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On Wednesday it became official: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are Los Angeles Clippers.

周三官方正式宣布:科怀-伦纳德和保罗-乔治加入洛杉矶快船队。

Five days after the Friday night bombshell, the team announced Wednesday the signing of Leonard and the trade for George — as well as the re-signing of Ivica Zubac and Rodney McGruder — and quelled the growing anxiety from Clippers fans that there was a chance Leonard could back out of his agreement. The re-signings of Patrick Beverley and JaMychal Green are the only remaining moves yet to be officially announced.

周五晚上的爆炸性新闻之后第五天，球队在周三宣布了伦纳德的签约和乔治的交易——几乎同时也宣布了伊维察-祖巴茨和罗德尼-麦格鲁德的续约——平息了快船球迷对伦纳德有可能毁约的日益增长的焦虑。唯一尚未正式官方宣布的是帕特里克-贝弗利和杰迈克尔-格林的续约。

Now that business is in order and we have a clearer picture of what the 2019-20 Clippers will look like, it’s time to explore some of the questions that will determine their season — and beyond.

既然事情已经安排妥当，我们对2019-20赛季快船队将会是什么样子有了更清晰的了解，现在是时候探索一些决定他们这赛季以及未来命运的问题了。

Some of these questions will be answered in the coming weeks when the Clippers hold their introductory press conference with Leonard and George. Others will take months, if not the entire season, to solve.

其中一些问题将在未来几周内将得到答案，届时快船将举行伦纳德和乔治介绍性质的新闻发布会。其他的问题即使不需要整个赛季，也需要花费几个月时间才能解决。

Let’s dig in.

让我们开始吧。

What is the Clippers’ next move with the backend of their roster?

As ESPN’s Marc Spears first reported, the Clippers are interested in Andre Iguodala. There was chatter around Las Vegas Summer League that the holdup in the announcement of the George trade was because the Clippers were trying to find a way to add the Grizzlies as a third team to land Iguodala.

正如ESPN的马克-斯皮尔斯首次报道的那样，快船对安德烈·伊戈达拉很感兴趣。拉斯维加斯夏季联赛期间有传言称，乔治的交易之所以迟迟没有官宣是因为快船试图找到一种方法作为第三方，接手灰熊的伊戈达拉。

That, of course, didn’t happen.

当然，这并没有发生。

The Clippers, who have two roster spots available, can still trade for Iguodala in a deal likely centered around Moe Harkless. At this moment, it doesn’t appear the Grizzlies will buy out Iguodala. The could change if the trade market on him cools, but the Grizzlies have every incentive to play hardball this early in the summer.

快船的球员名单上有两个空余的位置，以莫-哈克莱斯为交易主体仍然有可能通过交易获得伊戈达拉。目前，灰熊似乎不会买断伊戈达拉。如果他的交易行情不好的话，情况可能会改变，但是灰熊有足够的动力在这个夏天的早期采取不退让的态度。

Besides Iguodala, the Clippers could use another big man and/or point guard.

除了伊戈达拉，快船可以引进另一个大个子和/或控球后卫。

The Clippers technically only have four big men on the roster — Zubac, Green, Montrezl Harrell and rookie Mfiondu Kabengele — and are a bit light on the interior. Most teams have five or six bigs. The Clippers have multiple wings who can slide to the 4 — Leonard, George, Harkless and possibly even McGruder — but it would be prudent to add another big as injury insurance. Some remaining free agents that could make sense are Joakim Noah, Cheick Diallo, Tyson Chandler or Pau Gasol.

快船的名单从技术角度上讲，只有四个真正的大个子——祖巴茨、格林、蒙特雷兹-哈雷尔和新秀姆基翁杜-卡本该来——因此，在内线上有所欠缺。大多数球队有五六个大个子。快船有多个侧翼可以移到4号位——伦纳德、乔治、哈克莱斯，甚至可能还有麦格雷德——但谨慎的做法是再增加一个大个子作为球队出现伤病的保障。一些剩余的可以考虑的自由球员可能是乔治-诺阿、谢赫-迪亚洛、泰森-钱德勒或者保罗-加索尔。

The Clippers could also use another ballhandler (i.e. a third-string point guard). Some have suggested Terance Mann could step into that role, but that’s a lot to ask of a second-round rookie. The Clippers don’t have time to be patient through his growing pains. They need a ready-now contributor. The point guard market has largely dried up, but players like Jeremy Lin, Jerian Grant, Shaun Livingston (for sentimental reasons) and Devin Harris could be interesting options.

