It may be early, but the issues rising to the surface in Cleveland's recent three-game skid could prove costly as the season rolls on.
这么说或许尚早，但是随着赛季不断深入，骑士队在三连败期间展现的问题会令他们付出惨痛的代价。
It was easy to get excited about the Cavaliers this season.
这个赛季的骑士队不禁令人感到兴奋。
They brought in a band of big-name players to replace Kyrie Irving, including Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green, and Isaiah Thomas.
骑士队招揽了很多名气大的球员来弥补凯里-欧文留下的空缺。这其中包括了德维恩-韦德，杰-克劳德，德里克-罗斯，杰夫-格林以及以赛亚-托马斯。
But the Cavs dropped their third straight game Sunday, losing 114-95 to the Knicks. They're 3-4 on the season, with the NBA's ninth-worst net rating.
但是骑士队却在周日以114-95败给尼克斯，进而惨遭三连败。骑士队目前战绩为3胜4负，他们的净效率值排在联盟倒数第九。
Their bad start doesn't spell total doom, but the Cavaliers have inherent issues that will lead to another NBA Finals ouster, or possibly even an earlier demise.
骑士队队糟糕的开局并不会宣告他们的赛季已经失败，但是骑士队内在的问题会导致他们再次在总决赛上失利，甚至也可能会让他们更早地在季后赛中出局。
Let's look at the three biggest questions facing what was supposed to be the best team in the East yet again this season.
让我们看三个要面临的最大问题，什么才应该是最好的队伍在这个赛季的东部。
Did the Defense Get Worse?
是骑士队的实力变差了么？
Turns out getting older and slower doesn't make you better, especially on the defensive end.
事实证明，更老更慢的球员不能让球队深度提升，这在防守上尤其明显。
The Cavs are now allowing 109.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 27th in the league (worse than the Kings and Bulls).
骑士队现在每100回合丢掉了109.8分，这个数据在联盟中排名27位（比国王队和公牛队还要差）。
Four players have also scored 30 points or more against the Cavaliers this season, including Kristaps Porzingis (32) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (34); no other team has allowed more than three ,per Basketball-Reference.
四名球员在这个赛季对阵骑士队比赛中砍下了至少30分，这其中包括了克里斯塔普斯-波尔津吉斯（32分），小蒂姆-哈达威（34分）。根据篮球数据网，目前除了骑士没有其他的球队面临了3人以上单场拿下至少30分的情况。
In addition to some aging, potentially declining players on the roster, the same communication and effort problems that plagued their defense last season remain.
除了阵容老化的问题外，上赛季防守端的问题依旧存在，这包括现有球员状态下滑以及球员间沟通不够与努力不足的问题。
“We're just not talking. We're not getting back in transition D. We're not pointing,” Kevin Love said Sunday. Cleveland opponents are getting transition points or early offense with ease, because the team isn't getting back into defensive stances quick enough.
凯文-乐福在周日失利后说道：“我们缺少交流，没有及时的在转换中退回到自己的防守位置，我们在场上乱作一团”。由于骑士队无法及时地退防，骑士队的对手可以很简单地利用攻防转换来得分。
“It takes trust. It takes communication. It just takes a willingness to do it,” Wade said Sunday. “We have to all get better at all those things, and that's the only way we're gonna win ballgames.”
“我们需要更信任队友，多沟通，必须通过主动去做这些事才能解决问题。”，韦德在周日失利后说道：“我们需要全方面的提高，只有这样我们才可以赢球。”。
It has been only seven games, but you could already assemble a compilation of Cleveland transition defense lowlights. It's not just the half court, either.
虽然仅仅打了7场比赛，但是已经可以编辑出骑士队糟糕的转换防守的“集锦”。半场阵地战防守上也有问题
Love went on to say the Cavs' communication issues can be corrected with better effort, but that's not entirely true. The roster is fundamentally flawed.
乐福认为当骑士队员更努力地防守时，骑士的防守是可以解决的。然而这话并不完全正确，骑士的阵容中有根本上的缺陷。
Despite the additions of Crowder and Green, they still have too many weak spots on defense. Wade and Rose haven't played consistently competitive defense for multiple seasons.
