花開款款寧爲晚,日出遲遲卻是晴

The Phoenix Suns have the second-worst record in the NBA, but they decorate like champions. To walk through halls of Talking Stick Resort Arena is to be bombarded with the franchise’s storied history and the kind of atmosphere it wants to foster.

雖然太陽本賽季戰績不佳，排在倒數第二，但他們卻把球場裝扮地光鮮亮麗，好似已經奪冠了一般。走入托金思迪克度假酒店球館的長廊，球迷馬上會被球隊濃厚的歷史氛圍所震撼。

There are photos of Suns legends Steve Nash and Charles Barkley; quotes from the likes of Winston Churchill and John Wooden are plastered on the walls;

首先映入眼簾的是太陽名宿的照片，有史蒂夫-納什和查爾斯-巴克利；長廊的牆壁上印着溫斯頓-丘吉爾和約翰-伍登的名言；

and across from the Suns locker room, there’s a picture of the Larry O’Brien Trophy next to the words "ONE GOAL." That’s what they’re missing: In 49 years of existence, the Suns have never won a title.

在更衣室對面的牆上，高懸着拉里-奧布萊恩杯的圖案，旁邊寫有一行字——“同心同德”。這正是太陽朝思暮想的獎盃：建隊49年以來，太陽從未登頂。

When you enter the Suns locker room, you see an image of a pyramid with five words written in it: family, mindfulness, momentum, joy, and love.

走進太陽的更衣室，你便會發現，那兒有個“字金字塔”，裏邊寫着幾個詞：家、明、勤、樂、仁。

"We’re obviously trying to build a championship team and you need a lot of talent—you need versatility, skill—but I think you also need selfless individuals who are willing to sacrifice for the greater good," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough told me last week in a room at the Suns arena. "We’re trying to build something that’s conducive to success over time, and it starts with a lot of those qualities."

“我們的目標自然是打造一支王者之師，這不僅需要球技精湛、天賦出衆的球員，更重要的是願意爲球隊無私奉獻，願意爲大局而犧牲小我的精神。”太陽總經理，萊恩-麥克唐納接着對我說道：“如果說我們構建的是萬丈高樓，那些品質便是百尺根基。”

It’s head coach Earl Watson’s job to bring that institutional philosophy to life on the court. Watson was hired as interim coach in the middle of last season after the team fired Jeff Hornacek.

貫徹落實太陽特色社會主義的重擔，自然而然地落在主教練厄爾-沃特森的身上。太陽在上賽季中期炒掉傑夫-霍納塞克，沃特森隨後走馬上任。

His transition from player to coach happened fast: Watson played 13 seasons in the NBA, spent one year as an assistant coach with the Spurs’ D-League team in 2014–15, started the 2015–16 season as a Suns assistant, and finished it as head coach.

沃特森從球員轉變爲教練的速度超級快，在NBA度過13載球員生涯後，於2014-15賽季擔任馬刺下屬球隊的助教，2015-16賽季初被太陽任命爲助教，隨後成功上位出任主教練。

Watson told me he tried to take in everything he could from his one year with the Spurs. "I’ve always said culture doesn’t come from a player. It comes from those in leadership: management, ownership, and coaching.

沃特森告訴我，在馬刺待的一年中，他像海綿一樣吸取知識。“一直以來我都認爲，塑造球隊的文化不是某個球員，而是高層，是老闆、經理、教練。”

Culture is important, but talent wins games; that’s why the Suns haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 and don’t appear to be anywhere close to them now. But while the players develop—and make no mistake, the Suns have several interesting, high-upside young pieces—a culture can be installed.

球隊文化固然很重要，但贏球還得靠天賦；這正是太陽自2010年來缺席季後賽，眼下戰績不佳的原因。目前太陽就有幾個潛力巨大的好苗子，隨着球員的成長，愛隊主義思想教育要及時跟上。

That’s where the Suns are now—they are rebuilding, in almost every sense of the word. And the franchise brain trust isn’t shy about it.

太陽正在重建，球隊的智囊團對此毫不隱瞞。

"You can’t say, 'I’m gonna get talented players to play like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan,' even if the skills are similar," Watson said. "You have to build it, which means you have to gut it and put in a solid foundation with character over talent."