快船也可以引进另一个持球手(即一个第三控球后卫)。有些人建议泰伦斯-曼可以担任这个角色，但是对于第二轮新秀来说，这个要求有点苛刻。快船没有时间以及耐心给他交学费。他们需要一个现成的即战力。控球后卫市场已经基本枯竭了，但是像林书豪、杰里安-格兰特、肖恩-李文斯顿(出于感情原因)和德文-哈里斯这样的球员可能是个有趣的选择

Worst case, the Clippers will be the favorites for the best buyout candidates during the season.

最坏的情况是，快船队在本赛季，将倾向于签约那些被买断中最好的球员。

What will the starting lineup look like?

The Clippers have two realistic starting lineup options.

快船有两个现实的首发阵容选项。

Option No. 1: Ivica Zubac, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Landry Shamet, Patrick Beverley

备选方案1:伊维察-祖巴茨、伦纳德、保罗-乔治、兰德里-沙美特、帕特里克-贝弗利

Option No. 2: Ivica Zubac, JaMychal Green, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley

备选方案2:伊维察-祖巴茨、杰迈克尔-格林、科怀-伦纳德、保罗-乔治、帕特里克-贝弗利

The first option is their optimal starting lineup. Outside of Zubac, the other four Clippers can all score, shoot, handle the ball, pass, run plays and switch defensively (Shamet’s defensive chops continue to be underrated). The lone drawback would be making Leonard or George bang with bigger power forwards — think Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge — but that list is becoming shorter. More and more teams have stretch 4s or wings playing up a position.

第一个备选方案是他们的最佳首发阵容。在祖巴茨之外，其他四个快船球员都可以得分、投篮、控球、传球、无球跑动和换防(沙美特的防守能力仍然被低估)。唯一的缺点是让伦纳德或乔治成为大前锋——想想安东尼-戴维斯、布雷克-格里芬和拉马库斯-阿尔德里奇——但这样的人也越来越稀少了（真正的大前锋越来越少了）。越来越多的球队用空间四号位或前锋来占据这个位置

The second option may be the most likely starting lineup, as it protects Leonard and George from being physically fatigued or uncomfortable and it gives the Clippers a huge unit. The Clippers would lose 3-point shooting, gravity and another ballhandler with Shamet moving to the bench, but they would shore up their rebounding and add size and toughness with Green. If he can replicate his 41.3 percent shooting from last season, he can also provide some stretch.

第二个备选方案可能也是最有可能的首发阵容，因为它保护伦纳德和乔治免于身体疲劳或不舒服，并带给快船一个高大的阵容。快船随着沙美特下放到替补席上，首发阵容上会失去一个可以3分投篮，能够拉开空间以及另一个能控球的球员，但是他们会用格林来支撑他们的篮板，增加了尺寸和防守的韧性。如果他能复制上赛季41.3%的投篮命中率（应该是三分命中率），他也能够拉开一些空间。

Another possibility could be starting Shamet over Beverley in the second lineup — Shamet said he has been told he’ll play some point guard next season — though Shamet’s shooting might become too important for a second unit that runs a ton of Lou Williams-Montrezl Harrell pick-and-rolls.

另一种可能的情况是，在第二套备选的首发阵容中，让沙美特首发，而不是贝弗利——沙美特说他被告知下个赛季他会打一些控球后卫——尽管沙美特的投篮对于拥有卢-威廉姆斯-蒙特雷兹-哈雷尔组合大量挡拆的第二阵容来说，可能是非常的重要。

The Clippers could also split the difference and have a flexible starting lineup in which they shift Green or Shamet depending on the matchups. By the postseason, expect the the first lineup to play more and possibly close games (with Harrell or Green in Zubac’s place).

快船也可以打散各种不同的备选方案，拥有灵活的首发阵容，根据比赛的不同，他们可以灵活的换成格林或沙美特。到季后赛时，预计第一套备选首发阵容将会打更多的比赛时间，而且可能是势均力敌的关键比赛(由哈雷尔或格林代替祖巴茨)。

Regardless of the lineup choice, Rivers will likely have to stagger his rotation more than he has in the past. He has typically preferred to operate with two separate units, often mixing them in the fourth quarter and crunch time. But with superstars like Leonard and George, there is some value to keeping one on the floor at all times, and giving them the offensive reps and shots they may not get when they’re both on the floor together.

