Y13 [EN]: Chapter 102

Y13-102 Regular Season 2010-11

As mid-March approached, Dallas was enjoying a high winning percentage thanks to Youngjae’s resurgence and Tyson Chandler’s return. After a victory against the New York Knicks, they suffered a narrow 2-point loss to the LA Lakers, followed by two consecutive wins against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. During the Golden State game, Youngjae kept an eye on Lin, hoping to see him play. Unfortunately, Lin wasn’t getting much playing time with Golden State. In the brief 10 minutes they were on the court together, Youngjae sensed that while Jeremy Lin was showing some potential, he didn’t seem to have a future with the team.

After that, Dallas suffered a 4-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but then brought Golden State back home and crushed them with a score of 103 to 70 in a game that was essentially garbage time [a period in a game when the outcome is already decided]. Dallas was currently boasting an impressive record of 52 wins and 17 losses. If it weren’t for the dominant San Antonio Spurs, Dallas would have been in first place overall.

Despite his busy schedule, Youngjae always made sure to check NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] articles and highlights. San Diego State University (SDSU), the Aztecs, were considered weaker than the previous season, but as a powerhouse in the Mountain West Conference and a team with the best defense in NCAA Division 1, they had qualified for the March Madness tournament [the annual NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament].

The Aztecs had a 20-game winning streak until the end of January, making them the only undefeated team in the West. However, they suffered two losses to Brigham Young University, led by Jimmer Fredette, both at home and away, finishing the conference with an impressive record of 29 wins and 2 losses. If it weren’t for Brigham Young University, they could have entered the tournament undefeated. Brigham Young University also had a great season with a record of 27 wins and 4 losses.

The Aztecs, who started their March Madness (National Tournament) schedule on March 17th, defeated the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in the round of 64, and then Temple University in the round of 32, leaving only the REGIONALS (regional tournament including the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) round. In the Sweet Sixteen game on March 24th, the Aztecs had to face NCAA powerhouse, the University of Connecticut (UCONN), also known as the Huskies, in a single-elimination match. Coincidentally, this was also the day that Youngjae’s Dallas Mavericks had a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Youngjae and the other returning members from last year—D.J. Gay, Kelvin Davis, and Malcolm Thomas—were proud of the Aztecs’ performance. Based on Kawhi Leonard’s tremendous improvement compared to last year, the experienced defense of senior duo Brian Carwell and Billy White’s improved shooting ability, and the enhanced skills of sophomores Alec Williams and Chase Tapley, the Aztecs were contributing to the miracle of the underdog.

[09-10 The Golden Age of the Aztecs, Will They Finally Shine in 10-11?]

The Aztecs were eliminated in the round of 32 in the 09-10 season. The 09-10 season was when the Aztecs, who had consistently participated in the national tournament with the best defense in the NCAA, began to pursue new changes.

The lineup that led the golden age at the time was D.J. Gay – Youngjae Yoon – Billy White – Kawhi Leonard – Malcolm Thomas. Kelvin Williams and Brian Carwell were the sixth men, and Chase Tapley and Alec Williams played as bench members.

Among them, Youngjae Yoon can be named as the main player who brought new changes to the Aztecs. If a team with the strongest defense has a consistent and reliable scorer, would there be a team that could beat them? The Aztecs showed an amazing performance at that time. Of course, the Aztecs’ performance at that time was not at the Final Four level. But the Aztecs at that time had only one thing: bad luck.

Youngjae Yoon, the ace of the Aztecs at the time, showed a sensational performance against the University of Maryland in the round of 64 but suffered a season-ending fractured nose injury at the end of the game. The Aztecs also suffered a narrow defeat in the round of 32 due to a lack of scoring.

Perhaps because of that? A year later, the Aztecs are still transforming into a team that is based on excellent defense and can also score to some extent. The most positive thing is that Kawhi Leonard’s average score last season was around 11 points, but this season it has soared to over 17 points. Kawhi Leonard, who was expected to participate in the draft with Youngjae Yoon, is keeping his promise by showing improved skills after spending another year honing his skills in the NCAA.

