Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are both thriving.
拉塞尔-威斯布鲁克和凯文-杜兰特双双打出了高水平的表现。
It's late December, the perfect time to do some good old reflecting.
时间来到了十二月底，是时候来进行一下反思了。
This isn't the place for soul-searching or resolutions, so what follows is a look at what we have learned about the NBA so far this season.
不是说此时还要绞尽脑汁寻找问题的答案，而是心平气和的来看看这一年到底NBA发生了什么。
A top-heavy league is not a bad thing
强队纵横并非坏事
I'm watching NBA League Pass right now, but part of me wants to turn this game off and take another look at the Cleveland Cavaliers' one-point win against the Golden State Warriors from Christmas Day.
我现在手握联盟通，可以尽享所有的比赛，不过此刻我还是想把电脑关掉，再来仔细审视一下骑士一分险胜勇士的那场圣诞大战。
Like last year's NBA Finals, this slugfest somehow managed to exceed the hype.
那场比赛就像是上赛季的总决赛一般，两队交锋的激烈程度远远超乎人们的想象。
It had the intensity, it had the incredible finish and it had an old guy dunking like it's 2004 again, literally.
比赛强度很高，还有不可思议的绝杀和堪称老将之怒的灌篮，说实话他跟2004年的时候比起来可一点都不显老。
This rivalry's greatness isn't just about tombstone cookies.
这场交锋的伟大程度可不仅仅像墓碑饼干这样儿戏。
There are seven All-Stars on these two rosters, and anytime either team is held under 110 points -- as they both were on Christmas -- it should be seen as a minor miracle.
对阵双方一共有7名现役全明星球员，但两队的得分都没有超过110分，考虑到这还是在圣诞节上，也算是一个不大不小的奇迹了吧。
The Cavs and Warriors have both been about as dominant as expected through two months of the season, with Kevin Durant and Love both playing as efficiently as ever before.
在过去的两个月里，杜兰特和乐福都如同以往一般高效，骑士和勇士也都如人们预期的那样统治着东西两个赛区。看上去这两支球队将连续第三年会师总决赛了
While a third straight meeting in the Finals seems inevitable, who is complaining about that? I'd watch these teams play a 77-game series.
不过又有谁会抱怨这一点呢？他们就算是来上一个77场大战的系列赛，我也会看下去的。
Russell Westbrook is your favorite solo artist
拉塞尔-威斯布鲁克，联盟中最受欢迎的独舞者
When James Harden referred to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a "one-man show," he left out the fact that it's one of the best shows around.
当詹姆斯-哈登将雷霆队的比赛比作是“一个人的表演”时，他忽略了一个事实，这恐怕是当前联盟中最精彩的个人秀了。
Westbrook has been one of the league's finest players for years now, but what he's done without Kevin Durant this season is on another level.
多年以来威斯布鲁克一直都是联盟中最强的球员之一，但当凯文-杜兰特离去之后，他的水准又上了一个新台阶
The man is leading the league in scoring, averaging a triple-double andcapable of dropping 51 points, 22 assists or 17 rebounds on any given night.
目前他在联盟得分榜和三双榜上独领风骚，而且似乎随时都能带给你一场51分22助攻17篮板的惊人表演。
Westbrook's season has felt like one long, furious, two-handed dunk. His effectiveness, though, isn't about pure aggression.
威斯布鲁克本赛季的表现就像是长途奔袭后的双手怒扣。他的高效不仅仅体现在极具侵略性的打法上。
Without much playmaking help, Westbrook has made his teammates better by bending opposing defenses to his will.
在没有其他战术配合的安排下，威斯布鲁克单凭一己之力就能搅乱对方的防守，并帮助队友变得更好。
Critics can still point to his shot selection and efficiency numbers, but the Thunder are competing
然而还是有批评指出，他的出手选择和球场效率都有待改善，但雷霆队依然保持着强劲的竞争力，
because he is as dangerous as anybody with the ball in his hands. Buy a ticket if you can.
因为只要他有球在手，就比任何人都更具威胁。买张球票去现场看看就知道了。
The Beard and D'Antoni can cook together
大胡子和小胡子相得益彰
Watching the Houston Rockets makes me want every star player to spend a few years with Mike D'Antoni.
