Lakers vs. Celtics? That Sounds Delicious
湖人VS凯尔特人
听起来很棒
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals ... again. This hasn't just happened before, it's the NBA equivalent of a cliche. This match-up might as well be the formulaic rom-com that keeps getting made time after time. These two teams have combined for more than half of the NBA titles that have ever been handed out. They've played each other for the honor 11 times. This will make 12. The level of success these franchises have had is obscene.
More than a few neutrals will be sad to see this match-up occur. People are tired of so much success being wrapped up in so few cities, especially if they are neutral only because their team of choice is no longer involved in the proceedings. But much as it might pain them to admit it, the truth is that this series is poised to remind you of why the formula exists in the first place. The teams involved might be a cliche, but they also happen to be the two teams capable of playing the highest level of basketball in the league, and they are both performing at their peak. I suppose one could make the case that this happens every year, but in this case it's special, and not just because the two teams involved have that history. The story-lines are nice, easy, and plentiful. But the story-lines can not compare to the basketball, which should be phenomenal. Why? Because in looking at the other team, these two teams might as well be staring into a mirror.
很多的中立人士都不希望看到这组对决发生。人们已经厌烦看到这么多的成就集中在这么少的城市里，尤其是那些因为自己的球队与这种成就毫无关系的中立人士。但就像他们不得不痛苦的承认那样，事实就是这轮系列赛会提醒你为什么等式存在于第一位。这次对碰也许是老生常谈，但他们刚好就是联盟里面有能力进行最高水平的篮球对抗的两支球队，而且都在各自的巅峰状态。我猜想有人能让这种情形每年都出现，但在现在的情况下它才是特别的，当然不仅仅因为他们之间的历史。故事情节是美好的、轻松和丰富的。但故事情节不能和篮球相比，篮球应该是非凡的。为什么？看看他们各自的球队，就好像在镜子里看自己一样。
Let's get one thing straight. In analyzing this series, the word "precedent" can be thrown out the window. 2008 means nothing. The Lakers are not even close to the same team that the Celtics so easily dispatched two years ago. For one, the entire team is made up of champions, instead of simply led by them. They are not missing two key contributors this time around (though Andrew Bynum is still limited). And instead of a flighty 3 pt threat who can't help but get torched by Paul Pierce, the Lakers now employ a defensive menace who has all the attributes to hold Pierce in check. Flightiness still included.
事先声明。分析这轮系列赛时，“先例”这个词可以扔掉了。2008年并不意味着什么。湖人根本就不是2年前凯尔特人轻松打发的同一支球队了。首先，整支球队由冠军球员组成，而不仅仅是被他们带领。这次他们不像2年前一样失去两个重要的成员（虽然安猪依旧有伤在身）。而且相比之前皮尔斯在3分线外的疯狂和无解，湖人现在拥有一个防守专家去专心致志的限制他。疯狂依旧。
The Celtics are different, too. Rajon Rondo has exploded into some sort of shape-shifter, providing his team whatever they need most. He can score, he can pass, he can board, and he's probably the best defensive point guard in the league. On a team with 3 hall of famers, he's clearly both the leader and the best player on the team. Of course, part of the reason he's clearly the best player on the team is because those big 3 players have fallen off. Ray Allen is still Ray Allen, one of the best shooters in the league, and unlike last time, he's not coming into this series in a major slump. He's shot 42% from 3 for the playoffs. But Ray-Ray hasn't been Jesus Shuttles worth in some time. Paul Pierce has struggled some in the playoffs, shooting only 43% so far. And Kevin Garnett, who was the key to the Celtics title team of 2008, is severely limited in comparison to the defensive titan he was two years ago. They also appear to be less capable of defending Kobe Bryant than they were two years ago. Tony Allen and 2010 Ray Allen/ Paul Pierce are a defensive downgrade from James Posey and 2008 Allen/Pierce.
当然凯尔特人也不一样了。郎多已经爆发成为了某种拼图，能提供球队任何他们最需要的东西。他能得分，能传球，能抢篮板，而其他或许是联盟里最好的控位防守球员。在一个拥有3位名人堂成员的球队里，郎多显然是队里的领袖和最好的球员。当然他能成为队内一哥的部分原因是3巨头的下滑。雷
阿伦依旧是雷
阿伦，联盟里最好的投手之一，而且不像上次，他这次没有带着大幅下滑的状态进入本次系列赛。他今季季后赛的3分球命中率达到了42%，但有时他不再神准。皮尔斯在季后赛里经常性的低迷，到目前为止他只有43%的命中率。而加内特，这位2008年总冠军的关键人物，现在也不像2年前那样有神一般的防守。他们显现出了对于2年前防守科比退步的地方，托尼
阿伦和2010年的雷阿伦/皮尔斯的防守相比詹姆斯
波西和2008年的雷/皮是一个降级。
You know what else can be thrown out the window? The regular season. Neither one of these teams even remotely resembles the team that went through the 82 game grind. In the regular season, the Celtics were pretty bad offensively, only scoring 107.7 PPP, good for 15th in the league. They were also very good, not great, defensively, clocking in at 103.8 PPP allowed. The Lakers were better, but not significantly so, in both categories. Head to head, they split the season series, with each team winning on the other's home court by one point. Kobe hit the game winner in Boston, and didn't play at all in Los Angeles. Seemingly advantage Lakers, but then we're already discussing how neither team is the same.