In addition, the progress of new starters Chase Tapley and Alec Williams is also a welcome sight. Alec Williams, who had a strong tweener [a player who doesn’t fit neatly into a single position] tendency, and Chase Tapley, who was a shooting guard but had weak ball-handling skills, have compensated for their weaknesses and are now perfect shooting guard and power forward starters. Their performance isn’t noticeably flashy, but considering their contribution to areas other than stats, it is undeniable that the two players are essential pieces for the Aztecs.

Finally, starting center Brian Carwell has reduced his power due to weight loss but has increased his durability, increasing his average playing time to around 30 minutes. This can be seen as raising the Aztecs’ defense to the next level.

(Omitted)

San Diego State University listed the donations and basketball equipment collected by the 09-10 golden age members Youngjae Yoon, D.J. Gay, Kelvin Williams, and Malcolm Thomas on its official website, wishing the four players all the best in the future. Currently, Youngjae Yoon is playing basketball for the Dallas Mavericks, D.J. Gay is playing for Unicaja Malaga in the Spanish League, Kelvin Williams is playing for Olympiacos BC in the Greek League, and Malcolm Thomas is playing for Ulsan Mobis in South Korea.

Re: Heartwarming.

Re: Even though the Aztecs have lost a lot of their strength from last season, the current Aztecs have a different flavor. How should I put it? Would you say their organization has become more solid?

Re: It’s clear that the Aztecs are getting better as they improve their constitution. If there hadn’t been a golden age in the 09-10 season, they wouldn’t have even thought about improving their constitution.

Re: Ugh, then they would have just played boring defensive basketball all the time. Games with average scores in the 50s would come out.

Re: Kawhi Leonard is quite promising. How many picks will he get in this draft?

Re: Predictions are that he will be in the lottery [the NBA Draft Lottery, used to determine the draft order], but it’s still too early to get excited.

Youngjae wasn’t good at using social media, so he kept in touch with the Aztecs members through personal contacts, encouraging each other and sharing various stories.

Moreover, Youngjae was satisfied with the article because it raised awareness of the Aztecs in countries with high NBA popularity and created a positive image of Youngjae.

Time passed quickly, and on March 23rd, the day before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks were holding a special event for the fans.

– MAVS Q&A Video –

The Dallas Mavericks’ official website received questions from fans about the players, and the players decided to hold an event where they would ask and answer selected questions through a live internet broadcast.

“Okay, 5 minutes before the broadcast.”

The players who gathered in one place at the PD’s [Production Director’s] words were giving slightly awkward smiles. A total of 6 players were participating in this event, including Youngjae, Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, Rodrigo Beaubois, Peja Stojakovic, and finally Corey Brewer.

“Broadcasting always makes me nervous.”

At Beaubois’ words, Youngjae and Brewer chuckled and patted Beaubois on the back.

“Isn’t the game also a broadcast? Think of it that way. Then it’s comfortable.”

“Yeah~ let’s think simply.”

“What are you nervous about? You’ve done interviews and press conferences many times after the game.”

“Well, you just read the script and answer honestly, right?”

The other three players, who had a lot of interview and broadcast experience, were leisurely waiting for the broadcast to start, skimming through the questions given to them.

“Okay, let me explain one last time. The order of asking and answering questions will be Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojakovic, Tyson Chandler, Youngjae Yoon, Corey Brewer, and Rodrigo Beaubois. We plan to proceed with a total of 3 to 5 questions per person, and please feel free to participate as if you are having a comfortable conversation. You can share any stories you want to share, even if it takes a little longer.”

As the PD’s explanation ended, the camera turned on, and the players politely greeted the camera. The broadcast writer made a voice and proceeded with the broadcast in a simple manner, and the players answered appropriately and naturally led the broadcast.

“So, the first question is. Dirk, don’t you have any thoughts of getting married yet? It seems like you’re obsessed with basketball! That’s the question. Uh… do I look like that? Do I look like that?”

Nowitzki had a really curious expression, and the players hesitated slightly and nodded.

