2007年4月19日

答:当我在写我的赛季总结时，这是我想要传达的信息:这是开拓者找到他们的路的赛季。团队找到了方向，找到了领导，找到了未来。他们最终接受了内特·麦克米兰的指导，学会了如何正确打球。内特说，当扎克·兰多夫和拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇在本赛季失去比赛时，这一点对他来说变得非常明显，但球队表明，如果他们努力打球，团结在一起，他们仍然可以赢得比赛。基调是在准备中，在练习中，在游戏中的努力中确定的。我想我们都看到了球场上的进步。他们并不总是打得很好，但大多数时间他们都很努力。他们还发现凯文·普里查德是他们的领袖。这是我记忆中第一次在管理层和篮球人员之间团结起来。凯文和内特的想法一致。 Nate can't stop gushing that he's excited about this summer because he feels he's on the same page with Kevin. In years past this is a franchise that's had Shaquille O'Neal offered, Jason Kidd offered, Vince Carter offered, this year Mike Dunleavy and Ike Diogu offered, but in every instance those trades were turned down for financial reasons. The people in charge were wary of taking on those contracts. You're not going to see that with Kevin Pritchard. He's going to make decisions based on whether this makes the Blazers a better basketball team. He feels if the product is better the finances will take care of themselves. As a coach, as fans, that's great to hear. That will set the franchise on a new course. Also this year the team found its future. Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge, Jarrett Jack, Sergio Rodriguez...great beacons of hope. This season was a great season for all of them--particularly Roy--and you can only expect them to get better and that bodes well for the franchise. For the first time in four years the fans and the organization can enter the off-season with optimism and hope for the future. If you throw out the 50 losses this season was really a season of progress, taking a step forward, having a direction. I think that's really encouraging.

A:关键是沟通。Bob Whitsitt和Paul Allen讨论过这个问题。你不能对他说:“这将花费我们这么多钱……”你必须让他相信这会让我们变得更好，让我们赢得更多的胜利，让我们进入冠军窗口。我不认为史蒂夫·帕特森和约翰·纳什之前的政权用这种方法去找保罗。我认为这更像是一种经济手段。但公平地说，史蒂夫和约翰刚来的时候，他们的诏书之一就是必须削减工资，并盯紧底线。这只是方法上的不同。凯文的感觉就像鲍勃·惠特斯特(Bob Whitsitt)——你让产品变得更好，然后通过粉丝和赞助商来解决财务问题。如果你是一个球迷，这就是你希望管理层采取的方法。 Also it shouldn't go unnoticed that Kevin and Paul have a great line of communication. I've said before that Paul text messages Kevin during games and they talk. As we've heard in these chats and other interviews with Kevin they guy is the best PR machine the organization has. You can become energized just listening to him. He has a way of finding the bright side of things and getting you focused on the bigger picture. I think that's going to rejuvenate Paul Allen too. We already saw that in last year's draft when he got Paul to spend a lot of money and make a lot of deals. Look at the benefits of that already.

A:我想他会的。这在很大程度上取决于其他球队为他提供什么。我不认为开拓者会为他开出超过400万美元的年薪。我知道马刺对他感兴趣，夏洛特对他感兴趣，密尔沃基也对他感兴趣。开拓者在两年前的交易截止日期差点就把特拉维斯交易走了，但最后还是决定留下他。这真的取决于其他球队给他提供什么。开拓者将有机会匹配任何报价。我无法想象任何球队对他的期望过高。我的感觉是开拓者会留下他。内特·麦克米兰很喜欢他，喜欢他在小阵容中打大前锋的全能能力。 He fits the Blazers' long-term goal of being quicker and running. As to whether he will put up 36 and 10...I doubt it. I don't think he'll be in the role of getting 15 to 20 shots. But he'll be a nice role player for this team. You can tell they have more confidence in him. Nate has called more plays for him and doesn't mind him shooting every time he touches it, which is what he's become. Nate has said before that if he calls play for you it's the ultimate sign of respect. Nate game that to Travis as early as December this year. He's a part of this team's future--maybe not as a starter but as a nice sixth or seventh man.

问:明年对特拉维斯的期望会比年轻球员更高吗?他能应付得了吗?

