The NBA is in the midst of a scoring boom as necessary as it is glorious.

如今的NBA，绚烂的得分表演比比皆是。NBA需要这样的表演。

That's because pro basketball, already the most predictable of the major American sports, has only gotten easier to forecast in the super-team era.

职业篮球本已经是美国主流体育赛事中最容易预测的项目，而如今在超级球队林立的时代，其结果的预测变得更加简单了。

Barring injury or acts of god, the Cavaliers will likely meet the Warriors in the Finals this June.

只要没有伤病，或者不出现什么超神的表现，骑士应该将在今年六月面对勇士。

I mean, obviously having two, three, or even four star scorers and being a conference-finals-level team is preferable. But, barring that, what's better? Nothing.

虽然让两个、三个甚至四个超级得分手组队并成为总决赛级别的球队，也能让球迷满意，但是除此之外，还有什么更好的剧情吗？并没有。

Eight teams—the Warriors, Cavs, Bucks, Timberwolves, Suns, Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Wizards—have multiple players averaging at least 20 a game. And more than a dozen

teams pin their hopes, night to night, on a single net-shrefgbing(?) scorer.

勇士、骑士、雄鹿、森林狼、太阳、开拓者、猛龙和奇才等8支球队，都拥有至少两位场均20+球员。还有超过12支球队每晚都把得分希望寄托在一个一次次命中投篮的球员身上。

Below is a guide to the four different kinds of Lone Stars in the NBA, along with their historical patron saints.

后者就是那些独自闪耀的球星。下文将介绍NBA中4种这样独自带领球队的球员，同时也会介绍历史上对应各个类型的先驱者。

The Force of Nature

自然之力

The Force of Nature is a player who was already a widely acknowledged MVP-level talent when a systemic shift in team philosophy pushes him to a surreal level of performance

and lifts his team to a surprising level of relevance.

自然之力，指一个本就有着公认MVP水平的球员，由于球队体系的变化，其自身表现达到了不可思议的级别，同时也出人意料地提升了整支球队的表现。

Patron Saint: Point God Michael Jordan, March-May 1989 (32.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds)

先驱者：“打控卫的神”迈克尔-乔丹，1989年3月-5月（32.1分，9.2助攻，8.3篮板）

The second half of Michael Jordan's 1988-89 season is one of the great road-not-taken stretches in NBA history. MJ's air-walking, high-scoring exploits had already made him a

pop culture sensation.

迈克尔-乔丹1988-89赛季的后半段，是NBA历史上前无古人的伟大表演之一。在当时，他的空中漫步和得分表演，己经让他成为了流行文化中的标志人物。

Current Practitioners: Russell Westbrook (30.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 10.3 assists); James Harden: 28.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.7 assists

实践者：拉塞尔-威斯布鲁克（30.7分，10.5篮板，10.3助攻）；詹姆斯-哈登（28.4分，8.3篮板，11.7助攻）

We all know that the Thunder once had three stratospheric stars, including Russ and Harden.

我们都知道，包括威少和哈登，雷霆曾有三个同等级的球星。

What good does it do to revisit how OKC used to contrast Russ's relentless "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" attack with the Beard's loping, off-kilter cerebralism.

当年的雷霆，既有威少不停地咆哮“我是死神，我要毁灭地球”的狂攻，也有大胡子跳跃而脱线的抽象风格。

So much has already been written about the absurd seasons that these two are having and their intertwined career histories.

对于他们本赛季不科学的表现，和他们双子星一般纠缠的职业生涯，如今已经有很多文章称赞他们了。

They've been empowered to run their teams as, essentially, coaches on the floor. And, as a result, each player is putting up numbers that look like deranged hallucinations

beamed in from an alternate reality that operates by video game rules.

他们都获得了场上教练的权力以带领球队前进。所以，两位球员都打出了梦幻的数据，他们的数据就像是篮球游戏世界照进三次元的一缕疯狂的幻象。

The Rebel

叛逆者

The Rebel is sort of like a potentially to MUYDc Force of Nature. He puts up top-5-player-esque raw numbers, but, due to a variety of reasons, it's unclear whether you would

actually want him on your team.

叛逆者，大概就是有着潜在危害的自然之力。他能拿到联盟前五级别的数据，但由于各种原因，你可能不一定会希望他来你的主队。

Maybe the player's statistics curdle under a more rigorous analysis. Maybe the player takes an, at best, part-time interest in defense.

