原文出處： http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/eliz_blog_061112.html -- It’s a different season, isn’t it? There’s a new ball, new rules, and many changes on this Pistons team. Last year at this time they were 7-0 and looking unbeatable on their way to an incredible 37-5 start. The early schedule was similar -- they went out west and swept at Sacramento, Phoenix and Portland. A week later, they won at Houston to go 8-0. It was then that TV analyst Scottie Pippin said, “I believe this Pistons team will win 70 games.” From that point onward, although the Pistons and their coaches tried to convince themselves and the rest of us that it wasn’t the case, winning 70 became a dangerous obsession. 這是個不一樣的球季了，不是嗎？聯盟採用了新球和新規則，就連活塞本身也有許多 的改變。去年這個時候他們是7勝0負，而且直到他們一路將開季戰績挺進至不可思議37勝5 敗前都看似無人能擋。季初的賽程其實很相似 -- 他們深入西區，而且橫掃了沙加緬度國 王、鳳凰城太陽和波特蘭拓荒者。一星期後，他們在休士頓擊敗火箭將戰績更新為8勝0負 。當時在電視上球評老皮說，"我相信這支活塞隊將會拿下70勝。"從那時起，儘管活塞和 教練們試圖讓他們自己和其餘的我們都相信70勝不會只是一個遙不可及的夢，但它卻不折 不扣地成了一個招致挫敗的迷思。 And as all of us amateur psychologists know, obsessions are not a good thing. 而且像我們這些業餘的心理學家都知道，迷思並不是什麼好事。 We all worried, for good reason last year, that the obsession to set regular season wins records would burn the Pistons in the end, and sadly, it did. The concern this year is that there will be adequate depth to go eight deep in the playoffs. So far, they are using 10 players with some regularity as opposed to only six or seven last season. Carlos Delfino is getting about 18 minutes a game and shooting better and Jason Maxiell is averaging about 15 minutes. Flip Murray, Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter comprise the rest of the top ten. 我們都很擔心，基於去年的經驗我們可以這樣推論，希望在例行賽改寫勝場數紀錄的 迷思在最後將會灼傷活塞，而且令人難過地，確實如此。今年活塞的主要課題是要將固定 上場球員數調整為8名，以期能在季後賽走得更遠。迄今，他們和去年每場比賽多半只使用 6到7名球員的情況相比，大致上都會派10名球員上場。C.Delfino一場比賽大概會分到18分 鐘左右，投射情況也比以往來得好，而J.Maxiell則可以爭到15分鐘左右。最後球隊第8、9 、10人則是F.Murray、袋鼠和獵人大叔。 An NBA season is a marathon, and the 2006 Pistons set that torrid early pace and faded at the end. Now, at 3-4, they are in a more realistic place than they were last year. Obviously, I’m not saying that 3-4 is better than 8-0, but in at least one way it is. At 3-4 they can treat the season as the marathon that it is, not as some breakneck race to beat all those fast start records. Last year they became victims of their own advanced development. They had a set lineup and while everybody else started out trying to find out what they might become, the Pistons were already in midseason form. 漫長的NBA球季就像是一場馬拉松，而'06年的活塞一開始大放光采卻在最後氣力放盡 敗走邁阿密。現在3勝4敗的戰績和去年相比已經比較接近現實的情況，很顯然地，我不是 說3勝4敗會比8勝0敗來得好，但至少在某方面是的。因為3勝4敗的戰績能讓他們把這個球 季當成一場馬拉松來看待，而不像那種一開始就要拼盡全力衝刺的短跑競賽。去年他們成 了自己更進一步成長的犧牲者，他們擁有一組固定的先發球員，當其他每支球隊都還在懵 懵懂懂地尋找自己的定位時，活塞的狀況已經像是球季過完一半了。 The schedule starts to work in their favor now, with five of the next six at home after just completing a stretch of five of six on the road. It’s good to see that they are patiently allowing themselves to integrate some new elements into the rotation and eventually come together in mind, spirit and physical performance. They showed that in LA the other night, playing zone defense for most of the game and frustrating the Lakers in a 14-point win. The Pistons weren’t in nearly such an experimental mood last year. 賽程開始變得對活塞有利了，結束了6場比賽有5場在客場出賽的艱困情況後，接下來6 場比賽會有5場在主場進行。很高興能看到他們可以很有耐心地讓一些新的成員融入球隊陣 容之中，而不管是身、心、靈各方面他們終將合為一體。他們前幾天在洛杉磯就有過這樣 的表現，比賽大部分的時間都嚴格執行區域防守，讓湖人以14分吞下本季第3敗。活塞去年 並沒有像這樣幾近實驗性的心態。 I had some concern before this season that a slow start by the Pistons coupled with a hot start by Chicago might create a Ben Wallace backlash. But thankfully it hasn’t happened. Pistons fans are too smart for that and Chicago is just 3-3 after their opening night, 42 point blowout of Miami. 季前我有些擔心，活塞會有一個跌跌撞撞的開季而芝加哥公牛可能會因為班蛙的加入 而變得勢不可擋，不過謝天謝地，這些事情都未成真。活塞的球迷很聰明，所以不會因為 活塞一開始表現不好就對他們失去信心。相反地，公牛在開幕戰以42分的差距狂勝上季冠 軍隊熱火後也只有3勝3敗，如此差強人意的戰績。 Come April, Flip Saunders will have some choices and the Pistons can make their playoff sprint with fresher minds and bodies. And that’s because, at this point at least, this regular season seems to be making a lot more sense than last year’s. 到四月時，老桑將會有一些不一樣的選擇，而活塞將會以他們更加年輕有勁的身心進 行季後賽的最後衝刺。而那就是為什麼，至少到目前為止，這個例行賽比起去年的似乎可 以給球隊更多的省思。 --

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