你知道还有什么可以抛开不谈的吗？常规赛。没有一支球队跟常规赛中苦熬了82场比赛的队伍有一点相似。在常规赛，凯尔特人的进攻非常糟糕，场均得分仅107.7，排在联盟的第15位，他们的防守挺好，但不伟大，场均对手得分只有103.8分。湖人稍微好点，但在这两点统计上并没有明显的优势。正面交手中，他们各自在对方的主场赢1分。科比在波士顿投中绝杀，但根本没有在洛杉矶出场。看上去湖人有优势，但我们还有没有讨论他们在季后赛怎么不一样呢。
In the playoffs? The Celtics have looked more impressive, only because the teams they faced were better, but they've done so by destroying teams with defense. They held the Miami Heat to less than 1 point per, and then took down favored Cleveland and Orlando by holding the 4th and 6th best offenses, respectively, to 1.03 PPP, a full 8 points per less than their season average.
在季后赛里，凯尔特人看上去更加让人印象深刻，不仅仅因为他们的对手都更好（相比湖人的对手），而且他们做到这一点是依靠于防守。他们让热火比常规赛场均得分少1分，而让常规赛蒂第4和第6好的恶进攻球队骑士和魔术的场均得分降低了1.03分，总得分共少了8分。
Of course, the Lakers don't get to control who they play, and the fact that their path to the Finals was less arduous than that of Boston doesn't make it less telling. And the Lakers have found postseason success by re-discovering the triangle and executing with more precision on offense than they have all season long. Only Phoenix performed better on offense over the course of the playoffs than the Lakers did, which means offensive juggernauts like the Magic, the Cavs, and the Nuggets failed to reach the same mark that the Lakers did. The Lakers defensive performance hasn't been as strong, but a big part of the reason why was running up against the best offense in the playoffs. Put it to you this way. The Lakers have the best offense the Celtics have faced. The Celtics have the best defense the Lakers have faced. In that way, it is much like 2008, but with one not so subtle difference: The Lakers don't exactly suck on the defensive end either anymore. The Western Conference Finals was not their finest hour, but this is a team that has displayed the ability to shut teams down when they need to for two straight years.
当然了，湖人没有必要去控制对手是谁。他们晋级总决赛的道路没有凯尔特人那么艰难，这个事实也使它们少了一些谈资。而且湖人在季后赛中重拾3角进攻并且进攻打得比整个赛季更加明确。只是太阳表现出了比湖人更好的季后赛进攻，这意味着进攻重型坦克如魔术，骑士和掘金都没能达到湖人的程度（意思是说湖人的进攻更好）。湖人的防守没有表现出这么强大过，很大部分原因是他们面对的是季后赛进攻最好的球队。这么跟你说吧，湖人是凯尔特人面对的最好的进攻球队，而凯尔特人是湖人面对的最好的防守球队。从这个角度来说，很像2008年，但还有这么一点微妙的区别：湖人不再单纯依靠进攻或防守。西部决赛不是他们最好的时刻，2年来，这支球队已经显示出在他们需要时能够封锁对手的能力。
So, if precedent can't really be considered, you just have to look at how the two teams match-up. Here's how they match-up: Evenly. Seriously, what kind of advantage can possibly exist? The Lakers usually win with overwhelming size, but the Celtics have the front line to match. Kendrick Perkins vs. (limited) Andrew Bynum? Pau Gasol vs. Kevin Garnett? Lamar Odom vs. Rasheed Wallace/Big Baby? Might as well put two 5 pound weights on a see saw and watch which way it tips. Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest? Clearly Pierce is the greater offensive threat, but Artest is also the greater defensive force. Kobe vs. Ray Allen? Clear advantage Lakers, but anymore clear than Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher is in the other direction?