A:我想是的。你希望你的球员一年比一年好，他做到了。当然，如果他们给他一份新合同，他们希望看到他有更多的进步。但他已经克服了最大的障碍，那就是他的信心。很大程度上是因为内特给了他信心。他正在成为一名日常职业球员。对他来说，好处仍然很大。我认为我们没有看到特拉维斯能打出最好的篮球，这也是他们试图锁定他的原因。

答:特拉维斯80% -85%的时间打大前锋。他们将大力推动与乌多卡续约，但作为一名角色球员，他对此很满意。他是一个完美的角色球员，那种你在那个角色下赢得总冠军的人。我认为首要任务是签下拉沙德·刘易斯。很多人说这是不可能的。可能还得有第三个团队。但我被告知这是最重要的。如果凯文·普里查德和内特·麦克米兰在7月1日午夜敲开拉沙德·刘易斯的门，我不会感到惊讶，这是你可以与自由球员交谈的第一天。这支球队必须并且将会寻找一切可能的方法让拉沙德·刘易斯在明年穿上开拓者的球衣。这是最重要的。 He's the perfect fit for this team. He's long. He's a proven scorer. Nate McMillan feels like he's ready to be the number one option on a team. The relationship between Nate and Rashard is very strong and runs deep. That will play a big role for Rashard. He's looking for maximum money which the Blazers can't give that to him without a trade. It'll have to involve a third team and probably involve Zach Randolph. The Blazers are willing to move Zach Randolph if it means getting a player the caliber of Rashard Lewis because they're more than confident that Lamarcus Aldridge is ready to be a starting power forward in this league.

答:我们期待拉马库斯-阿尔德里奇首发。唯一的问题是他会打大前锋还是中锋。这将取决于扎克·伦道夫是否还在球队。但不管怎样，拉马库斯都会先发。

问:谈谈马泰尔·韦伯斯特。今年他可能是开拓者中最令人失望的一个赛季。他的未来会怎样?

A:我想我们已经看了马特尔·韦伯斯特身穿开拓者队服的最后一场比赛了。他是队里为数不多的不适应球队文化的球员之一。他变得喜怒无常，脾气暴躁，难以管教。据说他变成了一个无所不知的人，当人们试图告诉他一些事情时，他会说:“是的，是的，我知道。”每次比赛前我都会出去看看谁在做什么。Travis Outlaw不知疲倦地工作，Dan Dickau不知疲倦地工作，Jarrett Jack在那里，Lamarcus Aldridge在那里……所有人都有20分钟的教练单独辅导。马特尔·韦伯斯特没有这个。当我跟内特提起这件事时，他说:“那是马爹利。他是个独行侠。”这就是为什么他打得不多，也没有那么快的发展。 In that respect he doesn't fit the culture. He's not very coachable. Over the course of the year his attitude has become more negative. It's gotten to the point where Brandon Roy has pulled him aside and said, "Martell, what's wrong with you? You have to come out of your shell. Don't you remember when this game was fun? You need to start playing like you did when I saw you smiling out there as a kid." It's just not there with Martell anymore. He's still an incredible talent and will carry some weight on the market. He'd be a player the Blazers would include in a package deal.

A:不客气。但这在马泰尔的脑海中强化了他没有其他人进步得那么快。贾勒特·杰克正在起步并蓬勃发展，而马爹利只是得到了一些零碎的东西，并没有发挥核心作用。我不认为有敌意，但这已经影响了他的心理。比赛结束后，马泰尔的储物柜被夹在贾勒特·杰克和布兰登·罗伊之间，他们每晚都被媒体团团围住。没人跟马泰尔说话。所以他坐在那里说:“每个人都跟布兰登和贾勒特说话……我做得还不够多，没人来劝我。”让我澄清一下，我认为这是一个很棒的孩子。我真的很喜欢马爹利。我只希望他能摆脱现在的恐惧。 The problem is he refuses to admit he's in a funk. Maybe he's still young and trying to find himself. I just wish we could see that kid out there on the court. He has one of the most beautiful jumpers I've ever seen. Someday in the right situation he might be able to become the great player everybody thinks he is. I just think the Blazers would be willing to move on if it means getting a better player.

问:我还记得自己19、20岁时的样子，那时我是个白痴。这些人不是超人，他们只是普通人。无论如何……球员们的夏季计划是什么?

A:布兰登有三周的篮球队法定假期。之后他会和他的孩子一起去西雅图。他将开始在华盛顿大学打球。他不会被要求参加夏季联赛，但他说无论如何他都会去。他可能不会参加比赛，但他想和球队一起练习，并适应新队友。他只是想待在我身边。这强调了布兰登·罗伊是一个多么伟大的队友、个人和职业球员。我对他赞不绝口。他是我见过的最令人印象深刻的职业运动员。我和水手队、海鹰队和开拓者队打了八年交道。 He is by far the most impressive human, not to mention athlete, I've ever been around. I think his presence at summer league will be huge.

拉马库斯那天晚上在玫瑰园。他看起来很棒。他说他感觉很好。但现在医生说他不能跑了。但正如他的名声一样，他每天都在举重。他说他几周后就会参加竞选。他将参加夏季联赛。我认为这是个好消息。从这样一个年轻球员身上听到这样的消息真是太好了，尽管他不能跑步，但他每天都在健身房。鲍比·梅迪纳曾说过，这家伙是健身房的领袖，他的职业道德与年轻时的杰梅因·奥尼尔相似。 We've seen how Jermaine's body changed from the kid in high school to what he is now. I don't know if Lamarcus will ever get that big but he has the work ethic to build his core to the point strength will not be an issue for him anymore.

