詹皇需要爲騎士隊擔憂的原因
It may be early, but the issues rising to the surface in Cleveland's recent three-game skid could prove costly as the season rolls on.
這麼說或許尚早，但是隨着賽季不斷深入，騎士隊在三連敗期間展現的問題會令他們付出慘痛的代價。It was easy to get excited about the Cavaliers this season.
這個賽季的騎士隊不禁令人感到興奮。They brought in a band of big-name players to replace Kyrie Irving, including Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green, and Isaiah Thomas.
騎士隊招攬了很多名氣大的球員來彌補凱里-歐文留下的空缺。這其中包括了德維恩-韋德，傑-克勞德，德里克-羅斯，傑夫-格林以及以賽亞-托馬斯。
But the Cavs dropped their third straight game Sunday, losing 114-95 to the Knicks. They're 3-4 on the season, with the NBA's ninth-worst net rating.
但是騎士隊卻在週日以114-95敗給尼克斯，進而慘遭三連敗。騎士隊目前戰績爲3勝4負，他們的淨效率值排在聯盟倒數第九。Their bad start doesn't spell total doom, but the Cavaliers have inherent issues that will lead to another NBA Finals ouster, or possibly even an earlier demise.
騎士隊隊糟糕的開局並不會宣告他們的賽季已經失敗，但是騎士隊內在的問題會導致他們再次在總決賽上失利，甚至也可能會讓他們更早地在季後賽中出局。Let's look at the three biggest questions facing what was supposed to be the best team in the East yet again this season.
讓我們看三個要面臨的最大問題，什麼才應該是最好的隊伍在這個賽季的東部。Did the Defense Get Worse?
是騎士隊的實力變差了麼？Turns out getting older and slower doesn't make you better, especially on the defensive end.
事實證明，更老更慢的球員不能讓球隊深度提升，這在防守上尤其明顯。The Cavs are now allowing 109.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 27th in the league (worse than the Kings and Bulls).
騎士隊現在每100回合丟掉了109.8分，這個數據在聯盟中排名27位（比國王隊和公牛隊還要差）。Four players have also scored 30 points or more against the Cavaliers this season, including Kristaps Porzingis (32) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (34); no other team has allowed more than three ,per Basketball-Reference.
四名球員在這個賽季對陣騎士隊比賽中砍下了至少30分，這其中包括了克里斯塔普斯-波爾津吉斯（32分），小蒂姆-哈達威（34分）。根據籃球數據網，目前除了騎士沒有其他的球隊面臨了3人以上單場拿下至少30分的情況。In addition to some aging, potentially declining players on the roster, the same communication and effort problems that plagued their defense last season remain.
除了陣容老化的問題外，上賽季防守端的問題依舊存在，這包括現有球員狀態下滑以及球員間溝通不夠與努力不足的問題。“We're just not talking. We're not getting back in transition D. We're not pointing,” Kevin Love said Sunday. Cleveland opponents are getting transition points or early offense with ease, because the team isn't getting back into defensive stances quick enough.
凱文-樂福在週日失利後說道：“我們缺少交流，沒有及時的在轉換中退回到自己的防守位置，我們在場上亂作一團”。由於騎士隊無法及時地退防，騎士隊的對手可以很簡單地利用攻防轉換來得分。“It takes trust. It takes communication. It just takes a willingness to do it,” Wade said Sunday. “We have to all get better at all those things, and that's the only way we're gonna win ballgames.”
“我們需要更信任隊友，多溝通，必須通過主動去做這些事才能解決問題。”，韋德在週日失利後說道：“我們需要全方面的提高，只有這樣我們纔可以贏球。”。It has been only seven games, but you could already assemble a compilation of Cleveland transition defense lowlights. It's not just the half court, either.
雖然僅僅打了7場比賽，但是已經可以編輯出騎士隊糟糕的轉換防守的“集錦”。半場陣地戰防守上也有問題Love went on to say the Cavs' communication issues can be corrected with better effort, but that's not entirely true. The roster is fundamentally flawed.
樂福認爲當騎士隊員更努力地防守時，騎士的防守是可以解決的。然而這話並不完全正確，騎士的陣容中有根本上的缺陷。Despite the additions of Crowder and Green, they still have too many weak spots on defense. Wade and Rose haven't played consistently competitive defense for multiple seasons.
