就是代表着Shaquille O'neal。即使是榜眼签也可以选到Alonzo Mourning ，另一位名人堂级别的球员。 They ended up with the third pick. Christian Laettner. 然而他们最终只拿到了探花签，选中了Christian Laettner。 The next year the Wolves had the second-best odds behind the Dallas Mavericks at landing the No. 1 pick. That could have meant Chris Webber or Penny Hardaway. The Wolves ended up with the fifth pick, selecting Isaiah Rider. Even when things have broken their way, as they did in 2009 when they owned both the fifth and sixth picks, they've failed to take advantage. In what will go down as one of the all-time draft blunders, Minnesota used both its picks that year on point guards -- Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn -- and in doing so, passed not once, but twice, on Stephen Curry, who went seventh to the Golden State Warriors. 隔年，灰狼队有仅次於小牛队、第二高的机率取得状元签，那代表着Chris Webber或是 Penny Hardaway。但灰狼队最终只获得了5号签，选择了Isaiah Rider。而即使是像2009 年他们同时手握5号签、6号签，他们也没有好好利用，甚至可以说是选秀历史上最大的错 误之一，他们用这两个签去选了两个控球後卫 -- Ricky Rubio和Jonny Flynn -- 错过了 两次能够选到Stephen Curry的机会，後者被勇士以7号签选走。 But that one time, in 1995, everything broke right. Garnett fell to them at No. 5, and soon after a string of eight consecutive playoff appearances began. In KG, Saunders and McHale had found that rarest of combinations -- a Hall of Fame talent with a desperate work ethic and an almost psychotic competitive streak. He was obsessed with getting better. Miscues danced in his head far more than the highlights ever could. 但是在1995年，一切的一切都做对了。Garnett落到了他们的5号签中，开启了连续8年进 入季後赛的盛世。在KG身上，Saunders和McHale发现了极为稀有的混合体 -- 一个人具有 名人堂等级的天赋却极度勤奋训练又有着一个接近精神病的竞争心态。他极度渴望变的更 好，而相较於美好的片段，那些失利总是盘据在他心中。 In talking to Towns, you might as well be talking to a young KG. The previous time Towns was in Utah to face the Jazz, he scored 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, and he was ticked. The Wolves had lost by double digits. His frustration boiled over in the locker room after the game as he lamented the way he performed. Reporters that had gathered around him did double takes at their score sheets to make sure they were talking to the right guy. 跟Towns的谈话就好像在跟年轻的KG谈话一样，在客场对阵爵士队的比赛中，他17投13中拿 下了32分12篮板，但他赛後只是责备自己。那场比赛灰狼队输了超过10分，他在赛後的更 衣室中对自己的表现感到非常恼火，记者们围绕着他时还要再度确认一下比赛纪录表，确 定他们没有搞错人。 "I think the people closest to me understand I'm never satisfied," Towns says. "I can have games like I had in Utah and say I honestly felt I didn't play well. It's upsetting sometimes, but I think maybe when my career is over, I can look back and start appreciating a little more what I was able to accomplish and what I was blessed to do." 「我相信亲近我的人就会知道我对自己从来不满意，」Towns说。「就像在犹他的比赛， 我真的不觉得自己打的很好。有时候这确实是有点烦人，或许在我的职业生涯结束後，当 我回首过去时，才比较会对我达到的成就以及人们的称赞感到自豪吧。」 Looking back at his career when it's over is a long time away. By then, the trophies will have filled a case in his parents' house. He's not concerned with them. He's won Rookie of the Month every single month this year, but he doesn't have any of the awards. He likes that he won the Skills Competition in Toronto at All-Star weekend because he was the first big man to do it, but that's not something he's interested in displaying in his home. In a few weeks he'll be named Rookie of the Year, but he's not making room for that trophy either. Like all the others, that'll go to his family, too. 他要回首职业生涯还久的很，那时候他爸妈的房间大概摆满了胜利的战利品，他自己并不 是很在意这些东西。他拿下了本季所有的单月最佳新秀奖，但他并没有自己保留这些奖盃 。他很高兴在多伦多全明星赛赢得了技术挑战赛奖盃，但他并没有兴趣放在家里展示。