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The roller-coaster season ends, but the work is just beginning for OKC
by Royce Young ESPN staff Writer
https://goo.gl/MAaU3N

剛結束雲霄飛車般的賽季，但雷霆該做的事才剛剛開始
BY 雷霆ESPN隨隊記者Royce Young

HOUSTON -- Russell Westbrook has been eliminated from the playoffs seven times
, and the scene each time has been mostly the same. As the clock edges closer
to zero, Westbrook flings himself all over the court, running his tank so far
past empty that the gauge combusts, and he isn't much more than a puddle of
sweat and adrenaline.

這是Russ第七次在季後賽被淘汰,而每次被淘汰時的場景都是那麼地相似。在倒數計時器
漸漸接近零點時,Russ又一次在場上全力奔馳著,耗盡自己的燃料,將自己燃燒殆盡。

As he walked off the floor Tuesday, shirt untucked and head down after the
Thunder lost 105-99 and were eliminated in five games against the Rockets, he
found the tunnel before the final buzzer actually sounded, leaving as
Alex Abrines launched a half-court shot.

在今天比賽終了前,在Abrines投出那個半場投籃時,Russ拉出球衣低著頭步出球場。今天
雷霆以99-105敗給了火箭,在第一輪第五場被淘汰出局。

Westbrook's brilliant, historic season had its book closed, and its final
chapter was 47 points on 15-of-34 shooting, 5-of-18 from 3, 11 rebounds and
9 assists. He was sensational. He was also erratic. He was the complete
summation of Russell Westbrook, circa 2017.

Russ這個精彩、歷史級的賽季在今天闔上了書本,書上的最後一頁留下的是47分、34投
15中、三分線18投中5、11個籃板跟9個助攻。這就是16-17賽季Russ整年的總結。他很猛,
充滿驚奇,但他也一樣的那麼不穩定、不受控。

The Thunder leave Houston frustrated and disappointed, knowing they weren't
overwhelmed or overmatched by the Rockets. They were a handful of plays away
in three of the four losses in the series. But they also walked away knowing
that in a season full of doubt, unknowns and worry, they produced a successful
, stabilizing campaign that has set a foundation for them to build on. The
result was unsatisfying, but just as when they stood on July 4 following Kevin
Durant's announcement, staring at the prospect of the entire franchise being
burned to the ground with a complete teardown possible, there is a roadmap tha
t
exists.



Now, it's the same question Westbrook asked the front office in the moments
after Durant departed: What's next?

然後現在,我們又回到了那個Russ在得知KD離開後問管理層的那句話：接下來呢？

Thunder general manager Sam Presti repeatedly called the 2016-17 campaign a
"season of discovery."

雷霆總管Sam Presti一再重複地稱16-17賽季為一個“發現、探索的賽季"。

The Thunder roster was vastly different from the one they expected. On July 3
last summer, Presti envisioned Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter anchoring his
bench, with a potential starting five that featured Westbrook, Durant and
Al Horford, who was strongly considering OKC before he joined the Boston
Celtics as a free agent.



The supporting pieces were selected as specialists, with specific roles in min
d
to complement the stars.

隊上的綠葉因為他們每個人不同的作用,被挑選上去輔佐這些球星,進而完整這支球隊。

But Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors, paired with Horford's decision
to pass on a reunion with college coach Billy Donovan, left Westbrook operatin
g
as a solo artist.

但KD選擇去了勇士,Horford也決定不來跟他大學的教練Donovan一起打拼,讓Russ成了這支
隊上的孤星。

A once deep and potent roster suddenly became thin and one-dimensional. It was
instantly flawed, and while Donovan worked to reverse-engineer the team to fit
around Westbrook's strengths, much of that devolved into,
"Here you go, Russ. Do something."