儘管補強了克勞德以及格林，騎士隊的陣容在防守端依舊有很多弱點，韋德和羅斯因爲諸多不便無法在防守端貢獻穩定的表現。Korver moves his legs as quickly as he can, but it's all for naught (even rookie Frank Ntilikina drove by him with ease Sunday).
科沃爾用自己最快的速度去防守，但這依舊惘然（週日的比賽中，連新秀尼利基納都可以輕鬆的過掉他）。Smith's spunk wore off last season. Thompson looks complacent (on Sunday, he finished with zero boards in 19 minutes).
史密斯在上賽季丟掉了他在防守端的專注，湯普森看起來很是志得意滿，缺乏鬥志（週日的比賽中，他在上場19分鐘的情況下搶到0個籃板）。LeBron hasn't played regular-season defense in years, and it's as if the rest of the roster follows his example.
勒布朗依舊很多年沒有在常規賽中認真防守了。目前看上去，全隊都在模仿他的做法。Veterans Jose Calderon (36 years old) and Channing Frye (34) aren't providing any answers, either. Neither are rookies Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic.
老將何塞-卡爾德隆（36歲）以及錢寧-弗萊（34歲）都無法幫助球隊解決問題。新秀斯蒂-奧斯曼 與安特-日日奇也無法幫出球隊排憂解難。The Little Guy, Isaiah Thomas, certainly won't help their defensive issues, whenever he ends up returning to the floor.
無論何時以賽亞-托馬斯付出，這個小後衛都肯定無法幫助球隊解決防守上的問題。The bottom line is that Cleveland is old, and plays like it.
現實情況是，騎士隊陣容老化嚴重，他們在場上的表現也證明了這一點。Even if the Cavs begin giving effort, it's hard to imagine that a backcourt featuring Wade, Rose, and Smith will be able to sustain that energy over a 48-minute game.
即便騎士隊的球員打得更努力，很難想像一個由韋德，羅斯以及史密斯組成的後場可以在48分鐘的比賽中維持他們的精力。The Cavaliers need Green and Crowder to be elite defenders, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and DeMar DeRozan blocking their path to another Finals.
騎士隊需要格林與克勞德成爲他們首席防守大閘，這纔會讓他們在重回總決賽的路上有足夠的能力應對如揚尼斯-阿德託昆博，約翰-沃爾，凱里-歐文，德馬爾-德羅贊等得分手。But they aren't getting high-level defense from either new addition now, and they won't going forward because neither player has that in him.
但是目前，這兩個補強都沒有打出一流的防守。由於這兩個人不再擁有一流的防守能力，騎士隊的問題無法通過這兩個人來解決。In Boston, Brad Stevens constantly had to motivate Green to give consistent effort, and it came only in spurts.
在波士頓，即便布拉德-史蒂文斯不斷激勵格林去努力打球，格林的努力程度也依舊是時有時無。Crowder's defense hasn't been the same ever since a sprained MCL in 2015. He's also had multiple sprained ankles over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons that sapped his lateral quickness.
克勞德在2015年遭受到內側副韌帶扭傷後變無法打出曾經的防守能力，他在15-16賽季和16-17賽季數次腳踝扭傷，這令他的橫向移動的速度退化。
He's still effective against forwards, but he's not the same player against most guards and quicker wings.
雖然他依舊能很有效地防守鋒線球員，但是他不再是擁有能防守後衛或速度絕倫的鋒線的能力。Crowder is the type of player who does better when he receives more minutes, but he's not getting them from Tyronn Lue.
克勞德是上場時間越多表現越好的類型，但是盧卻沒有爲他提供足夠多的上場時間。Crowder has played fewer than 22 minutes four times in seven games with Cleveland, after playing fewer than 22 minutes only twice in 169 games over the past two seasons and playoffs with the Celtics.
克勞德在騎士隊打過的7場比賽中有4場出場時間少於22分鐘，然而在他作爲凱爾特人隊隊員的兩個賽季中，他在常規賽和季後賽的比賽*河蟹*出場169次，僅僅有2次出場時間出場時間少於22分鐘。Can Tyronn Lue Build an Offense With His New Options?