再 过几周他就要拿下年度最佳新人奖，当然他也没有打算把奖盃放在家中，而这些都会被他 的家人收藏着。 The only thing Towns cares about is finding a way to win NBA championships. Everyone says this. It's the right thing to say. Towns means it. He's single-minded like that. Obsessed, even. He expected to make the playoffs this year, even with a team that won just 16 games the previous season. Towns唯一在意的是赢得NBA冠军盃，虽然每个人都这麽说，但Towns是真的很看重这件事 情，也视其为唯一目标，甚至可以说是着迷於这件事。他甚至期待这支去年16胜的队伍在 今年就可以进入季後赛。 "I came in expecting a lot," Towns admits. "I don't think statistically speaking we're going to be able to reach the goal that I had set for us, but we're making strides." 「我对球队的期望很深，」Towns承认。「能不能达到目标当然不是我说的算，但是我们 确实大有进步了。」 As he transitions to discussing those strides he and his teammates are making, his eyes get big. Towns is proud of the way the Wolves have moved toward finishing the year, how they've grown together, how they've turned another embarrassing campaign into one of grand optimism for the future. Usually they're in tank mode by this point in the season, but it wasn't long ago that they walked into Oracle Arena and knocked off the Warriors, something only two teams have managed to do this year. 当转移话题谈论到他与队友在这个赛季的进步时，他的眼睛睁的大大的，Towns对球队结 束时的状态感到骄傲，他们一起成长了，也将灰狼队从输家的角色转向一片光明的未来。 通常他们在球季後段会开启摆烂模式，但是他们这季倒吃甘蔗，还在赛季末於客场击败勇 士队，要知道本季只有两支球队能够在勇士主场击败他们。 To make that win less of a surprise and more the expectation, Towns knows the work that must be put in. If the Wolves practice at noon, Towns is there by 8:30, 8:45 a.m. at the latest. He eats breakfast, and goes to work, logging up to two workouts before practice starts. LaVine is the opposite -- a night owl working on his game into the wee hours. Between the two of them, the gym lights are practically always on. 那场胜利并不是侥幸获胜的，Towns知道要怎麽收获就要先怎麽栽。如果当天灰狼队是在 中午练习，Towns常常早上8:30以前就到了，最晚8:45会看到他。他吃完早餐就开始工作 ，在练习前先做好两次训练；LaVine则完全相反，他是个夜猫族，常常练到三更半夜。因 为他们俩人的关系，体育馆的灯几乎永远都是亮着的。 The standard Towns has established for himself necessitates this maniacal commitment. Per 100 possessions, he's scoring 28.6 points, grabbing 16.5 rebounds and blocking 2.7 shots. Three rookies have done that in NBA history: Towns, Shaq and Duncan. Throw in Towns' 3.1 assists per 100 possessions and Shaq is no longer in this group; it's just Duncan and Towns. Add in Towns' 1.1 steals per 100 possessions, and it's just him all alone since 1973-74, which is as far back as Basketball-Reference goes for this stuff. Towns所达成的数据标准需要发狂般的决心才能达到，在每100次进攻中，他可以得到28.6 分、抓下16.5个篮板、盖下2.7个火锅。在NBA历史上，只有三个新人能够达到这个标准： Towns、Shaq和Duncan。如果把Towns每100次进攻可以获得3.1次助攻放进去，Shaq就不在 这个群组中，只剩下Duncan和Towns。接着再把Towns每100次进攻可以拿到1.1次抄截放进 去，则自从1973-74球季後(Basketball-Reference的资料从这年开始统计)，他是唯一一 人达到这个标准的。 If straight per-game numbers are your thing, he's the 26th rookie to average 18 points and 10 rebounds. Filter it with his 54 percent from the field and it's back to just him, Shaq and Duncan. Swap out field goal percentage for true shooting percentage (59.1 percent) and it's just him and David Robinson. It's unfair, admittedly, to compare rookies with names like these. Too soon for expectations like that. But everything about Towns' rookie season forces you to think about greatness. 如果你想看的是每场比赛的数据，他是第26位可以每场拿下18分10篮板的新人，如果再考 量到命中率54%以上，那就只剩下他、Shaq和Duncan。把命中率拿掉，多加上真实命中率 (TS%)59.1%以上，则只剩下他和David Robinson。或许拿这些名人堂神兽来跟一个新人对 比不太公平，那太早加诸过多的期望压力在他身上，但是Towns在新人球季的所有表现逼 迫你去思考他的未来会有多伟大。 Yet he sees himself as the guy who has to work his tail off just to stay in the league. 