海說＿

Global joke: Jeremy Lin benching proves Kevin McHale doesn’t respect Rockets difference maker

作者：CHRIS BALDWIN

作者非常憤怒、諷刺，於我心中起陣陣共鳴

 

Kevin McHale seemingly cannot help himself. The Houston Rockets coach will show how little he thinks of Jeremy Lin every opportunity he gets.

Kevin McHale 看來是無法控制他自已。這個休士頓火箭隊的總教頭，只要一有機會，就會展示他把林書豪想的多麼無用。

 

The latest is McHale’s benching of Lin in Manila for the first leg of the Rockets Asia trip and his commitment to a new ridiculous routine of rotating Lin and the unexceptional Patrick Beverley as point guard starters throughout the rest of the preseason. It’s like McHale is forever fixated on trying to put Jeremy Lin in his place rather than embracing a playmaker with the ability to help Dwight Howard and James Harden win a championship.

最新消息是，McHale在火箭亞洲之旅的第一步，就讓林書豪坐替補板凳，以及McHale承諾在接下來的熱身賽，會有個輪流讓林書豪和沒什麼特別的Patrick Beverley作為首發控衛的新的、荒謬的流程。就像是McHale永遠念念不忘地試圖把林放在他想要的位子，而不是去接納一個有能力幫助霍華德和哈登拿下冠軍的主控球員。

 

Sure, I’ll start you in Taipei where you’re a rock star, but only after making my point in Manila.

當然，我會讓你在台北首發，因為在這裡你是搖滾明星，但惟有在馬尼拉一戰先印證了我的想法。

 

The New York Knicks would never treat Raymond Felton — a far inferior point guard to Lin — this way. Heck, the Charlotte Bobcats would hesitate to mess with a shaky Kemba Walker like this.

紐約尼克隊永遠不會對待Raymond Felton如此，他還是個遠比林書豪遜的控衛。見鬼，就是夏洛特山貓隊，想要像那樣搞砸搖搖欲墜的Kemba Walker 也會猶豫。

 

But anything goes with Jeremy Lin — no slight is out of the question. So he’s suddenly pulled as a starter for the second preseason game of his second season with the Rockets and told to embrace coming off the bench as an interesting lineup change.

但是任何有關林書豪的事——沒有怠慢就無從談起。所以他突然從首發位子上被拉下來，在他與火箭的第二個賽季的第二場熱身賽，還被說要接受替補位子是很有趣的陣容改變。

 

No matter what you think of Lin’s game, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t proven worthy of being an NBA starter. This isn’t Tim Tebow. Lin’s first full NBA season averages of 13.4 points, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game — despite fluctuating minutes — are more than representative of a good NBA starter.

不論對林的球賽是怎麼想的，你很難去主張說他還沒證明自己是個有價值的NBA首發。這不是Tim Tebow。林的第一個完整NBA賽季平均13.4分、6.1個助攻、1.6個抄截—還在他上場時間不斷變動的情況下—這已經超越了好的NBA先發該有的樣子。

 

Here’s a news flash for McHale: The Rockets didn’t sign Chris Paul in the offseason. There’s no reason to try and marginalize Lin like Omer Asik.

這裡有個新聞要亮給McHale看：火箭隊並沒有在休賽季簽下Chris Paul。沒有任何理由去試圖以及邊緣化林書豪像對阿西克那樣。

 

It’s not just disrespectful to a young player the Rockets are supposedly committed to, it’s also stupid for the team.

這不只是對一個——原本火箭理應要承諾的——年輕球員的不尊重，這對整個隊伍來說也是愚蠢的事。

 

McHale may justifiably love the idea of a great, game-altering sixth man. After all, the Rockets coach was one of the best sixth men in NBA history early in his own playing career. But McHale might want to remind himself that he’s not coaching the 1980 Celtics.

McHale喜愛一個優秀、左右比賽的第六人的想法是情有可原的。畢竟，火箭教頭在他自己早期的球員事業中，就曾經是NBA歷史上最佳的第六人之一。但是McHale可能需要提醒自己，他並不是在執教1980年代的塞爾提克隊。

 

These 2013-14 Rockets need Lin on the floor for the start of games — and as much as possible. The offense simply runs better when the ball passes through his hands. The transcendent talents of Harden and Howard shine through more when the basketball is moving.