尽管补强了克劳德以及格林，骑士队的阵容在防守端依旧有很多弱点，韦德和罗斯因为诸多不便无法在防守端贡献稳定的表现。
Korver moves his legs as quickly as he can, but it's all for naught (even rookie Frank Ntilikina drove by him with ease Sunday).
科沃尔用自己最快的速度去防守，但这依旧惘然（周日的比赛中，连新秀尼利基纳都可以轻松的过掉他）。
Smith's spunk wore off last season. Thompson looks complacent (on Sunday, he finished with zero boards in 19 minutes).
史密斯在上赛季丢掉了他在防守端的专注，汤普森看起来很是志得意满，缺乏斗志（周日的比赛中，他在上场19分钟的情况下抢到0个篮板）。
LeBron hasn't played regular-season defense in years, and it's as if the rest of the roster follows his example.
勒布朗依旧很多年没有在常规赛中认真防守了。目前看上去，全队都在模仿他的做法。
Veterans Jose Calderon (36 years old) and Channing Frye (34) aren't providing any answers, either. Neither are rookies Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic.
老将何塞-卡尔德隆（36岁）以及钱宁-弗莱（34岁）都无法帮助球队解决问题。新秀斯蒂-奥斯曼 与安特-日日奇也无法帮出球队排忧解难。
The Little Guy, Isaiah Thomas, certainly won't help their defensive issues, whenever he ends up returning to the floor.
无论何时以赛亚-托马斯付出，这个小后卫都肯定无法帮助球队解决防守上的问题。
The bottom line is that Cleveland is old, and plays like it.
现实情况是，骑士队阵容老化严重，他们在场上的表现也证明了这一点。
Even if the Cavs begin giving effort, it's hard to imagine that a backcourt featuring Wade, Rose, and Smith will be able to sustain that energy over a 48-minute game.
即便骑士队的球员打得更努力，很难想像一个由韦德，罗斯以及史密斯组成的后场可以在48分钟的比赛中维持他们的精力。
The Cavaliers need Green and Crowder to be elite defenders, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and DeMar DeRozan blocking their path to another Finals.
骑士队需要格林与克劳德成为他们首席防守大闸，这才会让他们在重回总决赛的路上有足够的能力应对如扬尼斯-阿德托昆博，约翰-沃尔，凯里-欧文，德马尔-德罗赞等得分手。
But they aren't getting high-level defense from either new addition now, and they won't going forward because neither player has that in him.
但是目前，这两个补强都没有打出一流的防守。由于这两个人不再拥有一流的防守能力，骑士队的问题无法通过这两个人来解决。
In Boston, Brad Stevens constantly had to motivate Green to give consistent effort, and it came only in spurts.
在波士顿，即便布拉德-史蒂文斯不断激励格林去努力打球，格林的努力程度也依旧是时有时无。
Crowder's defense hasn't been the same ever since a sprained MCL in 2015. He's also had multiple sprained ankles over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons that sapped his lateral quickness.
克劳德在2015年遭受到内侧副韧带扭伤后变无法打出曾经的防守能力，他在15-16赛季和16-17赛季数次脚踝扭伤，这令他的横向移动的速度退化。

He's still effective against forwards, but he's not the same player against most guards and quicker wings.
虽然他依旧能很有效地防守锋线球员，但是他不再是拥有能防守后卫或速度绝伦的锋线的能力。
Crowder is the type of player who does better when he receives more minutes, but he's not getting them from Tyronn Lue.
克劳德是上场时间越多表现越好的类型，但是卢却没有为他提供足够多的上场时间。
Crowder has played fewer than 22 minutes four times in seven games with Cleveland, after playing fewer than 22 minutes only twice in 169 games over the past two seasons and playoffs with the Celtics.
克劳德在骑士队打过的7场比赛中有4场出场时间少于22分钟，然而在他作为凯尔特人队队员的两个赛季中，他在常规赛和季后赛的比赛*河蟹*出场169次，仅仅有2次出场时间出场时间少于22分钟。
Can Tyronn Lue Build an Offense With His New Options?