泰龍-盧是否能爲他的新球員打造出一個新的進攻體系？Crowder isn't the only one struggling to adjust to a different role.
克勞德不是唯一一個掙扎於適應新定位的球員。Rose, Wade, Thompson, Shumpert, and Green are all playing a career-low minutes on a per-game basis.
羅斯，韋德，湯普森，香波特與格林的場均出場時間都是職業生涯新低。Love, Smith, and Korver are seeing near-career lows.
樂福，史密斯，科沃爾的場均上場時間接近他們的職業生涯最低點。Most of these players have found success in systems that were tailored to their strengths.
這些球員絕大多數都在爲自己專門打造的體系中成功過，但是現在他們需要在盧的體系中成爲角色球員。But they're now being asked to serve as ancillary options for Lue, whose lack of creativity in optimizing his other options in half-court sets isn't helping.
與此同時盧那缺乏創造性，無法百分百利用火力點的半場進攻體系令這些球員更難適應他們的新角色。There's a lot of “give the ball to LeBron and GTFO of the way,” which has made it tough for anyone else to get into a rhythm.
盧的體系中有很多“給詹姆斯球，之後都他媽地靠邊站”的打法，這種打法令很多球員丟掉他們自己的節奏。The Cavs are also not moving the ball as well as they did last season, partially because their spacing is suffocated by the lack of complementary playmakers.
騎士隊的轉移球能力較上個賽季比下降了，這是由於他們缺少互補的進攻型球員進而導致製造空間的能力大幅度退化。Their team needs spacing to shine offensively.
騎士隊的進攻需要在拉開空間的情況下才能打出一流的水平。As a result, it's difficult to come up with a five-man lineup that makes sense.
綜上所述，目前很難找出一個合理的5人先發陣容。When the Cavs' shooting-heavy lineups featuring Frye and Korver are on the court, they'll struggle to defend.
當騎士以弗萊，科沃爾爲首的射手陣容上場的時候，他們在防守端會遇到很多的問題。When their defensive-focused lineups featuring Thompson are out there, they struggle to score and space the floor.
當他們以湯普森爲首的防守陣容上場時，他們缺少拉開空間的能力進而無法得分。There are fewer driving lanes, which means worse ball movement.
突破的空間減小了，這令球的轉移變得少。Without the ball flying around, there are fewer open shots.
而隨着球的轉移的減少，空位出手也在減少。With fewer open shots, there are fewer makes.
隨着空位出手的減少，進球數也就更少。And with fewer makes, the opponent is able to force more transition offense down Cleveland's throat.
對手就有更多的機會用轉換進攻來致騎士於死地.The best five-man lineup for Cleveland would feature Love at center, LeBron and Crowder at forward, and Thomas and Smith in the backcourt.
騎士隊最佳的5人先發陣容是，樂福打中鋒，勒布朗和克勞德打鋒線，托馬斯和史密斯打後衛。Smith will need to get back on track shooting the 3. Thomas will need to get healthy.
史密斯需要恢復他的三分命中率，托馬斯需要從傷病中康復。So will Love, after his knee got dinged up this preseason.
因爲在季前賽中膝蓋受小傷，樂福也需要從傷病中康復。If the Cavaliers get a hot-shooting Crowder who plays with energy on defense, that lineup will be a force to be reckoned with.
如果克勞德能打出火熱的三分手感並在防守端打出能量，這個陣容將會令對手膽寒。But the same isn't true for other lineups.
然而其他的陣容卻不在這個級別上。They still lack anyone who can stop elite perimeter scorers.
其他的陣容中缺少能防守一流得分手的防守球員。Even if they get through the East, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be there waiting; or James Harden and Chris Paul; or Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George; or Kawhi Leonard.
即便騎士隊闖過了東部決賽，他們也會在總決賽場上遇到如史蒂芬-庫裏和克雷-湯普森，詹姆斯-哈登和克里斯-保羅，拉塞爾-威斯布魯克，卡梅羅-安東尼，保羅-喬治以及科懷-倫納德等頂級得分手。更多精彩內容請關注微信公衆號、新浪微博：籃球英文堂
