Thebigger they are, the harder they fall. Or in the Lakers case, thebetter they are, the more opponents, pundits and haters want them tofall into the fiery pit of defeat.
越强大，就越不容易摔倒。而对湖人来说，他们越优秀，就会有越多的敌人和攻击者希望他们跌入万劫不复之渊。
It’sno secret — the Lakers are good. Championship good. And for everyprediction (see: Bill Simmons’ every hope) that the Ron Artestwill be the demise of a new Lakers dynasty, there is an even greaterprophecy come true in the oracle that is Kobe Bryant (see: BillSimmons’ hate). Though it’s true that this Lakers team begins, goesthrough and ends with #24, basketball is, after all, a team sport andas skilled and menacing as he is on the court, Kobe did not earn thatfourth ring alone.
湖人很强大，强大到足以赢得冠军——这不是什么秘密。可对每一个预测专家来说，罗恩阿泰斯特会是湖人新王朝的毁灭者。还有一个更重磅一定会成真的预言，是关于科比的。的确，尽管目前湖人的开始经过与结束都由24号一手包办，篮球毕竟还是项集体运动。就算科比有如此的技术和威胁力，那第四枚冠军戒指可也不是他一个人拿的。
Lakersdepth — that was what analysts last season claimed was the team’sgreatest strength. At Kobe’s side were a cast of teammates with variouslevels of experience who, like him, simply played (or had theopportunities to play) their part through the victorious end, and playit to the maximum of their physical and, most importantly, mentalstrength.
湖人的深度——这是上个赛季分析家们给湖人标的最强点。科比身边，有一票拥有各种类型风格和不同经验的队友。他们喜欢科比，单纯的（或者有机会）做出自己的贡献，拼尽所有身体上和更重要的精神上的能量，让球队走到胜利的终点。
Lastyear’s playoff performance for the younger “cast members,” however,left a lot to be desired and the previously heralded “BenchMob” (minusLamar, who basically played starter’s minutes last season when AndrewBynum was in foul trouble), fell under much, and well deserved,scrutiny for its relative lack of production in the title run.
去年的季后赛，年轻“配角”们的表演给人们留下了许多可寄希望的余地。之前所谓的“板凳匪徒”（除掉拉马尔，去年安猪陷入犯规麻烦导致他的上场时间和首发队员没什么区别），表现一泻千里。整个夺冠路上，他们所贡献的相较得到的，实在是太少了。
Now,every analyst and beat writer point to the LACK of depth on this Lakerssquad as over-rated and a liability to a team hoping to repeat aschampions. If there were ANY season to prove people wrong, this seasonwould be the closest so why not start now? The reserves certainly didtheir part to get the team the second best record in the NBA last year,and they filled in holes in the playoffs when necessary, but now thatthey have another year of experience behind them, the hopes andexpectations for their recovery and contribution to a back-to-backtitle should be, and are, much greater than ever.
现在，每一个专家又转又攻击湖人板凳被如何高估，深度如何缺乏了，他们说板凳会是湖人连冠路上的大弱项。如果可以用某个赛季的表现击碎所有批评，那么这个赛季是最方便便宜的。为什么不就从这个赛季开始呢？板凳在去年的赛季，当然对帮助球队拿下队史第二常规赛纪录贡献良多，他们也在季后赛需要的时候及时顶了上来。可现在，他们已经有了又一年的经验，对他们及时恢复的能力，和在背靠背比赛里贡献的希望和期望，会，也应该会变得更大更多。
Thepre-season was exciting and played out well for the reserves, but thereal season started and suddenly the bench — COLLECTIVELY — could onlyscore 7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists against an inexperiencedOklahoma City Thunder squad. There is, however, a potential forgreatness on this Lakers bench, glimmers of a BenchMob bounce-back seenin the last couple of games against Memphis and New Orleans.
