原文網址：https://tinyurl.com/y249ww9d
昨晚看到這篇覺得很有趣，總教練談太陽這季的調度方式以及方向。
隨手翻個大概，有錯請大力指正。
Some teams try to keep their starting lineup together for the most possible
minutes in a game — the first and last six to eight minutes of each half.
And they try to create chemistry amongst a five-man second unit that can keep
the game in hand while the starting group rests.
Not this year for the Suns.
有的隊伍會讓他們的先發盡量一起打，
然後試著創造二陣的化學效應來撐住先發下去的時候
太陽今年不這樣打。
This year, that will likely change. Coach Monty Williams wants the rotation
to be 10 or more men deep, but says the lineups will more consistently
include two of the Suns four best players at all times.
“Our rotation during the year, I gotta figure out a core of four,” Monty
Williams said. “Of those four, I want to keep two on the floor all the time.
That’s something I think can be of value to our program and our team going
forward.”
Monty說他想要用10人以上的輪換，但是讓場上的陣容一直都有"四核心"其中兩名球員。
今年他要把這四核心找出來，他覺得四取二這概念對太陽崛起會有幫助。
(譯註：所以只是過渡練蠱挑人的方式嗎？)
Who would be that core four?
Seems like it would include playmakers Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio as two of
them for sure. Deandre Ayton is likely as a third one, right? Who else? One
of Kelly Oubre Jr. or Mikal Bridges? Or could it be that Ayton is one of the
‘other six’, while Booker — Rubio — Oubre — Bridges are the core four?
It sure seems like Deandre Ayton would be among the four best players on the
team, but in terms of ‘core four’, would that possibly be focused on play
makers and multi-positional defenders? Monty spends a lot of time talking
about the efficiency of their lineups.
誰會成為四核心？
似乎會有Booker跟Rubio，Ayton可能會是第三人，
也搞不好是Booker-Rubio-Oubre-Bridges，然後Ayton被算在其他 XD
看起來Ayton應該要被放在四個之中，
但是以四核心的概念，好像會更重視play maker以及多功能防守球員的組合？
Monty花了很多時間在談上場陣容的效率。
“As a head coach, as a guy who’s trying to run a program,” he said of the
45 three-point attempt game last Saturday. “I’m more concerned with how we
get the threes. All of our threes [should come] off of DHOs or making a pass,
that type of thing.”
Monty’s team is following directions — more than 91% of their three
pointers were assisted in preseason, while a year ago they were twice as
likely to take unassisted, off the dribble threes.
“Is the ball moving? Are players moving?” he continued. “And are we
creating open shots for guys? If we do that, we can take 50 threes if they’
re open.”
談到上禮拜三分雨那場，Monty說作為一個總教練，他更關心的是怎麼投這些三分。
我們的三分應該來自手遞手或傳球之類的。
(譯註：總之不要是自走砲吧？)
太陽有照著大方向走，熱身賽裡的三分球超過91%是被助攻來的，
而一年前運球投無助攻三分的比例是被助攻三分的兩倍。
球有沒有在移動？球員有沒有在移動？我們有沒有創造出空檔？
如果有好好做的話我們就可以一場投50個三分 XD
Maybe Monty is thinking, in these terms, in terms of the ‘core four’, that
there should always at least two guys on the court who can create for
themselves and/or for others. Guys who can make sure the ball keeps moving
and the offense stays fluid.
He says he’s looking for efficient lineups though he’s not, in his words,
an analytics guy. Through four preseason games, the Suns are definitely not
threatening the Houston Rockets for supremacy on analytics-driven play
calling. While the Rockets take only shots from behind the three point line
or in the paint, the Suns are a bit more balanced.
也許Monty是在想，就這個條件下，
場上就需要至少有兩個能為自己以及別人創造機會的核心，
可以確保球保持移動以及進攻流暢的傢伙。
Monty說他在找有效率的陣容，雖然他自稱不是數據專家。
打完四場熱身賽後，太陽看來是絕對沒有被火箭那個超級數據派給影響，
火箭只投三分或打禁區，太陽會更平衡一點。
(譯註：沒有要硬打魔球的意思，現在一堆隊伍學這個)
“I’m probably anti-analytics when it comes to ‘twos’,” he said. “I tell
the guys all the time, shoot the shot you’re comfortable shooting because at
the end of the game sometimes you need a bucket and it could be a two. I want
to shoot a ton of threes, I’d love to have ten dunks, but I don’t want to
take away from a confident shot.”
Devin Booker and now Ricky Rubio are really good at making short (but still
midrange) two-pointers with the defense sinking into the paint.
Monty說講到兩分球，他搞不好還是反數據派。
他一直都跟球員講，只要是你舒服的地方就投，
因為有時候比賽尾聲你需要出手的地方搞不好就是兩分球，
他也想看一堆三分跟灌籃，但是他不想去掉那些有把握的中距離投籃。
Booker跟Rubio在防守沉退到禁區的時候都是不錯的兩分射手。
(譯註：強調短中距離，應該還是會避免Long 2的意思吧)
This preseason, the Suns rank 3rd among NBA teams in % of points coming in
the midrange (11.5%, behind only the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs and
just ahead of the Golden State Warriors) while they are 23rd in % of field
goals being three-pointers (38%, compared to the Rockets’ 59.8%).
Just two years ago, those marks would have flipped. The 11.5% of shots coming
from mid-range would have ranked about 23rd, while the 38% of all shots being
three-point attempts would have ranked among the Top 10. The league has
definitely shifted more and more each year to the extremes, following Houston
’s lead. The Suns aren’t quite that far advanced, but they are making
strides.
What are the Suns good at, at least in preseason? The Suns are top 10 in
pace, 15th in fast-break points and an impressive 1st overall in points
generated off of turnovers (which includes points scored in half-court after
a turnover). They are also 6th in points from free throws, meaning they get
to the line pretty well.
熱身賽裡面，太陽的中距離得分是NBA第三，佔11.5%，
僅次於魔術跟那一隊，比勇士多一些。
三分球比率是第23，只佔38%，火箭是59.8%
也才兩年前而已，這排名會完全不同，11.5%的中距離會排第23，38%的三分會排前10。
聯盟在休士頓帶頭之下越打越極端，太陽雖然還沒有拿～麼厲害，但是正在大步前進。
至少在熱身賽來說太陽有什麼優勢？
太陽的pace是前10，快攻第15，失誤轉換得分是嚇死人的第一(包括失誤後的半場得分)
罰球得分是第六，很會賺。
Back to Monty’s ‘core four’ concept.
“I’m going to look at the numbers and see the most efficient five-man
rotations, five man teams,” he said.
Statistics like ‘five man lineups’ are not readily accessible online for
preseason games, so I cannot tell you who’s been the most efficient lineups
in these four games. The teams, however, get much better tracking data and
will have all that analysis at their fingertips.
Suffice it to say, Monty might not be an analytics guru, but he knows what he
wants and he’s trying to get the most out of his players.
回到Monty的四核心概念，
他會看看數據來找最有效的五人輪替，五人組 (譯註：啊不是都在說四核？？)
熱身賽沒辦法好好拿來看數據，所以作者沒辦法決定誰是最高笑的陣容。
但是總之太陽有得到不錯的數據可以分析。
可以這麼說，Monty可能不是數據大師，但是他知道他想要什麼，
而且他試著最大程度的利用手上的球員。