然而他自认自己需要尽所有努力才能够勉强留在联盟中。 Perhaps the motivation comes from never having been on top. In his 2014 high school class, 247 Sports had Towns ranked second behind Emmanuel Mudiay. Rivals had Towns ranked fifth in his class behind Jahlil Okafor, Mudiay, Stanley Johnson and Cliff Alexander. ESPN had Towns ranked ninth overall and the third best center behind Okafor and Myles Turner. 或许动力来自於他从不被视为是最佳的，在2014年，247Sports网站将他排在全美高中生第 二名，第一名是Emmanuel Mudiay。其它网站将他排在第五，在Jahlil Okafor、Mudiay、 Stanley Johnson和Cliff Alexander後面。ESPN将他排在第九名，中锋位置上落後於 Okafor和Myles Turner。 "I've lived my whole life with a sense that I wasn't good enough," Towns says. "Every day I work out, even today, it feels like there's something I've got to prove to somebody. When I work out and I practice, I work out desperate. If I don't do well in this workout, I won't be playing in the NBA no more. I won't be playing this game of basketball no more." 「我一生都处於觉得自己不够好的状态，」Towns说。「我每天都做训练，即使是今天也 一样，因为我觉得我需要去证明自己。当我做训练和球队练习时，我习惯练到筋疲力尽， 我就是想着如果我没有在训练上做好，我就无法再存活於NBA，也无法再打篮球比赛。」 *** About a week before the draft, Okafor was in Minneapolis for a couple days. He saw the new practice facility, worked out for the team, and met everybody he needed to meet within the organization. When the Wolves found out they were picking No. 1, despite the fact that some in the organization had been scouting Towns pretty extensively and were hoping Saunders might reconsider, most assumed the draft process was a mere formality. For months, Okafor was Saunders' guy. 大约在选秀前一周，Okafor来了明尼亚波利斯几天，他参观了新的球场设施，也为球队做 了试训，和球队中的重要人士都见了面。在灰狼队抽到状元签後，虽然球队中的一些人对 Towns有了广泛的考察，也希望Saunders再考虑看看，但大多数人都认为选秀已经只剩下 形式，因为过去数个月来，Okafor早就是Saunders想要的那个人。 Something changed a few days later. Ricky Rubio was still in town during the period when the Wolves were working out draft prospects. He saw all the young guys coming through. Saw Towns. All of a sudden, it was pretty obvious to the Spanish point guard. 几天後，事情突然发生了改变。当球队正在试训新秀时，Ricky Rubio还待在明尼苏达。 他看了所有新秀的试训，包含了Towns，而突然间，对这位西班牙控卫而言，该选谁再明 确不过了。 "When I came here for the draft, and I saw the young guys working out, I only needed like two minutes to see that he was the guy," Rubio said about Towns on media day. 「当我为了帮忙考察新秀来到球馆时，我几乎只花了2分钟就确认了他就是我们需要的那 个人。」Rubio在媒体日时这样说Towns。 It maybe took Saunders a bit longer to come around, but not much. Much like with KG, before the workout was over, he knew Towns was the guy, too. For a man of his size and athleticism, Towns' skill set and motor were truly special. His attitude was infectious. His addiction to the game was fully evident. In an era of constant prospect comparison, the decision had little to do with anything Okafor may have done wrong in his workout. Towns simply shined brightest. 这可能花了Saunders比较多的时间去做确认，但并没有很久。非常类似於KG当年的状况， 在试训结束前，他也确认了Towns就是那个人。对於一个像他这样尺寸和运动力的球员来 说，Towns的技能和动力真的很特别，他的态度是有感染力的，他对比赛的投入是显而易 见的。Okafor并没有在试训中做了什麽错误的事情，而是相比之下，Towns所散发出的光 芒显然更明亮。 "[After my workout], I didn't know where I was going to get picked," Towns recalled. "I know [Flip] was impressed with my workout, but you never know how things happen." 「在试训後我并不知道我在第几顺位会被选上，」Towns回忆道。「我知道Flip对我试训 的表现印象深刻，但是你永远不知道会发生什麽事。」 