https://reurl.cc/eGvqWj
The Nets are supposed to be tanking for Cooper Flagg (or Ace Bailey) but they
’re not buying it: ‘We don’t use that word’
籃網被認為應該為了Cooper Flagg或Ace Bailey開坦，但他們並不買帳：「我們不用
那個詞」
NEW YORK -- Don’t tell the Brooklyn Nets they’re supposed to be tanking for
Duke’s Cooper Flagg or Rutgers stars Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.
“We don’t use some of those words [like ‘tanking’], so it’s go compete,
go compete and let the chips fall where they may,” Nets GM Sean Marks told
NJ.com in an exclusive interview before the Nets lost to the Knicks, 124-122,
in an NBA Cup game Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Nets trailed by
21 points in the third quarter but took the lead in the final seconds before
Jalen Brunson hit a game-winning 3-pointer.
When Brooklyn dealt Mikal Bridges to the rival Knicks in a blockbuster summer
trade that brought back four first-round picks, including one in next summer’
s star-driven NBA Draft, it was widely understood that the Nets were trying
to “Wave the White Flagg for Cooper Flagg.”
Entering the 2024-25 NBA season, the Nets were No. 1 on Tankathon.com in
terms of odds to land the No. 1 pick, which could be Flagg, the uber-talented
6-foot-9 Duke freshman, but also could be the 6-10 Bailey, who scored 17
points, including a highlight-reel dunk, in his Rutgers debut Friday night.
紐約——別告訴布魯克林籃網他們應該為了杜克大學的Cooper Flagg 或羅格斯大學的明
星 Ace Bailey 和 Dylan Harper開坦。
「我們不使用一些詞語（像是『坦』），所以我們是去競爭、去努力，然後隨機應變。」
籃網GM Sean Marks在麥迪遜花園廣場的NBA杯比賽中，籃網以124比122輸給尼克之前，接
受NJ.com的專訪時這樣說道。籃網在第三節一度落後21分，但在最後幾秒反超比分，隨後
尼克的Jalen Brunson 命中致勝三分球。
今年夏天，布魯克林將Mikal Bridges交易到對手尼克，換來四個首輪選秀權，包括明年
明星雲集的NBA選秀中的一個選秀權時，很多人都認為籃網正為了「揮舞白旗迎接Flagg」
而努力。
（雙關：“Wave the White Flagg for Cooper Flagg.”）
進入2024-25 NBA賽季，籃網在Tankathon.com上被列為獲得狀元簽的頭號熱門，這可能是
杜克大學那位才華橫溢、身高6尺9的Cooper Flagg也可能是身高6尺10、週五在羅格斯大學
首秀中拿下17分並完成一次精彩扣籃的Bailey。
The over/under on the Nets win total was 19.5, per Vegas oddsmakers.
But under first-year coach Jordi Fernandez, the Nets (5-8) are competing hard
and and would be in the mix for the Play-In Tournament if the postseason
started today. Which, of course, it does not.
Even when they lose, they are competitive. They led the reigning NBA champion
Boston Celtics by 13 points on Wednesday before losing, 139-114.
Against the Knicks, Cam Thomas poured in 43 points and Dennis Schröder hit a
go-ahead 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left before Brunson’s game-winner.
“Credit my guys, we talked about continuing to believe and fight and fight
together,” Fernandez said. “Even though we were down 18 in the fourth, we
kept fighting and we found a way. And we didn’t stop fighting.”
He added: “Losing hurts, and it hurts to all of us. Right there we showed
our identity, and nobody can take that away from us. Nobody.”
根據拉斯維加斯賭盤，籃網的勝場預測值為19.5場。
但在首年執教的Jordi Fernandez帶領下，籃網（5勝8負）打得非常拼命，如果現在是季
後賽，他們將有機會爭奪附加賽名額。但當然，現在還早。
即使輸球，他們的比賽也極具競爭力。週三對陣衛冕冠軍波士頓塞爾提克時，籃網一度
領先13分，但最終以139比114落敗。
對陣尼克時，Cam Thomas拿下43分，Dennis Schröder在比賽還剩11.5秒時投中關鍵三
分球，隨後Brunson命中致勝球。
「給我的球員們點讚，我們談到要繼續相信繼續奮鬥、一起奮鬥。」Jordi Fernandez說
。「即使第四節落後18分，我們仍然在努力，我們找到方法，並且從未停止奮鬥。」
他補充道：「失敗讓人痛苦，對我們所有人來說都很痛苦。我們展示了我們的身份，沒有
人能奪走這一點，沒有人。」
After the loss, the Nets were projected to draft at No. 8, with Tankathon
projecting they will 7-foot-2 Duke freshman big man Khaman Maluach -- not
Flagg or Bailey.
“I think you navigate the season as it goes, and you don’t go into a season
saying this is where we’re going to be, this is how it’s going to end,”
Marks said outside the visiting locker room at the Garden. “There’s a lot
of unforeseen things.”
