[外電] Olympics taught Love that less can be more for Wolves

看板Timberwolves (明尼蘇達灰狼)作者jinshenn (Don't panic)時間13年前 (2012/10/05 23:37)推噓1(1推 0噓 0→)

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http://tinyurl.com/9jmfoa2 MANKATO, Minn. -- If Kevin Love has to become more of a "facilitator," as Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman puts it, the two-time NBA all-star is OK with that. Over the past two seasons, Love's production has elevated his stature so much that Charles Barkley considers him the "NBA's best power forward." As much as Love appreciates the hype, he would gladly exchange some of the individual success for a trip to the Western Conference playoffs, which he promised the Wolves will make happen this season. The trade-off is part of the leadership and maturation process for Love as he enters his fifth NBA season with a revamped team. "I've already had that thought process that my numbers might go down," he said Thursday, Oct. 4. "I will always be productive in whatever system I play in, but it feels great to have other options now. I'm ready to do whatever it takes for us to win games." 雖然 Love 過去幾季個人成績不斷成長，但隨著心智成熟，以及肩上責任更加重大，他曉得贏球比起追求亮麗數據更加重要。 The offseason changes made by Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn have raised Love's optimism higher than ever. The challenge for Love is to expand his leadership role and still blend in with veteran newcomers Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko. Roy and Kirilenko are former NBA all-stars with playoff experience, something Love doesn't have. Perhaps the most important lesson Love learned in the London Olympics playing for the U.S. team is how a collection of stars modified their roles and egos in pursuit of a gold medal. Some of basketball's biggest names, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, made sacrifices to help achieve a goal. 有 Roy 和 AK47 的助拳，Love 要如何與這兩位前輩共同領導這支球隊，敦奧經驗讓他成長不少。 Adelman is asking Love to make similar adjustments, and Love is a willing participant. "You can get a lot more credit for doing less on a good team," Adelman said. "You can put up numbers on a bad team, and sometimes that doesn't mean anything if you're losing. I think players find that out as your team gets better." Adelman 要求 Love 做出調整，Love 也願意做到。「在一支成績好的隊伍，即使少量貢獻也能獲得很多認同。」Adelman 說。「在一支成績差的隊伍，你追求到漂亮數據，但如果輸球，那一切都沒意義。我想隨著球隊成績進步，球員們會逐漸體會到。」 The Wolves appear to be significantly better after adding Roy and Kirilenko and improving the depth at forward with veterans Chase Budinger and Dante Cunningham. Even without playmaker Ricky Rubio for at least the first two months of the season, the Wolves are viewed as a rising team in the West. Adelman is counting on Roy and Kirilenko to help ease the scoring load on Love, who scored 30 or more points in 19 games last season and hit the 40-point mark three times. Though Roy and Kirilenko have the kind of experience Love covets, neither seeks to become "the man" on the Wolves' roster. Roy said the Wolves are still Love's team. "He just won an Olympic gold medal, so I'm coming in expecting him to be a leader," Roy said. "We need him to be a leader. It's important that your best players are your leaders." Adelman 希望 Roy 和 AK47 能分擔 Love 的進攻重擔。對於領導球隊，他們兩人都很謙虛。Roy 認為 Love 就是領導球隊的不二人選。 Love ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring last season with a franchise-high 26.0 points per game. He was second in rebounding (13.3) and shot 37.7 percent on three-pointers (105 of 282), becoming only the third player in NBA history to average 25-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and make 50 or more three-pointers. The others were Barkley (1992-93) and Larry Bird (1984-85). In a short time, Love has placed himself among some of the league's elite players. If the Wolves develop a balanced offense this season, a priority for Adelman, Love is prepared to play a less-demanding role. "It feels good to be a setup man," Love said. "I've been finding guys all week in camp. You might see a drop in points because of the guys we have now, but you might see a spike in my assists. I'll be in the giving mood this season." 想要在進攻上有更平均分佈，Love 樂於擔任佈局者角色，助攻給隊友。 Love averaged 2.0 assists last season because the Wolves relied on him so much to score and rebound. He had to score out of necessity at times with the team so weak in perimeter scoring. Adelman hopes to make the game much easier for Love this season, which could make him even more troublesome to defend. "We're really hoping he doesn't have to be the focal point as much this year," Adelman said. "I think he has the ability to get four or five assists a game. His growth will come from just expanding his game. It's all there for him, and I think his Olympic experience will help him understand that." Adelman 希望新球季的灰狼不再過度依賴 Love，順便減輕他的負擔。同時也認為 Love 在助攻這區塊還有開發空間，敦奧經驗對他絕對有幫助。 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 114.44.48.201