Towns may not have known, but Saunders did. And this time he didn't have to trick his way into getting his guy. On June 25, 2015, the Wolves took Towns with the No. 1 overall pick. Garnett would be his mentor, if he could prove to Garnett that he was worth mentoring. And you better believe working with Garnett is a full-time job. Even with the way Towns loves to be in the gym, Garnett is another level of driven. Towns或许不知道会发生什麽事，但是Saunders知道。而这次他不需要使用欺敌战术来选 到他想要的人。在2015年6月25日，灰狼队以状元签选择了Karl-Anthony Towns。如果他 能够证明他有被教的价值，那麽Garnett很乐意作为他的导师。但你最好知道跟Garnett一 起工作是无时无刻的，即使是像Towns这麽喜爱待在体育馆，Garnett的驱策都是不同层级 的。 In a workout in Toronto before a preseason game against the Raptors, KG has Towns in school. He teaches him the sometimes-awkward art of establishing position. How to set up a flash to the middle. How to attack from certain spots on the floor. How to change that attack once you've established a mid-range jumper. He's using Wiggins and coaching intern Gary Trent as obstacles he'll have to navigate. 在一次季前热身赛在多伦多对战暴龙前的训练中，KG学校收下了Towns，他教了Towns如何 要位。如何攻占腰位、如何从球场上特定的位置发起攻势、在你有了中距离能力後，如何 改变攻击模式等等。他请Wiggins跟实习教练Gary Trent作为障碍物来实战演练。 KG moves toward Trent, who is "guarding" Wiggins but getting in the way of Towns. Garnett gets tangled up with Trent, before breaking free with a forceful but savvy shove. KG往Trent的方向移动，此时Trent正在防守Wiggins但妨碍了Towns的移动，KG与Trent纠 缠在一块，透过强而有力却精明的推挤制造出了空间。 "Throw that mother-------!" Garnett exclaims. He's teaching Towns to not hesitantly sneak through contact but to raise his arms and "play big." It's the classic KG move, initiating contact while raising his arms high and away from his defender in the process. It accomplishes a few things -- giving both a wide passing target to his teammate, and putting an even bigger target on the back of his opponent for the officials. These are the tricks of the trade, but they only go so far. There's something more to being great. 「把那该死的球投出去！」Garnett喊叫着。他告诉Towns不要犹豫着想要躲过对抗，要举 起他的手臂，勇於对抗。这就是个经典的KG动作，在高举手臂时与防守者接触并接着远离 防守者。这达到了一些目的 -- 让队友有一个宽阔的范围可以传球给你、也可以让裁判更 注意到防守者是否有犯规。这是一些小技巧，但这只是个开头，还有很多东西要学。 "You can't teach the beast," Garnett told Jackie MacMullan, regarding Towns. "It's either in you or it isn't. You can't just go to the store and buy a six-pack of beast. It don't work like that." 「你不能教人变成猛兽，」Garnett向Jackie MacMullan谈到Towns。「他就是存在或着不 存於你身上，你不可能去商店买个六罐装的猛兽饮料而期待变成猛兽，那是不可能的事情 。」 Towns, indeed, has proven to be worth mentoring. Towns，当然，证明了他是猛兽的料。 "It's big because he's been through so many years of this," Towns says of Garnett. "He's already a first ballot Hall of Famer. To [have access] to years and years of experience -- not just experience but Hall of Fame caliber experience -- is a blessing." 「他对我非常重要，因为他已经在联盟中强势了这麽久，」Towns谈到Garnett。「他已经 是个无异议的名人堂球员，有着丰富的比赛经验 -- 不只是经验，而是名人堂等级的经 验 -- 我真的很幸运。」 Garnett, it turns out, was one of the guys who influenced Towns when he was coming up. But Len Bias is his favorite player of all-time. He owns a Bias Maryland jersey, one of the few he possesses. While he wasn't born until nearly 10 years after Bias' sudden death, the magic of YouTube helped Towns grow a fondness for him. As he got older, he started to look to Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon and "old school" Tim Duncan. Garnett是Towns来到灰狼队後，影响他很大的其中一个人，但是Len Bias才是他最喜欢的 球员。在他少少的几件球衣中，就有一件是Bias在Maryland大学的球衣。虽然Towns是在 Bias离奇的死亡後[注]快10年才出生，但是透过神奇的Youtube，他得以一窥这位天才球员 的身手。随着年龄渐长，他才开始观看Patrick Ewing、Hakeem Olajuwon和Tim Duncan。 注：根据Wiki，Len Bias在1963年出生，可说是天才型球员，他拥有良好的跳跃力和体型 以及爆发力，在大学时代哩，他几乎一个人打对方全队，因而得到两届ACC最佳球员。 许多教练都认为Bias是他们执教以来碰过最难对付的球员。说他是最接近Michael Jordan的人一点也不为过。