Y13 [EN]: Chapter 111

Y13-111 2010-11 Regular Season

After Nowitzki’s fantastic score, New Orleans seemed to lose momentum, but Chris Paul, with a determined look in his eyes, began to orchestrate the game.

[Even with an injury, Chris Paul maintains a steady dribble!]

[Jason Kidd is defending, but Trevor Ariza sets up a screen!]

Chris Paul glanced at Ariza’s screen but drove in the opposite direction. Despite Kidd’s experience, he couldn’t contain Chris Paul’s explosive drive and clever use of the screen as a feint.

Beeeep-!

Kidd fouled Chris Paul, stopping his drive. Fortunately, it wasn’t a foul before the 14-second mark, so it didn’t reset the shot clock.

Whoosh-

Chris Paul received the ball, drove towards the basket, then executed a step-back and immediately shot a mid-range jumper. The ball swished through the net.

Swish-

[It’s Chris Paul! Jason Kidd’s defense was solid, but not enough to stop CP3’s shot!]

Paul showed no emotion after making the shot, encouraging his teammates and urging them to get back on defense. Youngjae recognized Paul as a player who couldn’t be underestimated. Kidd, slightly annoyed by Paul’s play, calmly assessed the situation and initiated the attack.

Whoosh!

[Jason Kidd’s brilliant! An amazing behind-the-back pass!]

The problem was that the pass went to Haywood, who had replaced Chandler. Haywood’s form had declined this season, and his ball-handling was so poor that he was nicknamed ‘butterfingers.’ He struggled to receive Kidd’s pass, and this time was no different.

[Chris Paul steals the ball! Just as expected from the steal king!]

Paul dribbled the stolen ball and sprinted forward. Bellinelli and Ariza were already running towards the opponent’s court, and Paul aimed to utilize their fast break ability with a pass.

Thud!

“?!”

[Youngjae Yoon! When did he get there?! He stole the ball, accurately reading Chris Paul’s pass!]

[Looking closely, Shawn Marion is in the paint, and Trevor Ariza was close to Marion, so CP3’s choice to pass to the safer Bellinelli was logical. But Y13 anticipated all of that, narrowly escaping CP3’s sight, and the moment he passed, he closely marked Bellinelli and intercepted the pass!]

Youngjae dribbled the stolen ball towards the rim at incredible speed. In his past life, Youngjae, at 6-0 (183cm), had decent speed in the NBA. Now, at 6-5 (196cm) with a muscular physique, his longer stride and increased power gave him faster and better dribbling ability than before.

[He passes Carl Landry and penetrates from the right wing to the low post, it’s Youngjae Yoon!]

[Chris Paul retreats to block Youngjae Yoon!]

In his past life, Youngjae wouldn’t have been able to push Chris Paul with his strength. But the current Youngjae was different. He took a strong step with his right foot, shoving his left shoulder into Chris Paul’s upper body. Securing a favorable position, he pushed through Chris Paul’s defense and took an even bigger step with his left foot.

“Ha!!”

Bang!!!

[Wow, wow!! Amazing, Youngjae Yoon! A Euro-step [a move where a player takes a step to the side while dribbling to avoid a defender] using his physical advantage over Chris Paul, followed by an in-your-face one-handed dunk!!]

[Brian Cardinal, Corey Brewer, and Tyson Chandler, watching from the bench, jump to their feet and cheer!]

[With this, the score is 7 to 2! New Orleans coach Monty Williams calls a timeout just three minutes into the game! He clearly felt the need to change the momentum.]

Hanging on the rim with one hand, Youngjae looked down at Chris Paul’s humiliated face. He acted arrogant and intimidating, but his heart pounded. Chris Paul’s fingertip had brushed the ball as Youngjae stepped with his left foot.

‘…’

Determined not to let his guard down, Youngjae released the rim and landed on the court.

[It’s truly amazing; it only took four seconds from stealing the ball to crossing the half-court line and dunking! That’s unbelievably fast!]

[That’s why he’s the starting shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks! And why Dallas is in first place this season!]

The momentum shifted to Dallas. Coach Carlisle, as he’d told the players before the game, began to refine the team’s overall performance by rotating ten players in preparation for the playoffs.

[Rodrigue Beaubois, after returning from injury, has lost some of his previous explosiveness but seems to be showing more stability!]

[That’s right. Dallas invested heavily in developing Beaubois as a point guard during the last offseason. But after joining the French national team, an unexpected injury disrupted his progress. Suspiciously, the French national team announced that the injury wasn’t serious, but when Beaubois left the national team and underwent a thorough examination, it was revealed that he had a fractured little toe.]

If he had played even one game in that condition, Beaubois might have left the NBA without a chance to recover, like Youngjae in his past life. However, Beaubois remembered Youngjae’s advice when he was in pain and decided not to trust the national team’s medical staff. He contacted the club, and the club’s medical staff re-examined him.

[Thanks to the quick treatment, Beaubois’s condition is improving rapidly, isn’t it?]

[Of course. He didn’t perform well against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Rodrigue Beaubois is forging his own path in a different direction than expected!]

Beaubois received the ball from Brian Cardinal and looked around. Willie Green was blocking him on the left side. Jason Terry and Jarret Jack were on the opposite side, and Ian Mahinmi was positioned behind Willie Green, with Jason Smith backing him up.

[Ian Mahinmi! He steps out slightly in front of Rodrigue Beaubois and sets up a screen! Willie Green is caught by Mahinmi!]

Beaubois shook off Willie Green, feeling an urge to explode forward like before his injury. But he knew he couldn’t do that in his current physical condition.

[Rodrigue Beaubois hesitates for a moment!]