“That’s right, captain. You don’t even meet your girlfriend during the season? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go home. When you practice, you and Yoon are always the first to come and the last to leave.”

At Chandler’s words, Peja nodded with a disgusted expression.

“I heard that I was quite harsh when I was with the Sacramento Kings, but I was nothing. Oh, don’t even mention it. I have to be able to go home without being noticed.”

Nowitzki made a bewildered expression and made a personal defense.

“No, I enjoy hobbies at home… I contact my girlfriend often. You all know that I read books and play the trumpet as a hobby. Right?”

“Then can you bring the trumpet now and listen to the performance?”

“Huh?”

Nowitzki asked back at Brewer’s sudden question, and the other four players clapped and cheered. The PD gestured to the broadcasting staff to bring the trumpet quickly, and the trumpet was rented from a nearby music store in about 10 minutes and appeared on the broadcast.

Nowitzki shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn’t help it and took the trumpet in a cool manner.

“Wow…”

When jazz-style music flowed from the trumpet, the PD and broadcasting staff, including the 5 players, were surprised by Nowitzki’s performance and couldn’t say anything.

After about 1 minute of fantastic performance, everyone who heard the performance applauded and gave Nowitzki a thumbs up.

“The next question is for me. Um. Peja, do you like the Sacramento Kings? Do you like the Dallas Mavericks? Um……”

As if asked, “Do you like Mom or Dad?” Peja scratched his head as if he was in trouble.

“This is embarrassing. Comparing my former team and my current team.”

“Hey, why are you avoiding it? Tell me honestly.”

At Chandler’s words, Peja stuttered, saying, “If that’s the case,” and then slightly opened his mouth.

“My memories of the Sacramento Kings were fantastic. Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie… they were good colleagues. Those 7 years were unforgettable. But… I’ve never won a championship. I don’t know how long I’ll be with Dallas, but I want to help the team and win a championship. When I first joined this team, my current colleagues welcomed me, and I’m having a good time. Our team is the best team right now, and I even feel sorry that I’m not a little younger.”

“So is it Dallas? Or Sacramento?”

“No, well, that’s just what I mean. Is that enough of an answer?”

Peja, who was smiling and reminiscing about old memories, passed the question on the sly when Chandler demanded a multiple-choice question.

============================ Author’s Comments ============================

★Thank you to those who gave advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

＠At the time, UCONN (Connecticut) was the actual 10-11 season NCAA champion. Looking at the actual record, the Aztecs lost to the championship team anyway. At the time, the Aztecs could have won the championship undefeated if they hadn’t lost twice to Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University is a consistently prestigious university and is famous for emphasizing Mormon doctrines. I heard that Lee Ju-han entered the school, and I hope he succeeds following in the footsteps of Choi Jin-soo. It seems that he finally satisfied the TOEFL score this year.

＠Peja Stojakovic was a legendary 3-point shooter and a member of the Millennium Kings [the Sacramento Kings team of the early 2000s]. Even though the ace was Webber, it is no exaggeration to say that the most threatening offensive option was Peja. He still has the most 3-point shots and the highest career free throw percentage in Sacramento. On December 17, 2014, he became the fourth retired number player in Sacramento Kings history.

※REGIONALS can be seen as meaning the regional tournament finals. The Final Four, called the Final Four, is where the representatives of each of the four regions into which American universities are divided compete. That’s how the bracket was set up in the first place.

늘어진소님///Thank you ㅎㅎ

찬란한유산님, 오마리온님/// You always watch it right away even though I upload it late ㅎㅎ

ㅎ0ㅎ님/// I tend to refrain from spoilers, but this much… I definitely don’t do it ㅋㅋ There’s no reason for it to come out, but.

야베스님/// Um, the Jordan LeBron comparison is a topic that is inherently very fiery in the basketball community. It seems to be more so because LeBron has 2 championships and 4 runner-up finishes.

지존천하님/// Thank you for your comment^^

모용사묵ㄱ지님/// Emily!!!

misscherry님, 쿤다라님, 여신유리찬양님, 파이넨시아님/// Thank you for always commenting!!