也许是因为在更加深入分析之后，他的数据站不住脚。也许是因为他最多只会偶尔认真防守。

Perhaps the player's personality or off-the-court predilections are a distraction, or his team loses a lot. It could be all of the above.

也许是因为他的人品，或者场下的爱好削弱了你的喜爱。也许是因为他的球队输得太多了。以上这些都有可能是原因。

Patron Saint: Allen Iverson, 1999-2004 (28.7 points, 4.1 assists, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals)

先驱者：阿伦-艾弗森，1999-2004 (28.7分，4.1篮板，5.2助攻，2.5抢断）

The two emblematic plays of Iverson's career—rookie A.I. crossing up Michael Jeffrey Jordan during a regular-season game, and MVP-season A.I. stepping over the crumpled body

of Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals—tell you everything you need to know about his particular place in NBA history.

艾弗森生涯当中的两个经典镜头——新秀AI在一场常规赛中晃过迈克尔-杰弗里-乔丹，和MVP赛季的AI，在2001年总决赛第一场跨过败北的泰伦-卢——能够表明他在NBA历史中有着多么独特的地位。

Iverson didn't simply want to compete against Jordan and the Lakers, he wanted to embarrass both of them. He was a figure of rebellion, a countercultural force.

艾弗森不仅仅是想和乔丹、湖人比赛，他想做的是羞辱他们。他是叛逆的标志，代表着反传统的势力。

To be an Iverson fan was to state yourself in opposition to traditions and all who espoused them. Unfortunately, in the long run, those traditionalists are usually right.

做一个艾弗森的粉丝，就要站在传统的对立面，与传统的拥护者为敌。不幸的是，长期来看，传统主义者往往是对的。

Current Practitioner: DeMarcus Cousins (28.1 points, 10 rebounds, 4.2 assists)

实践者：德马库斯-考辛斯(28.1分，10篮板，4.2助攻）

Which brings us to Boogie. When focused, he is one of the 10 best players in the NBA. He can post, face-up, and take dudes off the dribble.

叛逆者，让我们想到我们的大表妹。在他专注的时候，他是NBA前十的球员。他能背打，能面框，能运球甩开防守。

Off the court, rebelliousness is a destructive force. Despite the gaudy numbers, the emblematic moment of Boogie's 2016-17 season happened in the locker room.

在场下，他的叛逆是一种毁灭性的能量。除了亮眼的数据，表妹在2016-17赛季的代表瞬间是在更衣室里。

On December 20, Cousins was fined $50,000 for menacing a Sacramento Bee reporter in an incident caught on tape. Later that night, Boogie buried the Blazers with 55 points and

13 rebounds.

12月20日，考辛斯被罚款50,000美元，因为他在一次被录下来的言语冲突中，威胁了萨克拉门托蜜蜂报的记者。当天晚上，表妹打爆了开拓者，拿下55分13篮板。

It was the most-Boogie 12 hours in history, and will be until the next most-Boogie thing happens.

这暂时是史上最表妹的12个小时，让我们期待下一个表妹时刻的到来吧。

The Grandfather Clause

祖父条款

When a storied but fading star's legacy-cementing or victory-lap season (or seasons) threatens to stunt a team's rebuilding process. And there's nothing that anyone can do

about it.

当一个传奇但日趋衰退的球星，在即将达到里程碑的赛季或者最后一个（或几个）赛季，已经开始阻碍到球队的重建，即为祖父条款。而且对此任何人都无能为力。

Patron Saint: Kobe Bryant, 2014-15 (22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists)

先驱者：科比-布莱恩特，2014-15赛季 (22.3分，5.7篮板，5.6助攻）

Bryant played only 35 games this season before succumbing to a rotator cuff injury. But, even in street clothes, his shadow loomed over the Staples Center. And rightly so.

科比这个赛季只打了35场，随后遍遭遇了肩袖伤病。不过，即使是穿着便服坐在场下，他的阴影依然笼罩着斯台普斯中心。并且光明正大。

Kobe scored 81 points in a game, dunked on Yao, dunked on Dwight Howard, dunked on Steve Nash, named himself the "Black Mamba," dunked on Josh Smith, brought joy to Jack

Nicholson's life.

他曾单场81分，隔扣过姚明，隔扣过德怀特-霍华德，隔扣过史蒂夫-纳什，自名为“黑曼巴”，隔扣过约什-史密斯，为杰克-尼克东森带来过许多欢乐。

Most importantly, helped the Lakers put five more trophies in their already bulging hardware case. When a player is that important to a franchise, when his legacy tints every

move, it can be difficult to move on.