[Jason Smith, who was guarding Mahinmi, reaches for a steal during Beaubois’s hesitation! That’s too hasty of a steal attempt!]

As soon as Beaubois saw Smith’s attempt, he dribbled the ball behind his back from his left hand to his right, accelerated, and easily passed Jason Smith.

Swish-

[Beaubois! Great dribbling skills! The speed has decreased, but other aspects of his game are still sharp!]

[An easy layup might seem simple, but creating an easy layup is a skill! The fact that he can create such an easy layup proves that Rodrigue Beaubois’s potential is still endless!]

From Rodrigue Beaubois’s performance to the resurgence of Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic’s sharp outside shooting, and Corey Brewer’s fast break ability gradually fitting into the Dallas system, Coach Carlisle was satisfied that everyone was in good condition except for Brandon Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, who were in a slump. In the playoffs, which are short-term battles, it was common to rely on 8-9 key players from the 15-man roster.

“Hoo!”

Moreover, the starters’ chemistry was better than ever. Nowitzki’s excellent shooting and clutch ability were the core of Dallas’s offense, and Tyson Chandler, using his mobility and height as the center of the team’s defense, properly distributed roles in attack and defense, creating tremendous synergy. Jason Kidd’s leadership and Shawn Marion’s matrix-like [referring to his incredible athleticism and defensive abilities, like something out of the movie “The Matrix”] physical ability were also excellent.

And Youngjae topped it off. His slashing ability, stable outside shots, and smart defense significantly improved the Dallas starters’ plus-minus [a statistic that measures a player’s impact on the score while they are on the court]. Even now, he made a tough shot while being defended by Jarret Jack.

Even with Chris Paul guarding him closely, it was the same. If he was careful about steals, Chris Paul wasn’t in good enough physical condition to defend Youngjae. Youngjae wanted Chris Paul to guard him, creating opportunities for Kidd or Beaubois to play more freely.

Chris Paul was frustrated. He wanted to win the last game of the season before the playoff match against Dallas, but he felt it was impossible against Dallas, who was playing their best basketball. New Orleans wasn’t performing well, and he questioned coach Monty Williams’s decisions in player utilization. New Orleans’ performance fluctuated wildly depending on Paul’s presence and condition.

Chris Paul had no choice but to sit on the bench and watch New Orleans lose by more than 20 points in the fourth quarter. When the final whistle blew, he approached Youngjae, who had performed well, and shook hands without even talking to his teammates, his expression resentful.

“…”

There were no special words between the two players. Just the unspoken understanding that if they met in the next game, it wouldn’t end like this. That meaning passed between them.

Dallas won the last game 125-85, a 40-point victory.

[Yes, Dallas finishes the regular season with a dominant victory. They end the season with 62 wins and 20 losses, finishing first in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs are second with 61 wins and 21 losses. Dallas faltered in the second half, but San Antonio was even more sluggish, allowing Dallas to rise to first place.]

[That’s right. With today’s game, all the playoff matchups are set. The first round of the playoffs will be held from April 16 after a two-day break. The Dallas Mavericks will face the Portland Trail Blazers, and the San Antonio Spurs will face the Memphis Grizzlies. Thank you for watching.]

Dallas

Dirk Nowitzki: 32 points, 6 rebounds

Youngjae Yoon: 19 points, 7 assists

Rodrigue Beaubois: 17 points, 4 assists

New Orleans

Jarrett Jack: 22 points, 7 assists

Marco Belinelli: 14 points, 2 steals

Chris Paul: 7 points, 8 assists

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

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

@This whole offseason, the market is going crazy due to the surge in the salary cap [the maximum amount of money a team can spend on player salaries] in the year after next. Most 3&D [three-point shooting and defense] players are starting with 10M as a base. It seems like most All-Star level players are just getting the maximum. Since the salary cap in the year after next will increase by almost 1.5 times or more, even if you give the maximum this season, it will be like using it at a bargain price from the year after next. From the team’s point of view, it would be best to have a 5-year contract if possible.

Financia/// First comment!! Thank you~

H0H/// No, it’s not ㅠ.ㅠ

CountOfDark, Omarion, Kundara/// Thank you for commenting!!

Moon DewdropºHeaven/// Hmm, I don’t know if it’s in a good way or a bad way. There are a lot of rumors about LeBron this season. There are also a lot of rumors about his relationship with the coach… The problem is whether the front office will build the team to the level LeBron wants. If possible, the front office will grab all the players, and LeBron will stay.

Oopsyam/// Thank you for the coupon and recommendation~~

zigichacha/// Yes, if he leaves, it will be a legendary level in a bad way as you said. So if possible, the club will do whatever LeBron asks, and LeBron will stay. It’s a loss for the club if LeBron leaves, and the current Cleveland is the most ideal for LeBron.

-DarkANGEL-, misscherry, Caebavam, Jizoncheonha/// Thank you for always commenting!!

Senbyun/// Thank you for reading everything. To answer your comment, we couldn’t help it either. If you look at Joara sports novels, MVP [Most Valuable Player], Ballon d’Or [Best soccer player in the world], and Cy Young [Best pitcher in baseball] are almost basic settings in the first 1-2 years;;ㅋㅋ Most people get bored if you drag it on for too long. We slowed down the growth rate because we are a growth story. There are many people who want Youngjae to grow more now.

Youngjae’s skills have improved a lot compared to before the regression, but basically, his physicals have improved a lot. Still, he was not selected for the All-Star in his first season. We tried to slow down the growth rate and maintain plausibility and reality. Basically, most of the skill sets were good in his past life, and his shooting has grown rapidly after the regression.