在1986年，赛尔蒂克用榜眼签选了他，但他於第二天被发 现已死亡，震惊篮坛，原因是他吸毒过量，得年22岁。 https://goo.gl/g9yNBs The only guard Towns really looked to was Magic Johnson. His dream was to be a combination of Bias and Magic because of the explosiveness he wanted and the passing game he admired, but in reality, he was a big man from the start. Not one of those late bloomers, Towns was 6-foot-10 his freshman year in high school, and if growing up some big kids are prone to hide their awkward size -- at least until they start dominating in sports -- KG is quick to point out that doing so won't do you any favors in the NBA. Sneaking through a door isn't the same as busting through the door and convincing the ref it was someone else's fault. 他唯一观看的後卫是Magic Johnson，而他梦想成为Bias与Magic的混合体，他崇拜前者的 爆发力以及後者出神入化的传球。但事实上，他从小就是个大个子了，他不是那种发育晚 的小孩，在高一的时候他就有6尺10寸了，而如果大个子想要隐藏他们的身形 -- 直到他 们开始称霸球场後 -- KG马上说那不会给你在NBA带来任何帮助。默默不被人注意跟打破 刻板印象证明是其他人看走眼了这是两回事。 "Man, when you're a rookie you need everything," said Wolves coach Sam Mitchell, who mentored KG in his playing days. "Have you ever seen a rookie come into this league and have a complete game? KG was no different. Only difference is he had a high basketball IQ so he picked up things really simple and easy. The thing we found amazing about him is if you show him something one time, he generally got it. You didn't have to go over and over and over. 「哥们，当你是个新秀，你什麽都得学。」灰狼队教练Sam Mitchell说道，他在KG刚入联 盟时就指导他打球。「没有新秀在刚进入联盟就可以表现的完美无瑕，KG也不例外。与其 它新秀的差别在於Towns有着很高的篮球智商，所以他学事情很容易也很快速，常常教他 一次他就学会了，不需要反覆的一直讲一直讲。」 "He wanted to win at everything," Mitchell continued. "Any time you have a guy that wants to win at every sprint, wants to win in every scrimmage, wants to win every drill, anything we do competitive, he didn't want to win; he had to win. That's the difference. You've got a lot of people who want to win." 「他想要赢下全部，」Mitchell继续说。「当你有个球员想要赢下每一次的短跑冲刺、每 一次的争球、每一次的训练，那麽我们就会有竞争力。他不只是想要赢，他是要求自己要 赢。这是不同的，想要赢的人太多了。」 Towns has never seen this Garnett interview with John Thompson back in 2005, when the Timberwolves were starting to crumble after those eight straight playoff appearances. And yet, he parrots so much of it. Wanting to play every game. Obsessive about losing. Excuses don't live in Towns' brain. Towns从来没有看过Garnett跟John Thompson在2005年的访谈[注]，当年灰狼队在连续八 季打入季後赛後陷入了麻烦，没有进入季後赛。但是他的表现就跟KG当年一样，想要打好 每一场比赛，痛恨任何的失利，任何藉口都不许存在於Towns身上。 注：2005年灰狼队陷入挣扎没有进入季後赛，KG在John Thompson的访谈中痛哭失声： https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpAv_ao7rBs "I've never believed in the excuse, 'He's too young,'" Towns says. "You've just got to do it. We chose to be in the NBA. We chose when to leave college. We chose that we were ready to play this game at the highest level." 「我从不相信藉口这回事，像是『他太年轻了，』」Towns说。「你就是必须把他做好。 是我们自己选择进入NBA、选择离开大学，那麽我们就该准备好在这最高等级的联盟打好 比赛。」 A recent loss to the Phoenix Suns in which Mirza Teletovic hit the winning shot over Towns still keeps him up at night. There are stories about how upset he was in the locker room after that game. He still racks his brain with how he could've played it differently. 在球季末一场输给太阳的比赛中，Mirza Teletovic在Towns面前投进绝杀球，而那一球至 今仍然会让Towns晚上睡不着觉。那场赛後有几篇报导，关於他是在更衣室中如何懊恼、 沮丧的故事，他总是在想着他该怎麽做才可以让比赛有不一样的结果。 "I don't like to lose in anything," Towns says. "When he hit a shot like that on me -- it was a great shot, it was an amazing shot by him -- but when the game is on the line, you make him miss that shot." 「我不喜欢输球的感觉，」Towns说。「当他就这样在我面前投进那球 -- 当然那是一个 非常棒的投篮 -- 但是不该是在我面前投进的。」 