主帥被掃地出門後 灰熊應當何去何從

Second-year coach clashed with the All-Star center, and the team sided with its franchise player. If things don't get better, what options does the team really have?

二年級主教練與全明星中鋒產生了不和，球隊則站在了當家球星一邊。如果事情不能好轉，這支球隊將作何抉擇？

The Grizzlies fired David Fizdale on Monday after 1.25 seasons, one playoff first-round out, one feud with his All-Star Center, and one infamous line about officiating that will reverberate forever, for whatever the data says about it.

灰熊隊在週一炒掉了大衛-菲茲代爾。他們留下了一又四分之一個合作賽季，一次首輪出局的季後賽之旅，一次教練與他的全明星中鋒之間的矛盾，以及一句白紙黑字被記錄下來，並將永遠迴響的關於裁判問題的惡言。

The decision prompted reactions of outrage and confusion across the league for a well-respected coach who will no doubt get another opportunity elsewhere.

這個決定在聯盟範圍內引發了憤慨和困惑，因爲當事人是一位廣受尊敬的主教練，也沒人懷疑他能在其他地方另謀高就。

After Memphis had lost eight straight and 11 of 13, things came to a head in Memphis' Sunday night loss to the Nets. In the third quarter, Fizdale elected not to reinsert All-Star center Marc Gasol into the lineup, and kept Gasol out the remainder of the game.

在灰熊慘遭八連敗並輸掉了近13場比賽中的11場後，事情的苗頭開始在他們週日對籃網的失利後冒出來了。在比賽的第三節，菲茲代爾選擇不在出場陣容中派上全明星中鋒馬克-加索爾，並讓他在之後的比賽中一直淪爲看客。

It's one thing for a coach to ride a bench lineup that is playing better. However, to single out a player, one the team's two stars, with whom the coach has clashed consistently since arriving in Memphis, crossed a line with Gasol. He made that clear in his own reserved way after the game.

重用發揮更好的替補隊員是主教練的權力，然而，挑出球隊的兩大球星之一來開刀，而且是在教練自來到灰熊起就與他一直不和的情況下，就是在觸碰小加索爾的底線了。他也在賽後以他有所保留的方式將此事變得明瞭了。

Less than 18 hours later, Fizdale had been shown the door.

不到18個小時後，菲茲戴爾就被掃地出門了。

A person close to the situation made clear to CBS Sports that, while the team had been "trending in the wrong direction," without the irreconcilable differences between Fizdale and Gasol, Fizdale's termination might not have been necessary.

一位接近於事發情境的人士對CBS體育坦言，雖然球隊過去曾因菲茲代爾和小加索爾之間未能調和的矛盾而“趨於錯誤的方向，”但菲茲代爾時代的終結或許並不那麼必要。

The person, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks, also said that owner Robert Pera did not intervene in the situation despite his relationship with Gasol. The decision to fire Fizdale had been made by management Sunday night.

這個曾因爲敏感言論而需要匿名講話的人也曾講過，球隊老闆羅伯特-佩拉沒有出手干涉，儘管他和小加索爾私交甚篤，而解僱菲茲代爾的決定是由管理層在週日晚決定的。

The optics of the situation are inescapable. A 32-year-old aging center on a max contract clashed with his coach, and after it reached Sunday's boiling point, the team sided with its All-Star, firing a coach respected league-wide. No one comes out looking good here, certainly not Gasol.

這件事從視覺觀感上看像是在所難免。一位手握頂薪的32歲中鋒與他的教練有了矛盾，球隊在選邊站中選擇站在了它的球星一邊，炒掉了一位在全聯盟德高望重的教練員。

The 7-2 Spaniard has always been a mystery, at once one of the most consistent and disciplined players in the league and one who in recent years has struggled with motivation. He resisted offensive shifts from former coach Dave Joerger. While he adapted to Fizdale's strategy, becoming a stretch five while still using his post game, there was always a personality clash.

這位身高7尺2寸的西班牙中鋒一直以來都是一個謎，作爲聯盟中最爲始終如一和遵守紀律的球員之一，他近年來一直在積極性方面存在問題。他早先就曾抗拒過前任主帥戴夫-喬爾格的進攻安排。雖然他主動適應了菲茲代爾的體系，在保留自己低位進攻的同時轉型空間型五號位，但私人層面上的矛盾一直沒有化解。

"It's not like people in the league didn't know that Marc and Fiz weren't speaking or getting along," an NBA executive told CBS Sports, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on another team.

“聯盟內部的圈內人士並不像是不知道馬克和菲茲戴爾缺少交流並且相處不來。”一位NBA的常務董事這樣告訴CBS體育，由於他不被批准公開談論其他球隊，他要求不公開自己的姓名。

The situation teeters on the edge of outright disaster for Memphis, which owes its 2019 first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics and has Conley, Gasol and Chandler Parsons locked up on max deals through that spring. Team sources indicated to CBS Sports this summer that Gasol was considered "untouchable" in trade talks.

這一情況又使已處在災難邊緣的灰熊更加搖搖欲墜，他們的2019年首輪籤已經送到了波士頓，又被康利、小加索爾和帕森斯的頂薪合同鎖死了2019年之前的空間。不止一個球隊消息源向CBS體育透露，今夏小加索爾一方在交易探討方面的想法將“不可捉摸”。

A source indicated Monday that the decision to fire Fizdale in light of his conflict with Gasol is an indication that the team's position has not changed on that matter.

另一個消息源則在週一表示，出於和小加索爾矛盾的考慮炒掉菲茲戴爾這一決定，是球隊的立場在本次事件中沒有改變的一個象徵。

However, every analysis of Gasol's situation was dependent on the team not falling into a tailspin. It has.