看了火箭队的比赛之后，我不禁遐想，要是联盟里每一位明星球员都能在迈克-德安东尼手下打几年就好了。
In this system, with shooters spacing the floor, Harden is as much of a maestro as Steve Nash was.
在这样的体系里，射手们拉开空间，哈登俨然变成了纳什那样的球场组织大师。
When he signed his extension last summer, Harden's letter to Rockets fans mentioned that they're not a super team.
当他在今年夏天完成续约之后，哈登在给球迷们的公开信中提到，他们并不是一支超级强队。不过火箭队现在的得分能力看上去跟超级强队也相去不远了。
They have been scoring like one, though. Houston is third in the league in offensive rating, and when Harden is on the court, it has scored 115.1 points per 100 possessions .
火箭队目前的进攻效率在联盟中高居第三，尤其是当哈登在场时，火箭队的得分效率高达每100回合115.1分。
if a team sustained that number for an entire year, it would be the best mark in NBA history.
如果有哪只球队能在整个赛季保持这样的效率，那他们一定能打出史上最顶级的进攻火力。
Oh, and the Rockets have been a top-five defensive team in December.
噢，另外，火箭队在12月份的防守也不错，他们的防守效率也排进了联盟前五。
Seriously, never doubt the Spurs
说真的，别怀疑马刺
There were non-crazy reasons to be concerned about San Antonio heading into the season.
本赛季马刺队还是有许多令人担心的正当理由。
Without Tim Duncan (and Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner), perhaps things wouldn't be quite the same.
There were questions about Tony Parker's effectiveness at 34 years old,
他们失去了蒂姆-邓肯（还有伯瑞斯-迪奥和马特-邦纳），说不定今年的情况真的不一样了。托尼-帕克已经34岁了，他的效率或许也是个问题。

how a frontline of LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol would fare defensively and whether the numerous new pieces on the bench would fit in.
由拉马库斯-阿尔德里奇和保罗-加索尔组成的前场在防守端可能难承其重，替补席上的新人或许也没法立刻融入到体系中。
Of course, the Spurs are now 26-6, 1.5 games back of the Warriors, top-five in both offensive and defensive rating.
当然，马刺队目前还是打出了26胜6负的战绩，只比勇士队差1.5个胜场，而且他们的进攻效率和防守效率都排进了联盟前五。
Kawhi Leonard keeps getting better, and Gregg Popovich once again has a convincing case for Coach of the Year honors. Also, Duncan's retirement ceremony was pretty much flawless.
科怀-伦纳德仍在继续进步，格雷格-波波维奇还是年度最佳教练的有力竞争者。而且，邓肯的退役仪式实在是太完美了。
The Internet was right about the Greek Freak
网络上关于希腊小怪物的看法都是对的
Sometimes, League Pass diehards can get ahead of themselves with their enthusiasm for young players.
有时联盟通的抵制者会因为对年轻球员的喜爱而做出一些尝试。
They (OK, we) are basically helpless when confronted with players who combine an unusual package of skills with athleticism and personality.
他们（当然也包括我们）在面对那些拥有异常全面的身手以及超强运动能力和鲜明个性的球员时显得毫无抵抗能力。
It happened with Giannis Antetokounmpo and his seemingly limitless potential, just like it happened with Anthony Randolph back when Don Nelson's positionless basketball seemed revolutionary.
扬尼斯-阿德托昆博和他看似无穷无尽的潜能恰好就是我们所说的这种情况, 他就像是唐-尼尔森用一体化篮球理念改造成功的安东尼-兰多夫一样。
Unlike Randolph, the 22-year-old Antetokounmpo has proven worthy of every bit of the attention he received since the footage of him playing in Greece's second division was published on DraftExpress in February 2013.
不过现年22岁的阿德托昆博和兰多夫不同，他目前已经将2013年2月份在选秀报告上记录的能力转化为了现实。
The 6-foot-11 point guard is clearly the Milwaukee Bucks' franchise player, and he will surely make the first of many All-Star appearances in February.
这位6英尺11英寸的控球后卫已经变成了雄鹿队的当家球星，看上去二月份他也将完成自己的全明星首秀。
Giannis Antetokounmpo getting mean.