“沒人能說‘我要球星像託尼-帕克、馬努-吉諾比利、蒂姆-鄧肯那樣打球’，即使技術風格類似也辦不到。”沃特森接着說道：“玉不琢不成器，一定要灌輸並反覆強調‘團隊大於天賦’的理念。”

McDonough knows this isn’t the most fan-friendly period in team history. "We appreciate the support. We appreciate the patience," McDonough said. "It’s a painful process. … It takes time and it’s something I think is hard—organizationally, it’s hard; as a fan, everybody wants to win."

麥克唐納知道，眼下是太陽隊史一個的低谷，這是球迷所不樂意見到的。“我們很感激球迷的支持、理解和耐心，”麥克唐納說道。“這是個痛苦的過程……需要時間。對管理層和球迷來說，這是段艱難的日子，又有誰不想贏球呢？”

The Suns want to be the Spurs, but they are much closer to the stage the Sixers found themselves in last summer: rebuilding with a group of young players that may or may not fit together, and managing the expectations of a frustrated fan base longing to get back to relevance.

太陽希望成爲像馬刺那樣的隊伍，可如今卻更類似於76人去年的處境：手上有一羣年輕人，但能不能磨合成功還是未知數；還有急切盼望成功的球迷。理想很豐滿，現實很骨感。

This is a story about youth. With nine players age 25 or younger, Phoenix’s future will be decided by the kids on their roster—whether they pan out in the desert or are flipped for established stars.

太陽隊有9名25歲以下的球員，他們能否成功通過亞利桑那沙漠的試煉？能否一飛沖天與日月爭輝？無論如何，這是場青春風暴，他們纔是菲尼克斯未來的主人翁。

But it’s an Arizona story, so it also features senior citizens (at least in basketball terms). The Suns have intentionally surrounded their young players with seasoned vets.

但別忘了，這兒可是亞利桑那，老頭子的數量可不少。

Phoenix’s older players don’t hog the ball and are strong locker room presences. "We’re not running a charity here, but … they can show the young guys how to play and add to that culture," McDonough said.

太陽有意召集了一批久經沙場的老將輔佐、指引年輕球員。“我們這兒當然不是養老院，但老將可以傳授比賽經驗，建立球隊文化，”麥克唐納說道。

McDonough calls Devin Booker "the ringleader" of the young players. He’s also the franchise’s cornerstone. Or, he is until someone better comes along. Booker turned 20 years old last October and he’s averaging 21 points per game this season.

麥克唐納非常器重德文-布克，將他視爲建隊基石（至少目前如此）並稱他爲年輕人的“首領”。布克在去年10月才滿20歲，場均得分卻高達21分。

That’s rare; per Basketball-Reference, the only players in league history to average that many points in a season before turning 21 are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kyrie Irving, and Carmelo Anthony. That’s a list of top-three picks, all current or future Hall of Famers.

這太罕見了，在21歲前單季場均得到21分的球員只有勒布朗-詹姆斯、凱文-杜蘭特、沙奎爾-奧尼爾、凱里-歐文和卡梅羅-安東尼。無一例外，上述球員不是狀元榜眼就是探花郎，都是要進名人堂的大佬。

But Booker wasn’t a top pick. He went 13th in the 2015 draft. "I look around the league (at) a lot of people in my draft class or the class this year, and they’re doing the normal rookie duties: sit on the bench the first few years, play spot minutes," Booker said to me after a Suns shootaround.

而布克呢，他只不過是15賽季的13號新秀。“看看最近這兩屆新秀吧，大多數球員中規中矩地走常規路線：從替補打起，沒有穩定的出場時間。”布克在一次投籃訓練後對我說道。

"But I have a coaching staff and organization that trusts me. … I know I have a great opportunity, so every day I’m trying to work hard."

“但球隊和教練組信任我，一直委以重任。我知道這是千載難逢的好機會，定不負衆望，擼起袖子加油幹。”

McDonough told me that during predraft workouts, the Suns run prospects through drills that are designed to test skills they might be uncomfortable with. For Booker, it was ballhandling. He’s pretty comfortable now.