最重要的是，为湖人已经塞不下的陈列柜中又多放了五个总冠军奖杯。如果一个球员对一支球队已经如此重要，他所做的一切都可以被淡化，自然球队（的重建）也难以前进。

Current Practitioner: Carmelo Anthony (22.2 points, six rebounds, 3.1 assists)

实践者：卡梅罗-安东尼（22.2分，6篮板，3.1助攻）

At 32, Melo is, naturally, showing some signs of slowing down. He's posting his worst shooting percentage (43) since his rookie season.

32岁的甜瓜，已经自然而然地显露出一些疲态了。他的投篮命中率（43%）是新秀赛季以来最低。

While Melo's hold-dribble-and-jab iso game can be unsightly, and his lack of defensive desire can be mafgbening(?), he,s still a potent enough scorer.

虽然如今甜瓜“拿球-运球-后撤步”的单打模式并不好看，而且对防守的态度让人抓狂，他依然是一个强大的得分手。

Make no mistake, I'm no great fan of Melo's style. Watching him jab step for 15 minutes like a horse pawing out his age in the dirt makes my eyelids twitch.

没错，我并不喜欢甜瓜打球的风格。看着他做15分钟后撤步，就像小马不停地用蹄子划拉着沙土，让我昏昏欲睡。

Yet, I can't pin too much of the Knicks current swoon on him.

不过，我也不能将尼克斯如今的颓势太多地归咎于他。

The common denominator linking the current shitty season with the past 15 years of shitty Knicks seasons is the corrosive effect of New York's institutional dysfunction. Not

Carmelo Anthony.

把目前的这个纽约尼克斯和过去15年来的那支纽约尼克斯联系在一起的共通点，是其整体机构层面上的功能障碍不停腐蚀着这支球队，而不是卡梅罗-安东尼。

The Large Adult Ticket

大球票

When an MVP-level player puts up ludicrous statistics in service of a losing team stricken by bad luck and mismanagement. With the Large Adult Ticket, a star's prime years

take on a tragic, wasted feel—like screaming poetry into a void.

当一个MVP水准的球员，在一支不断遭遇厄运并且管理混乱的烂队，打出不科学的数据，便可以称为大球票。对他们来说，作为一个球星，巅峰的年华只化作悲剧的泡影，就像对着空气，大声读着没有

人听的诗。

Patron Saint: Kevin Garnett, 1999-2007 (22.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5 assists)

先驱者：凯文-加内特，1999-2007(22.5分，12.7篮板，5助攻）

In October 1997, Kevin Garnett, then only 21 years old, signed a six-year, $126 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. It was the richest deal in league history.

1997年10月，只有21岁的凯文-加内特，和森林狼签下了六年1亿2600万的续约合同。这是联盟历史上最贵的合同。

And, like anything historic, it had unforeseen consequences.

而且，和每一个历史性的事件一样，这份合同带来了意想不到的一系列后果。

All these factors, combined with the bad luck of being in a cutthroat Western Conference laden with generational big men (Webber, Shaq, Nowitzki, Duncan, Amar'e for a hot

second), resulted in Garnett and the Wolves' infamous stretch of seven consecutive first-round eMUYDts.

所有这些因素，再加上不幸生于令人窒息，有着一票历史级内线（韦伯、奥尼尔、诺维茨基、巅峰斯塔德-迈尔）的西部，只得加内特和狼队遭遇不光彩的七连首轮游了。

Current Practitioner: Anthony Davis (29 points, 12 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 steals)

实践者：安东尼-戴维斯（29分，12篮板，2.2助攻，2.5盖帽，1.3抢断）

Last season, Pelicans players missed 351 games due to injury, per In Street Clothes. It was the highest mark in the association and more than twice the league average.

上个赛季，根据网站In Street Clothes的记录，鹈鹕球员总共因伤缺席了351场比赛。这是联盟最高纪录，平均值的两倍多。

Naturally, the basic competence of the team's medical and training staff has been fairly called into question.

自然，我们不得不对这支球队的队医和训练员的能力提出公正的质疑。

Davis is signed through 2021 (with an opt-out after 2020). For the good of mankind, the Pelicans must keep Anthony Davis healthy.

戴维斯的合同一直签到2021年（2020年有球员选项）。即使是为了拯救人类，鹈鹕也千万要保证安东尼-戴维斯的健康。

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