不管阵容如何的选择，里弗斯很可能要比过去更加倾向于错开他的轮换。他通常更喜欢用两个独立的阵容来打一场比赛，而往往在第四节和关键时刻进行混搭。但是对于像伦纳德和乔治这样的超级明星来说，在球场上，始终保持其中一个在场，给与他进攻核心和投篮机会，这是有价值的。（当他们两个同时都在场上时，可能达不到这种效果）

When will Paul George be healthy and ready to play?

George’s health and playing status loom over the start of the Clippers’ regular season. He had a procedure to repair a small labrum tear in his left shoulder roughly a month ago and had surgery to fix a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder a few weeks before that.

乔治的健康和比赛状态影响着快船队常规赛的开局表现。大约一个月前，他接受了一个左肩上唇肌肉的微弱撕裂修复手术，并在几周前接受了右肩旋转肌手术。

Initial reports suggested he will be evaluated at the beginning of training camp. That scenario presents a realistic option that he misses most, if not all, of training camp and preseason.

初步报告显示，他将在训练营开始时接受评估。这种情况提供了一个现实的选择，要不错过全部的训练营和季前赛时间，要不就是错过训练营和季前赛的大部分的时间。

But there’s no guarantee he’s back by then. A reevaluation does not mean he’ll be ready to play — recovery for shoulder injuries, in some cases, can be unpredictable and take longer than expected. He could miss some regular-season action. And once he resumes basketball activity, he will need weeks to return to playing like his normal self.

但不能保证他之后会回来。重新评估并不意味着他已经准备好上场了——在某些情况下，肩部受伤的恢复可能是不可预测的，并且需要比预期的更长的时间。他可能会错过一些常规赛的比赛。一旦他恢复篮球活动，他需要几周时间才能恢复正常状态。

The Clippers surely did their homework on George’s long-term health. If they had any concerns over his availability, they would have expressed those to Leonard and passed on trading for George. General manager Michael Winger came from Oklahoma City and has a good relationship with Thunder general manager Sam Presti. George’s status had to have been discussed.

快船队肯定为乔治的长期健康做足了功课。如果他们之前对他的使用价值有任何顾虑，他们很可能会把这些情况告诉给伦纳德，然后终止乔治的交易。总经理迈克尔-温格出身于雷霆队，与雷霆总经理萨姆·普雷斯蒂有着良好的关系。乔治的情况肯定是经过了讨论的。

But if there’s one thing that could potentially derail the Clippers’ regular season, it would be a delayed return from George.

但是如果有一件事可能会破坏快船队的常规赛，那就是乔治的推迟回归。

How will the Clippers load-manage their stars?

The plan as of now is for Leonard to continue to load-manage next season — and likely for the rest of his career. That means he will rest every three to six games (he played six or more games consecutively just twice last season) with or without George available.

目前的计划是让伦纳德在下赛季继续负荷管理，并且很可能在他的剩余的职业生涯中继续这样。也就是说，不管乔治在不在，他都会每三到六场比赛休息一次(上赛季他连续打了六场或更多场比赛，只有两次)。

In the ideal scenario, George is back to start the season, and the Clippers can strategically rest Leonard in certain matchups against worse teams — and in back-to-backs, regardless of opponent — and simply rely more on George, a former No. 1 option and MVP candidate.

在理想的情况下，在乔治回来开始新赛季了之后，快船可以在与实力比较差的球队的某些比赛中战略性地让伦纳德休息——无论对手是谁，都可以背靠背休息——而只需要更多地依靠乔治，一个前球队老大和最有价值球员候选人。

But if that’s not possible, the Clippers will be forced to rest Leonard and run out a squad that resembles last season’s 48-win core minus Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have the depth and versatility to play without Leonard and George in certain matchups, but they could easily drop some of these rest games if they’re not careful. Would Leonard be willing to tweak his resting to preserve the team’s record?

但是如果这不可能的话，快船将被迫让伦纳德休息，并祭出一支除去达尼罗-加里纳利和吉利-吉尔吉奥斯-亚历山大两名主力，类似于上赛季48胜的阵容。在某些比赛中，没有伦纳德和乔治，他们有深厚的板凳和多个功能性的角色球员，但是如果他们不小心的话，他们很容易输掉一些轮休的比赛。伦纳德愿意调整他的休息时间来保持球队的战绩吗？

There’s also the matter of George’s rest. Could Leonard’s load management — and all of the long-term success it afforded him last season — rub off on George with his shoulder injuries? That’s to be determined, but it can’t be ruled out. It’s another element to factor in when theorizing about the Clippers’ record and where they’ll rank in the West playoff picture.