泰龙-卢是否能为他的新球员打造出一个新的进攻体系？
Crowder isn't the only one struggling to adjust to a different role.
克劳德不是唯一一个挣扎于适应新定位的球员。
Rose, Wade, Thompson, Shumpert, and Green are all playing a career-low minutes on a per-game basis.
罗斯，韦德，汤普森，香波特与格林的场均出场时间都是职业生涯新低。
Love, Smith, and Korver are seeing near-career lows.
乐福，史密斯，科沃尔的场均上场时间接近他们的职业生涯最低点。
Most of these players have found success in systems that were tailored to their strengths.
这些球员绝大多数都在为自己专门打造的体系中成功过，但是现在他们需要在卢的体系中成为角色球员。
But they're now being asked to serve as ancillary options for Lue, whose lack of creativity in optimizing his other options in half-court sets isn't helping.
与此同时卢那缺乏创造性，无法百分百利用火力点的半场进攻体系令这些球员更难适应他们的新角色。
There's a lot of “give the ball to LeBron and GTFO of the way,” which has made it tough for anyone else to get into a rhythm.
卢的体系中有很多“给詹姆斯球，之后都他妈地靠边站”的打法，这种打法令很多球员丢掉他们自己的节奏。
The Cavs are also not moving the ball as well as they did last season, partially because their spacing is suffocated by the lack of complementary playmakers.
骑士队的转移球能力较上个赛季比下降了，这是由于他们缺少互补的进攻型球员进而导致制造空间的能力大幅度退化。
Their team needs spacing to shine offensively.
骑士队的进攻需要在拉开空间的情况下才能打出一流的水平。
As a result, it's difficult to come up with a five-man lineup that makes sense.
综上所述，目前很难找出一个合理的5人先发阵容。
When the Cavs' shooting-heavy lineups featuring Frye and Korver are on the court, they'll struggle to defend.
当骑士以弗莱，科沃尔为首的射手阵容上场的时候，他们在防守端会遇到很多的问题。
When their defensive-focused lineups featuring Thompson are out there, they struggle to score and space the floor.
当他们以汤普森为首的防守阵容上场时，他们缺少拉开空间的能力进而无法得分。
There are fewer driving lanes, which means worse ball movement.
突破的空间减小了，这令球的转移变得少。
Without the ball flying around, there are fewer open shots.
而随着球的转移的减少，空位出手也在减少。
With fewer open shots, there are fewer makes.
随着空位出手的减少，进球数也就更少。
And with fewer makes, the opponent is able to force more transition offense down Cleveland's throat.
对手就有更多的机会用转换进攻来致骑士于死地.
The best five-man lineup for Cleveland would feature Love at center, LeBron and Crowder at forward, and Thomas and Smith in the backcourt.
骑士队最佳的5人先发阵容是，乐福打中锋，勒布朗和克劳德打锋线，托马斯和史密斯打后卫。
Smith will need to get back on track shooting the 3. Thomas will need to get healthy.
史密斯需要恢复他的三分命中率，托马斯需要从伤病中康复。
So will Love, after his knee got dinged up this preseason.
因为在季前赛中膝盖受小伤，乐福也需要从伤病中康复。
If the Cavaliers get a hot-shooting Crowder who plays with energy on defense, that lineup will be a force to be reckoned with.
如果克劳德能打出火热的三分手感并在防守端打出能量，这个阵容将会令对手胆寒。
But the same isn't true for other lineups.
然而其他的阵容却不在这个级别上。
They still lack anyone who can stop elite perimeter scorers.
其他的阵容中缺少能防守一流得分手的防守球员。
Even if they get through the East, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be there waiting; or James Harden and Chris Paul; or Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George; or Kawhi Leonard.
即便骑士队闯过了东部决赛，他们也会在总决赛场上遇到如史蒂芬-库里和克雷-汤普森，詹姆斯-哈登和克里斯-保罗，拉塞尔-威斯布鲁克，卡梅罗-安东尼，保罗-乔治以及科怀-伦纳德等顶级得分手。

更多精彩内容请关注微信公众号、新浪微博：篮球英文堂