塞尔吉奥今年夏天是个问号。西班牙国家队对他有要求。他们还不知道他是否会参加夏季联赛，但看起来他可能不会。弗雷德·琼斯今天去休斯顿了。他会和他的美国大学联盟球队在一起。他赞助了波特兰一家名为琼斯队的AAU球队。是全美顶尖的AAU球队之一。他们已经赢得了两个著名的锦标赛，还有一个在休斯顿。他会在现场为他们提供经济和个人支持。今年夏天对他来说最重要的事情是内特想让他减掉15磅。 He is a little chunky for his build. Fred will once again be a regular at the Blazers' open gym--another subtle move by Kevin Pritchard last summer to change the culture. They now have an open gym for NBA players. Desmond Mason takes part, Jermaine O'Neal takes part, Freddie does too. Fred will be a mainstay there and that will help his conditioning and acclamation to teammates. I think we'll see a better Freddie Jones come training camp.

问:球员们如何看待休赛期?期待吗?遗憾吗?

A:我觉得今年和去年不一样。去年的情况如此糟糕，以至于当终场哨声响起时，人们迫不及待地收拾行李离开。今年的情况与此相去甚远。每个人都感觉很好。有一段时间见不到所有人，这让我有点伤感。这是一个非常亲密的团队，一个家庭。内特花了很大力气来培养这种感情。今年他办了个圣诞派对，大家都来了。他们在路上吃了复活节早午餐。他们在奥兰多过感恩节。 He had a bowling get-together. The more recent events he's had 100% participation and that's really encouraging. They're developing a family atmosphere and this team was really strong in that aspect. They liked each other and got along. That's why at the end there was a hint of sadness that a fun season was over. That's in direct contrast to last year where everyone couldn't wait to go their own way.

A:我不喜欢。他将在今年夏天被交易。他们需要淘汰一些控卫。他的合同很容易交易，我不认为他适合开拓者的长期计划。他们对塞尔吉奥和罗伊寄予厚望，罗伊将在控卫位置上发挥更大的作用。在这个休赛期，开拓者最想要的就是找到一个更加成熟的控卫。凯文·普里查德说，最重要的是找到一个小前锋和一个大个子，但控球后卫排在前三位。我爱丹这个人，我认为他可以在这个联盟打球，但我不认为他适合这支球队的长期计划。

答:不是。我不认为开拓者会这么做。他们需要更多的高水平球员。而且雷蒙德·费尔顿不是内特·麦克米兰那种控卫。他是一个投篮优先的控卫。

问:卢克·申舍在开拓者的前景如何?

A:不太好。他可能会被邀请参加训练营，但我不认为他们对卢克有任何长期的计划。如果卢克·申舍是开拓者明年的替补，甚至是三线中锋，那么他们在休赛期的表现并没有达到他们想要的水平。

答:我认为这是关于开拓者必须处理的吸引人的资产。这就是他们成为玩家的原因。他们的年轻成员会引起其他团队的兴趣。如果他们在那里看到了合理的价值，就会达成交易。我不认为他们会回头说:“波特兰做得很好，离他们远点。”特拉维斯·奥特劳、马泰尔·韦伯斯特、贾勒特·杰克……这些都是球队感兴趣的球员。我和Jarrett Jack聊过，问他明年是否还会在这里，他说任何事情都有可能发生。我说我听说亚特兰大对他感兴趣，他说他也听说了，还有迈阿密、克利夫兰和密尔沃基。如果贾勒特听到了这个消息，那么这就强调了开拓者有其他球队感兴趣的因素。

A:这不好说。扎克·兰多夫会被交易吗?贾勒特·杰克会被交易吗?他们会选谁?我要告诉你的是:我认为球队的花名册会在夏天发生巨大的变化。我不能说。我觉得就连凯文·普理查德也说不出来。我认为今年的五个首发球员中至少有一个会被交易。至少。

问:对明年季后赛的期待合理吗?

A:我认为实际上他们还有一年的时间，但我认为我们会看到他们达到40胜的高原和季后赛席位。最好的情况是他们明年能做到，但我认为这需要两年的时间。我们将再次看到改善。今年11胜的增幅在NBA排名第三。猛龙20分，火箭18分。这也是开拓者历史上第三大的涨幅。最好的是1990年的球队，他们增加了20场比赛，并进入了NBA总决赛。排名第二的是77年那支获得NBA总冠军的球队取得的12场胜利。这是一个相当令人兴奋的领域，开拓者正朝着进步的方向前进。我认为这支球队明年会在32胜的基础上有所提高。 This franchise is headed in the right direction. They've got the right leadership. They've got the right coach. They've got the right core with Brandon, Lamarcus, Jarrett, Sergio, even Zach. Of course I think some of those components could or will be traded, but without question this franchise is headed in the right direction.