麥克唐納告訴我，太陽在試訓的時候，特意考察了參選人不擅長的技術。對布克來說嘛，這自然是持球了，而眼下這已經不是他的短處啦。

This season, his most-used play is the pick-and-roll, and while he isn’t particularly efficient, scoring just 0.77 points per possession, he is getting reps. "You can’t ask him to be great without first giving him the opportunity to fail," said Watson.

本賽季，布克最常用的武器是擋拆。雖然效率不算出色，每回合僅得0.77分，他還是獲得了肯定。“失敗是成功之母嘛。”沃特森表示。

The Suns are developing Booker into a combo guard by giving him the freedom to experiment. Right now, he’s getting by on feel; his handle still isn’t airtight, and his first step doesn’t allow him to blow by his man.

海闊憑魚躍，天高任鳥飛；太陽給布克足夠的空間去自由發展，希望把他培養成雙能衛。布克現在還是得靠感覺過人；運球還不夠流暢，第一步爆發力也不夠強。

"It’s about keeping him in good habits," Dudley said. "He’s at a point now where he’s picked up to a whole new level where he’s ready to contribute every night."

“重點是養成好習慣，”杜德利說道。“他像是突然開竅了一樣，每場比賽都能做出貢獻。”

When it comes to shooting, Booker’s level is already pretty high, showing a deft touch at unloading 3s over the top of the defense

而談到投射嘛，布克的水平不知高到哪裏去啦，迎着防守也能投得倍兒準。

Booker is developing hesitation tricks to snake to the middle of the floor, and he likes to use his 6-foot-6 frame to keep his defender on his back or create space for quick pull-up jumpers. For a player who struggled with scoring at the rim in college, Booker is quickly developing a presence in the paint.

布克正在學習如何利用快慢步：先用節奏突破到中距離，再靠6尺6的身軀製造幹拔跳投的機會。這招另對手頭疼不已。大學時期，布克不擅長在油漆區得分，但他在NBA卻很快變得存在感十足。

Though Booker rarely had pick-and-roll opportunities in college, his distribution was impressive. Now, in the pros, under the tutelage of the former point guard Watson, he’s developed that part of his game further.

雖然布克在大學時不常打擋拆戰術，但傳球能力卻依然不容小視。而到了NBA，在後衛出身的沃特森的調教下，布克的傳球能力得到進一步提升。對年輕球員來說，布克的視野極佳，

Whether it’s timing a pocket pass, seeing the lob, or handling re-screens, Booker is showcasing solid vision for a young player. He’s also able to fire off-the-bounce lasers to spot-up 3-point shooters.

不論是掌握口袋傳球的時機，還是找空接的機會，又或者在多次擋拆後找到在空位的隊友，他都樣樣在行。在吸引包夾後，布克還能把彈藥送到定點炮兵的手上。

Booker looks like an All-Star in the making, and Suns brass are hoping for similar development from their other young players.

布克正走在通往全明星的大道上，太陽希望別的年輕人也能如此。

Phoenix drafted Dragan Bender with the fourth pick last summer, and then traded up to the eighth pick to grab the equally raw yet enticing prospect Marquese Chriss. Bender and Chriss are very different players.

在去年夏天，菲尼克斯分別用用4、8號籤摘下令人垂涎的璞玉——德拉甘-本德爾、馬基斯-克里斯。本德爾和克里斯球風迥異。

Bender is a 7-foot-1 big man with guard skills; he can shoot 3s and handle, and has a high basketball IQ. Chriss, a 6-foot-10 forward out of University of Washington, lacks experience and feel for the game, but he’s an athletic specimen who jumps like he’s wearing rockets for sneakers.

本德爾，高七尺一寸，球商過人，身兼後衛之技，能持球能射三分。克里斯，高六尺十寸，華府大學出身，雖初入江湖涉世未深，卻憑藉高超的輕功闖出一番天地。

They share two key traits: versatility and raw upside. The Suns passed on more NBA-ready players like Kris Dunn and Buddy Hield in favor of long-term projects. These picks were a declaration of the team’s intentions to build for the future rather than the present.

他倆有個共同點：技術全面，天賦出衆。太陽沒有選擇像克里斯-鄧恩、巴迪-希爾德這種已經做好來NBA準備的球員，而是打算做長期投資。這兩次簽約也表明了太陽的決心：着眼於未來，而非當下。

If Booker is the franchise’s future cornerstone and Chriss and Bender are long-term projects, then what does that mean for their current best player, Eric Bledsoe? McDonough acquired Bledsoe from the Los Angeles Clippers for Dudley and a second-round pick in 2013.

