在一个赛季中，你总会有一些比赛打得不好。这就是我们球队目前的情况。我们似乎不能连续打出两场漂亮仗。在12月，我们和许多强队有过精彩的对决，到了1月份，面对实力不强的对手，我们却打得很辛苦。究竟是为什么呢？相信我们，我们想打出漂亮的比赛，每次赛前我们都希望能够四节都打出水平。我认为我们的防守强度在下降，防守的注意力也在下降，而这正是赛季初让我们取得成功的关键。一些简单的动作，比如滑步造进攻犯规、为被突破的队友补防，这些必须成为我们防守的基础。由于我们失去了姚明，队中现在没有人能够在篮下接二连三送出盖帽(当我成了球队的盖帽王时，事情就危险了，哈哈！)。我们必须依靠速度、灵活和积极性去加强我们的防守。许多人都认为我们的进攻是个问题，但我不同意。现在的情况是：只要我们整体防守做得好，那我们就可以满场飞奔，互相协助，提升比赛强度，最终进攻端也将受益。当我们做好防守，就可以迫使对手有更多失误，我们获得更多的反击，投进更多的球，发挥出更多能量。尽管听起来很奇怪，但的确对我们来说，最好的进攻就是防守。我深信不疑。

按照这种说法，我相信我们队的表现将得到提升。每支球队都会有低潮期。现在还不是互相指责和挑剔的时候。现在我们应该做的是更加努力、更加团结。这才是一个出色的团队和个人在面对困难时应该做的。就像我的一位队友(阿里扎)纹在身上的这句话：“Tough times don't last, tough people do（艰难时期不会长久，能吃苦的人会笑到最后）!”

我喜欢这话。

回见，

肖恩

原文如下——

During the course of a season, you are bound to play some sub-par basketball. That is where we are right now as a basketball team. We just can't seem to put together two good games in a row. After a December in which we played great basketball against some great teams, we have struggled in January to put away some of the teams with poor records. The question is, why? Trust us, we want to play good basketball, and we go into every game thinking that we are going to put together 4 quarters of good hoops. I believe that our defense has become softer and that our mental concentration on the little aspects of defense, the aspects that we executed successfully in the early season, has become a tad less focused. Simple plays like sliding over to take a charge or helping your teammate when he gets beat off the dribble must be staples our defense. Since we lost Yao, we really don't have anyone to protect the rim with consistent shot blocking (you know you are in trouble when I am the leading shotblocker, ha!). We must rely on speed, quickness, and anticipation to play strong team defense. Many people think that our offense is the issue, but I would disagree with those people. What happens with our team is that when we play great team defense and we are flying all over the court, helping each other and playing with great intensity, it carries over the offensive end. When we are amped up on defense, we tend to create more turnovers, get out on the break more, shoot better, and play with a better level of energy. It is strange to say, but our best offense is a good defense. I truly believe that.

With that said, I am confident that we will improve our play. Every team goes though a bit of a slump. Now is not the time to point fingers or place blame. Now is the time to work harder and become even more together as a team. That is what good teams and good individuals do during the tough times. As the tatoo reads on one of my teammates arm "Tough times don't last, tough people do!"

I like that.

Talk to you soon,

shane