一個曾經是充滿深度及潛力的球員名單突然變成一支單核、單薄的球隊。球隊很顯然地
出現了缺陷,而當雷霆教練Donovan試圖調整一切,把球隊的引擎從KD轉成Russ時,很大一部
份就像在告訴Russ,這支球隊是你的了,做點什麼吧。

The amount that Westbrook controlled the ball was historic, an off-the-charts
usage rate finishing at 42.5 percent, and the Thunder lived and died on his
clutch-time heroics. So much of the Thunder's season, not to mention their
future, hinged on internal development of their youth, and though there were
positives steps, Westbrook's domineering potentially stunted their growth.


這些球員的發展。

That's where most of their future rests, too. The Thunder planned for Durant
to re-sign, but their contingency was in place if he didn't, and it was in the
roster's upside and youth. The approach for most every team transitioning from
losing a franchise cornerstone to rebuilding is to acquire youth and assets.
The Thunder have one of the youngest rosters in the league, stacked with forme
r
lottery picks. They didn't need to blow anything up, because they already had
the parts they'd be seeking.



Presti might look cautious and overly calculated, with the perfectly parted
hair and expensive glasses, but few executives are as brash and bold as he is.
The Thunder will hunt trades to upgrade the team, and you can mark most of the
roster as available. But really, they are banking on where they've been
investing the past few years.


老實話,往年的任何一筆交易投資,他們都是像進行銀行交易般仔細權衡過。

Steven Adams, Alex Abrines, Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Jerami Grant, Kanter,
Domantas Sabonis and Doug McDermott are all under 25. While so much focus was
on Westbrook's surrounding help -- and whether it was any good -- it was often
forgotten that he was leading one of the youngest groups in the NBA. Those
pieces can be either part of the core that supports Westbrook or assets to dea
l
in the future.

Adams, Abrines, Oladipo, Roberson, Grant, Kanter, Sabonis和Mcdermott年紀都在25


The Grant trade from early in the season was a good example of Presti's
approach in restructuring. The Thunder had Ersan Ilyasova, a 29-year-old
stretch shooter on an expiring deal and a piece that would fit well around
Westbrook and probably make the Thunder better this season. But Presti moved
him for Grant, a 23-year-old, versatile, athletic freak on a cheap,
controllable contract.


天賦、好體能。而且他有張便宜可以操控的好約。

The Thunder develop players as well as any organization, and there's a lot of
confidence that Abrines and Sabonis will blossom into high-level role players
behind Westbrook. Behind the scenes, Westbrook is said to be very happy with
the players on the team and the outlook of the roster. Then again, he isn't th
e
type to complain and knock on the GM's door asking for help.

雷霆培養球員的能力不會輸給任何其他的球隊,他們也相信Abrines跟Sabonis會成長成Rus
s
身邊高等級的角色球員。在幕後,Russ對隊上的組成及前景非常滿意,而且他也不是那種會
去敲GM的門,告訴他我需要哪些幫助的球員。

As one source has repeated, Westbrook has never complained about players, this
year or in years past, and he prefers to stay out of most front-office
dealings.

一個消息來源指出,Russ在以前或今年都從來沒有抱怨過隊上任何的球員,他也不想參與討
論
大部分管理層預計的交易。

The Thunder have only one clear unknown about the existing roster: Roberson,
a restricted free agent this summer. After the team inked extensions with Adam
s
and Oladipo last October, Roberson and the Thunder couldn't find common ground
 Roberson has his limitations, but he is one of the elite defenders in the
league, and with some development and better understanding of his role as the
season went along -- the Thunder preached less shooting, more cutting and
driving -- the Thunder are intent on keeping him.

在這個夏天雷霆目前只有一個明確的未知數,受限制自由球員Andre Roberson。雷霆在去
年

隊中的發展及定位：投較少的籃,做更多的空切跟跑動,所以雷霆傾向於留下他。

There is one more question, and it's quietly their biggest of the offseason.
With the new collective bargaining agreement in place, Westbrook will be
eligible for another extension as the team's designated player.