這個2013-14的火箭隊伍需要林以先發站在球場上—越多越好。當球從他手中傳出，進攻方面，很簡單明瞭地，就是運行的比較好。哈登和霍華德的卓越才能在球的移動中才會更加閃耀。

 

And please, let’s not cite the Rockets jumping to a 12-0 lead over a sleeping Indiana Pacers team with Beverley as the starter in Manila as any sort of evidence that the offense is sure to be potent without Lin. The Pacers are already an elite NBA team — one with little to prove in an ultra early October preseason game. Roy Hibbert and the Pacers barely seemed aware a game was going on.

還有拜託，不要引用「在馬尼拉時火箭以Beverley作為先發、對抗睡著的印地安納溜馬隊的12比0領先」為任何一種「進攻是確定強而有力、不需要林」的證據。溜馬隊已經是NBA頂級隊伍，一個不需要在多餘的、十月初期熱身賽中證明自己的隊伍。幾乎看不出來Roy Hibbert和溜馬隊他們有意識到一個比賽在進行中。

 

Lin plays well coming off the bench against Indiana, getting into the lane again and again. But he also played well as the starter in the preseason opener.

林打替補對抗印地安納打得非常好，一次又一次地衝進禁區。但他在首場熱身賽的先發位子上，也同樣打得很好。

He’s clearly worked on his game — and it shows. He’ll be a better shooter this season, a better passer and an even more confident player.

很清楚他有在磨鍊他的比賽——而且展現出來了。這個賽季，他會成為更好的射手、更好的傳球者、和甚至是更自己的球員。

 

Doubting Lin

質疑林書豪

Yo-yoing around his starting role only threatens to erode some of Lin’s confidence. It’s hard to see what the real-end game goal is here for McHale and the Rockets. Do they really think Patrick Beverley is a transformative player?

把它的先發角色像溜溜球般擺盪來去，只可能會腐蝕林的部份信心。實在看不明白，對McHale和火箭來說，到底什麼才是真正的遊戲結尾目標？他們真的認為Patrick Beverley是個轉型的球員？

 

You know it’s a messed up week in Houston sports when Texans coach Gary Kubiak refuses to bench a faltering, panicky Matt Schaub and McHale refuses to start an improving, renewed Jeremy Lin.

你知道對休士頓體育來說這是個搞砸週，德州教練Gary Kubiak拒絕讓躊躇猶豫、恐懼的Matt Schaub去坐板凳，然後McHale 拒絕去先發一個不斷進步、煥然一新的林書豪。

 

For all their public protestations and supportive interviews, it’s becoming harder and harder to buy the notion that McHale and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey really want Jeremy Lin in Houston. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander is the one who hung up on Morey after watching Lin hit that game winner in Toronto during the heights of Linsanity. The owner’s anger is what drove this redo and free agent signing.

從所有公眾的抗議和支持的訪談看來，越來越難去相信McHale和火箭總經理Daryl Morey真的想要林待在休士頓。火箭的老闆Leslie Alexander就是那個—在林來瘋巔峰期、看了林拿下對抗多倫多暴龍那場勝利時—掛了Morey電話的人。驅使這一切重來和簽下自由球員的正是老闆的憤怒。

 

McHale and Morey? They’re still acting like the duo that cut Lin on Christmas Eve in the first place.

而McHale和Morey？他們仍然表現得像是：早些年在聖誕節前夕把林裁掉的雙人組。

 

Actions speak louder than words. Jeremy Lin suddenly has to fight for his starting spot. Yeah . . . that’s real belief.

行動勝於空談。林書豪突然間必須努力競爭自己的先發位置。是阿⋯⋯這才是真實的信念。

 

It’s hard to imagine Lin still in Houston after his NBA reasonable, three-year, $25 million contract expires after next season. The Rockets might be surprised when they later realize that their best chance at a championship during this Harden-Howard era walked right out the door with Lin. Unless Morey pulls off another miracle and lures Kyrie Irving to town, that’s exactly what figures to happen..

很難去想像，林在下個賽季後他合理、三年、2千5百萬合約屆滿、他還會待在休士頓。火箭會很驚訝，當他們晚些終於發現在這個哈登和霍華德時期，他們最好的冠軍機會卻隨著林書豪一同離去。除非Morey又拿出一個奇蹟、誘使Kyrie Irving來到這個城市，這完全就是接下來會發生的事。

 

These Rockets need a good, playmaking point guard to win really big. They happen to have one on their roster. If only they didn’t refuse to see it.

這些火箭需要一個好的、主控的控衛，才能贏得大。他們正好有一個這樣的人在名單裡。惟有，他們不拒絕去看見。