季前赛是非常让人兴奋的，板凳表现非常出色。但真正的赛季开始时，板凳们突然间可以——有选择性的——在对阵毫无经验的俄克拉荷马雷霆队时仅仅拿下7分5板2助攻。再接着，我们又在对阵灰熊和新奥尔良时的比赛里看到这支湖人板凳的潜力，预见到板凳匪徒的强势回归。
Ararely used player like D.J. Mbenga and erratically played big man,Josh Powell, have been summoned early to fill in monstrous roles uponthe absence of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and they have taken fulladvantage of the faith that coaches and teammates have shown them.
很少有上场机会的姆本家大叔，和不定时打内线的鲍威尔被临时召集顶替缺阵的安猪和枷锁，而他们也好好利用了教练和队友对他们的信任。
D.J. blocks and rebounds like it’s a reflex.
D.J.疯狂的抢篮板，盖帽，就像那就是他的本能。
Josh Powell, as if the Lakers needed another weapon, has been shooting the threeball like he’s been doing it for years.
好像湖人还需要一件武器，鲍威尔跳了出来。他可是湖人很多年没有过了的优秀的空位投手。
LukeWalton may never be the first scoring option on a team, and he maynever be an All-Star, but his passing ability and acumen trumps anyweakness he may have. A decent shooter, he often finds opportunities toscore by merely out-hustling his opponent to a rebound.
卢克沃顿或许永远都不会是一支球队的第一进攻选择，或许永远也进不了全明星阵容，但是他的传球能力和篮球智商足以弥补他所有不足。他是个令人满意的射手，也经常仅仅通过灵巧的卡位篮板找到得分机会。
Witha productive summer league behind him, Adam Morrison’s shooting touchseems to have returned and he looks determined to show that his thirdoverall draft pick position was no fluke.
过了一个相当有成果的夏季联赛之后，亚当莫里森似乎已经找回自己的投篮节奏了，而且看上去，他已经做好准备证明自己的探花顺位可不是水来的。
Andthe guard rotation; Sasha, unfortunately playing behind Kobe andsometimes Shannon Brown, has spotted and shot successfully. His strokelooks more relaxed and determined.
至于后卫轮转阵容；虽然萨沙时常不幸的在科比之后，有时甚至是在香农布朗之后出场，但是他的投篮已经变得很有效率。他表现得更放松，也更坚定。
Shannonhas plays back-up lead guard but also looks comfortable as a two guardalongside Jordan Farmar. Shannon is that player off the bench who justcomes into the game ready to do any and everything necessary to win.
香农打替补后卫，可当他跟乔丹砝码打双后卫阵容的时候也表现得很舒服。香农就是那个刚从板凳上站起来上场就能立刻做出贡献的球员，而且他做的所有事情都是要获得胜利所必须的。
Witheveryone breathing down Derek Fisher’s neck about being old and slow(and of course we know he’s not close to being so), Jordan has lookednatural and more deliberate in running the offense and finding histeammates for scoring opportunities.
就当所有人都掐着老鱼的脖子，说他太老太慢（当然我们都知道他一点都没有），乔丹表现得更加自然的跑进攻战术，更加从容不迫的找到有得分机会的队友。
The Lakers, in a manner of speaking, are stacked.
这支湖人，不妨这么说，很好很强大。
Onpaper, analysts say, the Lakers are a formidable team — “the team tobeat,” some claim. But you don’t win Championships based on how greatyou look on a stat sheet. You win based on the skill, power andteamwork you play out on the court.
纸上谈兵，专家们都说湖人是支让人望而生畏的球队——有些人甚至说，他们是那支等待被击败的球队。但是，赢得冠军可不是靠你在数据表上显得多强大得来的。冠军，要靠在球场上的技术，力量和团队合作来赢得。
Thereserves on any team have numerous chances each season, each game tochoose their identity: be a liability or be an insurance policy. Withtheir eyes set on a back-to-back Championship, the BenchMob should haveambitions on latter.
任何一支球队的板凳在每一个赛季，每一场比赛都有无数的寄回来证明自己：到底是球队的包袱还是球队的财富。当湖人们的眼睛锁定连冠时，板凳匪徒们应该有足够的野心来证明，他们可是后者。