He added: “You’ve gotta give credit to these players, they’re playing with
a chip on their shoulder, the coaches are doing a helluva job, so that’s
exciting to see. It’s exciting to see an identity being formed and a culture
being driven. So who am I to push back on that?”
在輸給尼克之後，籃網目前預測將以第八順位選擇杜克大學7尺2的新生大個子Khaman
Maluach，而非Flagg或Bailey。
「我認為你必須隨著賽季的發展來應對，不能一開始就決定我們會在哪裡，或者賽季會如
何結束。」Marks在麥迪遜花園球場的客隊更衣室外說。「還有很多不可預見的事情。」
他補充道：「這些球員值得讚許，他們帶著鬥志在比賽，教練團也做得非常出色，這讓人
感到興奮。看到一種身份被塑造、一種文化被推動，這很令人激動。所以我怎麼可能反對
呢？」
Marks, of course, is doing his due diligence ahead of what’s expected to be
a potentially historic draft next summer.
After the Bridges trade, the Nets now have 15 first-round picks over the next
seven years, including four in 2025.
“This year specifically, with all the picks that we have, we have to be
scouting a very wide range,” Marks said. “And that’s fine, that’s
exciting, we’ve never had that opportunity before.”
The highest pick the Nets have had since Marks became GM in 2016 was No. 17
in 2019, which they used on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was promptly traded
and ended up in New Orleans.
The Nets haven’t had a lottery pick since choosing Derrick Favors at No. 3
in 2010. Favors has been out of the NBA for three years.
Marks當然也在為預期會是歷史性選秀的明年夏天做準備。
在Bridges交易之後，籃網未來七年內有15個首輪選秀權，包括2025年的四個。
「今年尤其是，考慮到我們擁有的所有選秀權，我們必須對非常廣泛的範圍進行偵察。」
Marks說。「這很好，也很令人興奮，這是我們以前從未有過的機會。」
自2016年Marks成為總經理以來，籃網選秀順位最高的一次是在2019年第17順位，他們
選擇了Nickeil Alexander-Walker，但隨即被交易到紐奧良。
籃網自2010年以第三順位選中Derrick Favors以來，還未曾獲得過樂透選秀權。而
Derrick Favors已經離開NBA三年。
Ahead of next year’s draft, Marks has attended multiple Rutgers’ games,
including the preseason exhibition with Rick Pitino’s St. John’s club where
both Marks and Nets assistant GM B.J. Johnson were in attendance on a night
when Bailey and Harper combined for 45 points.
After that game, one NBA scout said of Bailey: “He’s [among the] top-3
youth players in the world. Everyone has Cooper Fever, [but] he will
challenge Cooper for No. 1.
“It’s not clear cut.”
There’s still a long way to go in this NBA season -- and an even longer time
before the draft.
A lot can happen.
The Nets could go into a tailspin and emerge with one of the top picks in the
draft. Adam Silver could end up announcing Flagg or Bailey or Harper to the
Nets on draft night.
But for now, the Nets are competing and could end up in the mix for a playoff
spot, in which case they’d miss out on potential franchise-changing players
like Flagg or Bailey.
“Well, these guys [on the Nets] have done something really right if that’s
the case,” Marks said, “and I love that.”
在明年選秀之前，Marks已經多次參加羅格斯大學的比賽，包括在一場對抗Rick Pitino
執教的聖約翰隊的季前熱身賽時，Marks和籃網助理總經理B.J. Johnson都出現在現場。那
場比賽中，Bailey和Harper合力拿下45分
比賽後，一位NBA球探這樣評價Bailey：「他是世界上排名前三的年輕球員之一。每個人都
對Copper（Flagg）瘋狂，但他會挑戰Cooper的狀元地位。」
「這並不明顯。」
NBA賽季還有很長的路要走，而距離選秀更是遙遠。
很多事情可能會發生。
籃網可能會陷入低迷，並獲得選秀前幾名的機會。Adam Silver最終可能在選秀之夜宣布
Flagg or Bailey or Harper 加入籃網。
但目前為止，籃網正在全力競爭，甚至有可能爭奪季後賽席位，而這可能讓他們錯過像
Flagg或Bailey這樣能改變球隊命運的球員。
「嗯，如果是這樣的話，這些籃網球員確實做對了什麼事情，」Marks說道，「而且我非
常喜歡這樣。」
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籃網聘請一個菜鳥總教練、跟火箭交易拿回自己首輪、把大橋交易到尼克，開季前一臉就
是要直衝選秀狀元的樣子
只是沒想到這個招弟居然是真貨，籃網這季幾乎都是強制五五開，雖然戰績5W8L沒有很亮
眼，但賽事內容都蠻不錯的，先前Stein報說籃網高層可能會加速交易老將，Sean Marks
這採訪算是目前穩定軍心吧，也有可能是不說死以免交易市場時被砍價？（雖然的確也不
能說「對，我們就是要坦」）
--