还有乔治休息的问题。伦纳德的负荷管理—以及上赛季带给他成功的长期打法问题——会不会让乔治肩膀受伤？这有待确定，但不能排除。这是推理快船的战绩以及他们在西部季后赛中的排名时要考虑的另一个因素。

What are the minimum expectations from 2019 to 2021?

The surprising news out of Wednesday’s announcements was that Leonard signed a three-year, $103.1 million deal featuring a third-year player option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. That means Leonard and George can both opt out and hit free agency in 2021, placing additional pressure on the Clippers’ front office to maximize their on-court success over the next two seasons.

据《体育画报》的沙姆斯-查拉尼亚报道，周三新闻中最令人惊讶的消息是伦纳德签署了一份为期三年、价值1.031亿美元的合同，其中包括第三年的球员选项。这意味着莱纳德和乔治都可以选择跳出合同，并在2021年成为自由球员，这给快船队的管理层带来了额外的压力，以使他们在接下来的两个赛季里必须在球场上取得最大的成功。

The decision to sign a shorter deal makes sense for Leonard. If he exercises his player option in 2021, or plays out his contract until 2022, he’ll be eligible for the 10-year max, in which he can earn 35 percent of the salary cap (compared with 30 percent) and 8 percent annual raises (compared with 5 percent). The Clippers could offer him a four-year, $196 million contract (that’s subject to change depending on how much the cap increases).

决定签署更短年限的合同，对伦纳德来说是有意义的。如果他在2021年行使他的球员选项，或者在2022年时候完成他的合同，他将有资格获得10年工龄的最高工资，十年工龄的他可以获得35%的工资帽上限(相比之下是30%)和8%的年薪增长率(相比之下是5%)。快船可以给他一份为期四年、价值1.96亿美元的合同(这将根据工资帽上限的增加而变化)。

At the same time, there’s a doomsday scenario — however unlikely — that the Clippers underachieve and both Leonard and George leave in 2021 free agency. That’s a loaded free-agent class, so the Clippers could pivot and sign another max free agent or two. But in the case they don’t, the franchise would face a partially compromised future with as many as five of their first-round picks in the hands of the Thunder from 2021 to 2026.

与此同时，有一个世界末日的场景会发生——无论多么不太可能——快船表现不佳，伦纳德和乔治都将在2021年自由转会。这是一个饱和的自由市场大年，所以快船可以退而求其次，签下另外一个或者两个顶薪自由球员。但如果他们不这样做，球队将可能面临惨淡的未来，从2021年到2026年，多达五个快船的首轮选秀权将掌握在雷霆手中。

The Clippers are Vegas’ title favorites or co-favorites depending on the sports book. They have arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league and the deepest roster. They should be in the hunt for the championship in 2019-20 and 2020-21, barring any significant health concerns. That doesn’t mean it’s championship or bust with this group. But it feels like they have to make the conference finals, at a minimum, both of these next two seasons to satisfy Leonard and George.

依据《sports book》的数据显示（sports book是一个体育博彩网站，暂时没有对应的译名），快船是拉斯维加斯新赛季的冠军热门或准热门。他们可以说拥有联盟中最好的1到2名的王牌球员和最深的阵容。除非有任何重大的健康问题，他们应该在2019-20和2020-21年争夺冠军。但是这并不意味着这个球队不是冠军就是失败。但感觉他们至少要在接下来的两个赛季里打入决赛，才能让伦纳德和乔治满意。

The organization has been developing its culture and infrastructure to support star players. Perhaps Leonard and George feel comfortable, believe in the direction of the franchise and love playing in L.A. But come playoff time, there will be pressure on the Clippers outside of the ordinary burden of competition.

快船队一直在发展其文化和基础设施，以支持明星球员。也许伦纳德和乔治会感觉很舒服，相信球队的努力方向，喜欢在洛杉矶打球。但是到了季后赛的时候，快船将会面临超出正常竞争额外的负担的压力。

Top photo of Kawhi Leonard: Tom Szczerbowski / USA TODAY Sports

科怀-伦纳德的最佳照片:汤姆-兹切尔博斯基/今日美国体育