The pace of an NBA season, as Towns adapts to the grind of it all, is tough to figure out. He's restless by nature. He credits the coaching staff for forcing him to not come in some days. To get that crucial rest. But he can hardly stand it. NBA的球季步调快速，Towns需要花非常大的力气去适应，但他天性不喜欢休息，他感谢教 练有时候会强迫他坐板凳休息，虽然他总是忍不住想上场。 "I don't like to rest," admits Towns, who dribbles a ball while he plays Xbox. "I can't sit down too long without touching a basketball. I get like the addict where you take something away from me and I need it." 「我不喜欢休息，」Towns承认，他习惯在玩X-box时也要一边运球。「我不能长时间不碰 篮球，感觉像是得了篮球成瘾症了。」 Flip's vision, when he had to pivot the direction of the franchise from a playoff hopeful to yet another rebuild for the Wolves, was to grab two or three stars in some way. Considering there isn't a South Beach near downtown Minneapolis, most likely he'd have to go through the draft or via trade. Getting Wiggins was the first step. Twenty years after they got KG, having Towns fall into the franchise's lap was the stroke of lottery luck they desperately needed. 当球队从有机会进入季後赛转向到重建状态时，Flip的蓝图是透过某些方式想办法取得两 到三个明星球员。考量到市中心明尼亚波利斯并不像迈阿密有南滩，他最好的方式会是从选 秀或交易中来达成目的。拿到Wiggins是第一步，而在选到KG的20年後，能够幸运的抽中状 元签、选到Towns则是他们迫切需要的。 Unfortunately and tragically, Saunders lost his life while battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma right before Towns' rookie season officially began. But even in the short amount of time they interacted, Saunders left an impression on the rookie. He left an impression on everyone. Towns still has a message that Flip left him on his phone. Saunders was excited about what he had in Towns. What he was close to starting to finish in Minnesota. 不幸的是，Saunders因为淋巴癌而驾鹤西归，那时Towns的新人球季甚至都还没开始。但 即使他们只有短短几个月的相处，Saunders已经在这位新人心中留下了深深的烙印。他总 是在每个人心中留下深刻的印象，而Towns还留着Flip给他的一个讯息在手机中。 Saunders对於Towns有着深深的期望，甚至开始想像他会在明尼苏达退役了。 "He was proud of me, the way I was progressing at summer league," Towns recalls. "We actually talked a lot about me getting better not for me, but getting better for the team. 「他对我在夏季联盟的进步感到骄傲，」Towns回忆道。「我们谈了很多，要为了球队更 好，而不是为了我自己。」 "And I stress that a lot, whatever steps I have to take to help us be the team that [Flip] and I had private conversations about being. Whatever I have to sacrifice, I [have to be] willing to do. We had conversations about that all the time." 「我很看重那句话，脑海中萦绕着该如何让球队如同我们私下谈论的那般进展，我很乐意 做任何牺牲奉献，而我们总是彼此讨论着这件事情。」 Despite Flip's passing, and in so many ways in honor of it, the vision lives on. His son Ryan is an assistant and one of the more respected developmental coaches around. Fittingly, Garnett is back to usher it all in. And all the while, Towns is eager to get back to work. His bond with Wiggins, LaVine and the rest of the core runs deep. He knows they're getting closer every day to where Flip saw them going. He doesn't want to screw it up. 虽然Flip逝世了，但他的蓝图持续的影响着球队。他的儿子Ryan是助理教练，是个受人敬 重、成长中的教练。Garnett适时的回来，让一切事务在轨道中正常运行。而Towns积极的 想把工作做好，他与Wiggins、LaVine及其他核心队友有着深厚的情谊。他知道他们正如 Flip期望中的依靠彼此，不想把这一切搞砸。 "I think we've just built something so special," Towns says. "We're never going to have this experience again, so we have to take advantage of it." 「我认为我们建立起了特别的效应，」Towns说。「我们不会再有这样的机会了，所以一 定要好好把握它。」 --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc), 来自: 36.231.192.221 ※ 文章网址: https://webptt.com/cn.aspx?n=bbs/Timberwolves/M.1462030602.A.F4C.html ※ 编辑: ymhon (36.231.192.221), 04/30/2016 23:44:21