既然，先例已经不能用作参考，你只好去看他们怎么对位。以下是对位的情况：客观地，严肃地说，有哪一种优势可能存在呢？
湖人通常依靠压倒性的高度取胜，但凯尔特人前场也有能对应的。帕金斯VS（受伤的）安猪，枷锁VS加内特，奥当VS华莱士/大宝贝？
这也许是55开的拉锯战吧，只能等着看谁能突围了。皮尔斯VS阿泰？显然皮尔斯是一个巨大的进攻威胁，但阿泰也是一个强大的防守力量。科比VS雷
阿伦？显然湖人有优势，但比郎多对位老鱼的优势要大多少呢？
Neither one of these teams has a deep bench, and neither one of these teams need to. If the Celtics go more than 8 deep, they are in trouble, or in garbage time. With the return of Sasha Vujacic (if he does in fact see time in the Finals, and after the Slovenian Civil War (h/t to Scott Howard from BSOTS), it's anybody's guess), the Lakers might go 9 deep, but it's really just LO and whichever two backup guards have curried PJ's favor at the moment.
他们没有一支球队有较深的板凳阵容，也没有一支球队需要。如果凯尔特人超过8人上场，他们就有麻烦了，或者是进入了垃圾时间。在沙沙回归之后，湖人也许会有9人上场，但也只是人数上的优势，现在两边的替补后卫都无法起到决定性作用。
And then there's the switch factor. These playoffs have proven that both teams have one. Rasheed Wallace spent the regular season playing so badly he was considered a locker room cancer. In the postseason, he's been much improved, and a key factor in some of their more unexpected victories. The Lakers match Wallace with Derek Fisher, persona non grata the entire regular season, legend of (in)tangible production in the postseason. The Celtics stopped playing defense for most of the season, and have been absolutely dominant in that area during the playoffs. The Lakers spent the entire year looking anemic on offense, only to look unstoppable now.
那现在就轮到了关键因素。这次季后赛证明了两支球队都有一个。华莱士整个常规赛表现糟糕，被认为是一个更衣室毒瘤，季后赛里，他改善了很多，是大多数他们出乎意料的胜利的关键因素。湖人这边匹配华莱士的是老鱼，整个常规赛的无名小卒，季后赛中的不朽传奇。凯尔特人赛季中大部分时间都没有好好防守，但季后赛里显然他们统治了防守。湖人一个赛季的进攻都显得无精打采，但现在看上去不可阻挡。
The Lakers have home court advantage, which is a plus. They thought Boston's HCA was a big factor in determining who won the 2008 Finals. But don't tell Boston that it matters. They've had no problem wrestling that HCA away from two fine teams in Cleveland and Orlando. They won 2 road games in both series.
湖人拥有主场优势，这是个有利因素。他们认为凯尔特人的主场优势是2008年他们获得总冠军的一个关键因素。但不要告诉凯尔特人他们会介意。他们赢了两支拥有主场优势的球队——骑士和魔术，每轮系列赛都赢了2个客场。
Both teams should be equally well-rested. Neither has taken a large number of games in any series, though the Lakers do have the Utah sweep (and therefore one less game) under their belt. With 4 and 5 days off, both should be in good shape. The Celtics have some injury concerns (Rondo's a bit nicked, and Wallace has some back trouble) but so do the Lakers (Bynum and ... well, Bynum is important enough to count twice). With a team as advanced in age as Boston, it's always possible they might start shutting down, but count on it at your own risk.
2支球队都得到了同样的休息。他们都没有在任何一个系列赛中打了大量的比赛，虽然湖人横扫爵士使它们比凯尔特人少打了一场。经过4天和5天的休息
，他们应该都会很健康。凯尔特人有一些伤病要担心（郎多的伤口和华莱士的背伤）但湖人也有（安猪和。。。嗯，安猪足够算2个）。一支像凯尔特人年龄偏大的球队，总是有随时停止运转的可能，但你不能指望这个。
Across the board, the match-up differences seem razor thin. There may be plenty of storylines that have nothing to do with the game itself, stuff like: the Lakers revenge for Boston's Game 6 beat down, the match-up of the past two former champions, the history of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, etc. There may be plenty of people grumbling about how "David Stern got what he wanted again" and how its boring to watch Lakers-Celitcs over and over again. None of that matters. If you want the best basketball to be played, the right two teams made it. The Finals will be epic, and not just because it's following an epic formula.
根据这些来看，对位差距看起来跟剃须刀片一样薄。也许会有充足但是与比赛本身没有任何关系的故事情节，比如：湖人要为总决赛第6场溃败报仇，两支前总冠军的较量，湖人和凯子的对抗史等等。也许会有很多人抱怨“大卫 斯特恩又得逞了”，或者多么无聊啊，一次又一次的看到湖人对凯子。没有关系。如果你想要看最精彩的篮球，这最好的两支球队会为你呈现。总决赛将会是华丽的，并不仅仅是因为它遵守了华丽的准则。