不過另外還有個問題,這也可能是檯面下雷霆會面臨到最大的問題。在新的協議通過後,
Russ是另一個有資格去簽延長合約的球員。

After signing an extension last summer in the wake of Durant's departure,
Westbrook can sign another in the ballpark of $220 million over five years thi
s
summer. Westbrook is signed through the 2017-18 season, with a player option o
n
the following year, but the Thunder would obviously like to have a longer
commitment from their franchise player.



The expectation is that they will make the offer, but should Westbrook decline
, all that talk of stabilizing the franchise would get a little more wobbly,
and with only a year guaranteed, talk of trading him could spark again. It wil
l
certainly be alarming for the front office, especially after what it went
through with Durant.


再次空手而返。

>From anyone close to Westbrook or the Thunder, though, the perspective is that
the extension Westbrook signed last summer was a public display of commitment
to the franchise for the prime of his career. As the Thunder know all too well
, players can change their minds, but the expectation is that Westbrook is
committed to the Thunder for the foreseeable future. With the chance to become
a $40 million per year player and the highest paid in the NBA while loving the
franchise and its direction, Westbrook seems to have every reason to re-up
again.


還是有可能會改變他們的想法,不過仍然可以期望Russ在未來仍會留在雷霆打拼。在有機
會
成為年薪4千萬美元的聯盟最高薪球員下,Russ似乎擁有著所有重新跟雷霆簽約的理由。

But until there's ink on another contract, the Thunder will sweat it out.

不過一切都要等到約真的簽了,雷霆才能真的放心。

That's one of the reasons they made the deadline deal to add Taj Gibson, a
31-year-old unrestricted free agent likely to sign somewhere else. It was an
illustration of their effort to win this season and provide Westbrook a bit
more help.




Gibson is a good example of the kind of players who fit with Westbrook,
something the Thunder are keenly aware of. It takes a certain kind of player
to fit with Westbrook, both in mental makeup and physical tools, and the
Thunder are using this season to vet exactly what kind of players check those
boxes.

而Taj就是一個適合和Russ一起打球的球員,而雷霆也注意到了這一點。不管是在性格上還
是在球技上,雷霆花了這整個球季去檢視哪種球員適合跟Russ一起打球。

The Thunder have spent the season compiling data and film of Westbrook, and
they will not only try to reinforce the team with players who complement his
skill set but also work to develop his game to utilize his teammates better.
As assistant GM Troy Weaver said, the Thunder think Westbrook will be a much
better player next season because he spent this one figuring it all out.

雷霆已經花了這整個賽季為Russ打出一個電影般的賽季。而他們不只會用這些角色球員,
去
補充他的不足來增強這支球隊,而他們也會好好的教育Russ去提升他比賽的深度讓他的隊
友
們能更融入比賽。

Ask anyone within the organization if this season was a success, and they'll
sarcastically laugh off the question. To produce 47 wins and be competitive
in the playoffs after losing a star the caliber of Durant for nothing in retur
n
, to them, was an incredible achievement. This was the season of Westbrook and
his assault on history, but to the Thunder, it was one of resilience and
stability. Absorbing and enduring Durant's loss and winning only eight fewer
games is something the Thunder are quite proud of.


力,對這整支球隊來說,這絕對是個難以置信的成就。這個賽季可能代表了Russ和他對歷史
成
就的衝擊,但對雷霆對來說,這個賽季代表了穩定性及彈性。他們吸收並消化了KD留下的衝
擊,而且這之中僅僅少掉了8場勝利,這才是真正讓雷霆值得驕傲的。

This was Year 1 post-Durant. It carried a lot of grace and forgiveness as the
Thunder stumbled their way through. It was exciting and enthralling for the
team, but it's also over now.

這僅僅是後KD時代的第一年。這年在雷霆隊跛了好大一跤後迎來了很多的恩典及寬恕。這
年對這支球隊來說充滿著驚奇,不過,它已經結束了。

Year 2? That's when the true rebuilding phase begins, and along with it, the
pressure of climbing back to the top.

那第二年呢？雷霆隊將迎來真正的重建期,除此之外,還有那些希冀著能重回顛峰,開始慢
慢
加上身的壓力。

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心得：




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