然而，一切關於小加索爾處境的分析都建立於球隊沒有陷入下墜軌道的基礎上，而這已經發生了。

Memphis is 16-27 since the All-Star break last season. The common reaction on social media Monday to Fizdale's firing was about the roster's issues, with so many borderline or non-NBA-caliber players surrounding an aging, injured core.

上賽季的全明星假期後，灰熊取得的戰績僅爲16勝27負。而週一的社交媒體上引發的一般反應是菲茲代爾的下課應當歸咎於陣容問題，球隊陣中大量的球員只是邊緣級別，甚至並沒有NBA級別的天賦，而圍繞建隊的核心則年紀高邁、傷痕累累。

In Memphis' market, with their payroll, a rebuild is daunting. Conley and Gasol trades could yield zero first-rounders — consider the market for younger and arguably better stars from this offseason.

就孟菲斯的小球市而言，在球隊工資的壓力下，推倒重建是令球隊望而卻步的。交易康利和小加索爾可能連首輪都換不來——考慮到由更加年輕並且被證明更出色的球員們主導着交易市場。

Then you're relying on Memphis A) hitting top three in the lottery and B) nailing its own draft pick this summer. The Grizzlies' draft history, for a variety of reasons from poor scouting to bad luck, won't engender much confidence. (Hasheem Thabeet says hi, wherever he is.

之後灰熊有兩種選擇：1.儘早擺爛搶前三順位，2.用好他們今夏的選秀權。灰熊隊的選秀歷史總能遭到各種各樣的黴運，這一點實在不能讓人放心（哈希姆-塔比特在向你招手，不論他現在在哪裏）。

Memphis won't be able to lure star free agents. Even with the financial flexibility caused by a potential blow-up, they would have to overpay mid-level free agents to come to Memphis. That's how you get yourself in a much worse situation than an eight-game losing streak with two stars, one of whom, Conley, is on the shelf during this skid. That's why a "keep the two stars at all costs" is more pragmatic than it may seem on the surface.

孟菲斯將沒有能力引來自由市場上的球星，即使他們的薪金空間能由於工資帽潛在的上漲保持靈活，也只能溢價簽約中等水平的自由球員們。這樣的方式會讓你落入比擁有康利和小加索爾兩名球星而遭遇八連敗更糟糕的情形之中，何況兩人之一的康利在連敗期間還高掛免戰牌。這正是爲何“不惜一切代價留住兩位球星”這一做法比表面看起來更具實際意義的原因。

Still, the team's woeful play in this stretch prompted tough decisions. You can try and overhaul the roster. That's the popular problem to point to, but you can't do that instantly in November mid-season.

雖然如此，球隊這一段時間的慘狀迫使他們必須做出某些艱難的決定。你可以試着變動球隊陣容，這也是被指出來的熱點問題，但你不可能在11月的賽季進行時馬上這麼做。

That option may arise later, but not now. So the Grizzlies did what every other team in this situation has done, historically. The coach takes the fall, no matter what role he did or didn't play in the team's gravitational descent.

這個辦法日後或許會浮現出來，但不是現在。於是，灰熊做出了古往今來任何處於相同情境下的其他球隊都做了的事情——讓教練下課，不論他在球隊的自由落體式下滑中承擔了什麼角色。

If this move doesn't work, if the team doesn't turn around, more changes await. Memphis' ownership situation is messy and in flux.

如果這一招不能見效，球隊不能夠轉回正軌的話，就會有更多的改變發生了。灰熊隊的所有權相對混亂，而且還變化不定。

Parsons actually has been good in terms of production, effort and on-court vs. off-court advanced stats — but not $25 million good. Gasol remains a moody but dynamic player. Conley's persistent foot injuries could be a nagging problem or a time bomb. Those two now will be on their fourth coach since making the 2012 Western Conference finals.

帕森斯在球場上的貢獻、努力和在場相比不在場的高階數據事實上還不錯——但不值得2500萬年薪；小加索爾依舊喜怒無常，但依然是個有活力的球員；康利多年不愈的腳傷也是一個不得安生的問題，或者說是球隊的一顆定時炸彈。這兩人就要迎來自球隊2013年打入西部決賽以來的第四任主教練了。

The rest of the roster is largely on the fringe. If things get worse, Gasol could decide there's been too much poisoning of the well, and ask out. If he goes, Conley goes, and the Grizzlies will have to face a rebuild regardless.

名單裏剩下的球員主要是一些NBA邊緣人。如果事情到了更糟的地步，小加索爾會斷定這口水井裏的毒物實在太多，並提出離隊。一旦他和康利雙雙遠走，灰熊的重建工作就將避無可避了。

The plan is for interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff to finish the year as head coach, the person with knowledge of the situation said. But after that, who knows what the situation will be?

有經歷過類似處境的人認爲，球隊會計劃讓臨時主帥JB-比克斯塔夫執教到賽季結束。但在這之後，誰又知道具體情況會是怎樣呢？

Maybe this move turns things around. Maybe this forces Gasol to prove himself to acquit the perception that now permeates this situation. But it's clear that Monday's decision was messy and unpopular.

又或許換帥能讓一切峯迴路轉，小加索爾會在此事的壓迫之下努力證明自己，以澄清那些瀰漫在如今環境下的觀點。但很顯然，灰熊在週一的這個決定相當麻煩而不受歡迎。

It was a desperation move from a team with fewer options than people believe, and unless Memphis finds the same kind of resiliency that has defined the team over the past seven years, all signs point to one trend.

這是球隊的孤注一擲，而這支球隊的選擇也比人們想的要少一些。除非灰熊隊找回那種在過去七年間奠定球隊基調的韌勁，所有的跡象都在指向不好的一端。

It's going to get worse, before it gets better.

在情況好轉之前，它會變得更糟的。

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