如果說布克是球隊的基石，克里斯和本德爾是未來的希望；那麼，目前隊內最出色的球員，埃裏克-布索又扮演着什麼樣的角色呢？在2013年的時候，麥克唐納送走杜德利和次輪籤，從快船得到布萊索。

Bledsoe is a V4, but the team needs a V6. He’s a good-but-not-great point guard who still pounds the air out of the ball. And while his offense has accelerated, his once-elite defense has regressed. Ideally, Bledsoe is a championship team’s third- or fourth-best player, not the go-to guy.

作爲一名控衛，布萊索在水準以上，但還不夠出色；雖然進攻進步不小，防守卻有所下滑。太陽需要的是一臺V6發動機，而布萊索頂多是臺V4。他是爭冠球隊理想的三當家，而非老大。

The Bledsoe situation is one of several questions McDonough will have to resolve in the coming months. This is a crucial period in his tenure.

對麥克唐納來說，眼下正是關鍵時期，除了布萊索的未來，他還得解決別的難題。

The product on the court is ugly; the Suns have the league’s second-worst record, third-worst defense, and 10th-worst offense. Some fans understandably lack confidence in the McDonough-Watson tandem.

擺在他面前的是太陽在場上稀爛的表現：戰績倒數第二、防守倒數第三、進攻倒數第十。很自然的，部分球迷對麥克唐納-沃特森二人組信心不足。

Watson might preach about love and togetherness like a 1960s singer-songwriter and McDonough might sell potential, but on the court the players don’t share or take care of the ball. The Suns are last in assist-turnover ratio, last in assist percentage, and last in potential assists, per .

沃特森像毛概老師一樣，嘚不嘚啵扯個沒完；麥克唐納呢，還是靠吹噓天賦和未來。理想很豐滿，可現實很骨感，球員在場上總處理不好球：太陽的助攻失誤比倒數第一、助攻比倒數第一、潛在助攻也是倒數第一。（數據來自）

The slow path is always more likely than the fast one, though. I talked with Watson multiple times over my week in Arizona, and nearly every time he referenced his playing days with Kevin Durant.

說實話，平穩較快的發展道路要更實際些。在亞利桑那的那個星期裏，我和沃特森有多次交流，他總是提起自己和杜蘭特一起打球的日子。

Watson told me he reminded his players that Durant won 20 games as a rookie, then 23 in his second year, and then 50 in year three. The point was that the growing pains they’re going through now won’t last forever.

沃特森時常和球員分享杜蘭特的例子，他在第一年只贏了20場，第二年略有進步贏了23場，等到第三年才迎來飛躍——勝場數暴增至50！他要傳達下信息很明確：成長的痛苦和青春的煩惱都是暫時的。

McDonough cites Golden State and how the team struggled for Steph Curry’s first three seasons before exploding on the scene once it added more young talent and savvy vets like Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston.

麥克唐納以勇士爲目標，希望能複製他們厚積薄發的成功模式——用安德魯-博古特、安德烈-伊戈達拉、肖恩-利文斯頓等一干老將輔佐年輕俊才，再靜待庫裏成長三年。

The Suns are hoping that Booker is their Kris Bryant. Epstein was fortunate enough to have the Cubs ownership buy in, and that’s what McDonough needs for the chance for it to work in Phoenix.

太陽希望布克能成爲克里斯-布萊恩特那樣牛逼的球員。艾普斯坦很幸運，因爲管理層買他的賬，這也正是麥克唐納所需要的。

Neither McDonough nor Watson would ever use the word "tanking," but it certainly seems like that’s what is happening this season. They need time to hit rock bottom and then hope fans and ownership give them time to bounce back.

雖然沃特森和麥克唐納都從未提及“擺爛”二字，但太陽本賽季好像就是這麼幹的。要想反彈，他們先得觸底，但這需要管理層和球迷的支持。

"The Suns have been in existence 49 years and haven’t won a championship," said McDonough. "We figured it was time to try something a little bit different."

“太陽建隊49年，卻仍爲染指總冠軍，”麥克唐納說道。“我們認爲，是時候玩點新花樣了。”

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