扬尼斯-阿德托昆博越来越厉害了。
The Raptors did not peak last season
上赛季的猛龙队仍未达巅峰
Throughout Toronto's rise, Dwane Casey has said over and over again that his team is not a finished product. The phrase grew tiresome, but this year has proven him right.
在猛龙队悄然崛起的这几年里，德韦恩-凯西多次强调，这支猛龙队仍未达到他们的巅峰状态。
After winning 56 games and reaching the conference finals for the first time in franchise history, the Raptors have improved again.
或许大家对这套说辞都已经腻烦了，但本赛季他的话还是应验了。在上赛季取得了56场常规赛胜利并首次杀进分区决赛之后，猛龙队还是在本赛季取得了进步。
Thanks largely to the efficiency of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, they have an even better offensive rating than the Warriors.
当然，这在很大程度将归功于凯尔-洛瑞和德马尔-德罗赞的高效发挥。他们的进攻效率甚至比勇士队更加强劲。
The lesson here: Do not assume that All-Stars can't improve meaningfully in their mid-to-late 20s, especially after getting a taste high-level playoff competition.
从他们身上我们倒可以学上一课：别再武断的认为全明星球员在临近30岁的时候就没法再取得进步了，尤其是在经历了高水平的季后赛洗礼之后，这一论断更加站不住脚。
If Toronto can swing a trade to address its defensive deficiencies, watch out.
如果猛龙队能通过交易来弥补他们在防守端的不足，那么其他球队可真的要小心了。
The trade deadline should be interesting
交易截止日前可能会发生有趣的事情
Outside of Cleveland and Toronto, there might not be a single Eastern Conference front office that is pleased with the way the season has gone.
除了骑士队和猛龙队以外，估计其他东部球队的管理层都会对他们本赛季的表现有所不满吧。
In the Western Conference, a genuinely bad team might wind up with the eighth seed in the playoffs.
而在西部，就算是真正的烂队目前也都还有机会抢到季后赛的最后一张门票。
Plenty of general managers would love mulligans on contracts that were signed last offseason
许多经理人恐怕此时都在打今年夏天签下的那些合同的主意呢。
and are trying to figure out creative ways to build contenders under the new collective bargaining agreement, a world in which it will be harder to poach other teams' stars in free agency.
他们也想在新的劳资协议框架里想办法提高自家球队的竞争力，毕竟现在要想等球星们变成自由球员再下手可难多了。
All of this adds up to the possibility for serious movement before February's trade deadline.
所有这些可能都得等到明年二月份的交易截止日之前才能见分晓了。
It's unclear if any franchise-changing players will be on the market, but perhaps there could be a flurry of activity like we saw two years ago.
目前尚不清楚到底那些已经更换了球队的球员们是否还会出现在交易市场上，不过球员交易市场上又会像是两年前那样激起一番腥风血雨了。
Tanking isn't cool, for now anyway
摆烂一点儿也不酷，至少现在看来是这样的
Part of the reason the standings are all jumbled up in the middle is because nobody's really racing toward the bottom.
目前为止许多球队现在都还在激烈的角逐季后赛的席位，其中一部分原因在于，他们都不愿意早早的向积分榜末席冲刺。
The Brooklyn Nets don't own their draft pick, the Philadelphia 76ers are theoretically trying to be more competitive,
篮网队手里没有选秀权，76人队也改变了球队的方针，试图打出有竞争力的比赛，
the Phoenix Suns still want to make the playoffs and the Dallas Mavericks apparently won't consider tanking until "game 75 or maybe game 70."
太阳队则想冲击季后赛，而小牛队恐怕得等到“75场或者70场比赛之后”再摆烂。
The question, of course, is when this strategy will return to prominence. I'll bet it won't be long.
问题是，大家会从什么时候开始像往常那样开始摆烂呢？我猜恐怕也等不了多久了。
Drafting players with star potential will be more important than ever with the new CBA, and teams like the Suns, Mavs and Miami Heat have little incentive to turn their seasons around.
在新的劳资框架里，选秀球员将比以往更加重要，像太阳，小牛，热火这样的球队似乎在本赛季也没有太大的动机去咸鱼翻身了。

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