Y13 [EN]: Chapter 145

[Nowitzki and Haslem, the captains of both teams and franchise cornerstones, led their squads through the playoffs with identical 12-3 records. While Dallas swept the season series 2-0, those games occurred early in the season before Miami’s revamped roster fully gelled and found its rhythm.]

[Analyzing the teams, Dallas appears to hold advantages at point guard, power forward, and center. Jason Kidd’s experience and playmaking are a clear upgrade over Mike Bibby, and Dirk Nowitzki is widely considered a superior player to Chris Bosh. The difference between Tyson Chandler and Joel Anthony is substantial, akin to the gap between a top-tier team and a bottom-dweller.]

[Conversely, Miami boasts a significant edge at the shooting guard and small forward positions with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. While Youngjae Yoon and Shawn Marion are solid players, ranking among the league’s better players at their respective positions, they don’t quite measure up to the star power of Wade and James. Miami’s success hinges largely on the performance of these two. Outside of these positions, it’s difficult to identify areas where Miami clearly surpasses Dallas. However, Wade and James are certainly capable of single-handedly shifting the balance.]

[Dallas also appears to have a deeper bench, featuring J.J. Barea, Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic, and Brendan Haywood, compared to Miami’s unit led by Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, and Udonis Haslem. The edge in coaching also goes to Dallas, with Rick Carlisle’s proven track record outweighing Erik Spoelstra’s relative inexperience in his first season as head coach. This contrasts with five years prior when Pat Riley’s tactical brilliance overwhelmed the then-rookie coach Avery Johnson.]

After the commentators concluded their initial analysis, Mike Breen added,

[Despite high expectations surrounding Miami’s Big 3, their performance this season has arguably fallen short. While their individual talent has propelled them to the Finals, their team tactics only began to solidify in the latter half of the season. Although their organization has improved, they still heavily rely on the Big 3.]

Jeff Van Gundy and Steve Kerr echoed Breen’s sentiments, expressing similar concerns.

[LeBron James has averaged 38.8 minutes per game, contributing 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 3.6 turnovers, a performance befitting his reputation. His field goal percentage stands at an impressive 51%. Dwyane Wade has played 37 minutes per game, averaging 25.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists with a 50% field goal percentage.]

[Chris Bosh also needs no introduction. Despite adjusting to a new team after his transfer from Toronto and alternating between center and power forward to accommodate the Big 3, he’s made significant sacrifices. His scoring average has dipped to 18.7 points, six points lower than the previous year, and his rebounds have decreased from 10.8 to 8.6, impacting his overall game. However, he’s accepted a reduced role to center the team around Wade and LeBron, making him arguably the most selfless of the three.]

The formation of the Big 3 presented a golden opportunity for Miami. Acquiring LeBron James, arguably the league’s best player, and pairing him with Wade and Bosh created a trio of superstars in their prime. Superteams often consist of veterans seeking a championship, but these players were all in their 20s, at the peak of their abilities.

However, Miami’s aggressive pursuit of these three players left them with limited salary cap space, resulting in a thin bench. The team’s reliance on the Big 3 became unavoidable. Even with each player taking a $2 million pay cut instead of commanding the maximum salary, the team lacked the financial flexibility to sign additional quality players, forcing them to fill roster spots with veteran minimum contracts.

[In contrast, the Dallas Mavericks’ key players are Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, and the rookie sensation, Youngjae Yoon, correct?]

[While Jason Kidd and Jason Terry are also incredibly valuable, these three have been the most impactful during the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki is playing at an elite level, even with a mid-season knee injury, averaging 25 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists! He also finished 4th in MVP voting. Tyson Chandler, in his first season after being traded from Charlotte, has become the anchor of the team’s defense and a leader in the locker room! He’s averaging 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per season! His selection to the Defensive Second Team marks a career-high season for Chandler! A key factor will be how effectively Chandler can contain LeBron and Wade’s drives, Miami’s primary offensive weapon.]

Following Stephen Kerr’s analysis, Jeff Van Gundy offered a brief but enthusiastic assessment of Youngjae.

[And then there’s Youngjae Yoon… Haha! He’s had a sensational rookie season, earning the nickname Y13! He’s averaging 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.9 turnovers in just 28.5 minutes per game! That’s unbelievable consistency for a rookie! He’s a well-rounded guard with a great balance of offense and defense. He’s not even 20 years old yet, and he was drafted 25th overall, outside of the lottery, making him a steal for Dallas!]

As the analysis of both teams’ key players concluded, the players began to emerge from the locker room to prepare for the game. Youngjae, a starter, removed his warm-up jersey and confidently walked onto the court.

“…”

During his time with the San Antonio Spurs, he always watched this pre-game excitement from the bench. Now, as a starting member of the team, he could step onto the court and experience the energy firsthand.

“This is the life.”

Beeeee!!

Simultaneous with Youngjae’s quiet declaration, the referee’s whistle pierced the air, signaling the start of the game.

[The game is underway! Tyson Chandler wins the jump ball!]

Youngjae circled around the right wing, following Kidd’s lead, mentally reviewing Coach Carlisle’s instructions.

‘Today, we’re going to limit our drives to the basket. Miami’s backcourt defense is among the league’s best. They even stifled MVP Derrick Rose, holding him to a miserable 0.27 points per possession. That doesn’t mean we’ll abandon pick-and-rolls entirely, but we’ll execute them differently than against previous opponents. Instead of aggressively driving, we’ll prioritize jump shots created through passing. Fortunately, Chandler and Nowitzki are superior screeners compared to Carlos Boozer or Joakim Noah. If J.J. Barea and Yoon become like Rose, we’ll lose. If they play a different game, we’ll win.’

Carlisle, who typically delegated much of the offensive strategy to Jason Kidd, the point guard renowned for his court vision and leadership, took a more hands-on approach, detailing each player’s offensive role. Had reporters witnessed this, rumors of a rift between Kidd and Carlisle would have surfaced immediately. However, Kidd was unconcerned. He saw no reason to reject a strategy developed by the coaching staff after extensive film study and analysis.

[Dirk Nowitzki sets a screen at the top of the key! Jason Kidd appears to consider driving but then passes the ball!]

Kidd hesitated between passing to Marion or Youngjae. Marion offered a stronger physical presence, while Youngjae possessed superior skill and shooting accuracy. Ultimately, facing LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Kidd made his decision.

[The pass goes to Youngjae Yoon! What will Youngjae do?!]

Dwyane Wade, nicknamed “Flash” for his lightning-quick agility, was a superstar known for his offensive prowess and defensive capabilities, thanks to his athleticism and high basketball IQ [Basketball Quotient]. Youngjae knew he needed to anticipate Wade’s movements several steps ahead. He saw Wade darting towards the boundary between the high and low post and raised his arms, but Wade was already sprinting past the high post.

“Hmph!!”

[It’s a fake! Youngjae Yoon has already raised both arms as if to shoot! Dwyane Wade doesn’t slow down and jumps with all his might, realizing it’s not a fake!]

Everyone anticipated a shot. Dwyane Wade assumed that Youngjae, Dallas’s second offensive option, would attempt a shot even with tight defense.

“?!”

Everyone except Youngjae. The fluid motion of bending his knees and extending his arms holding the ball skyward was so convincing that no one doubted his intention to shoot.

[Ahhh!! It’s a pump fake!!!]

[He faked the shot right before jumping! Youngjae Yoon’s forefoot is barely touching the court! If both feet had landed and then touched the court, it would have been a traveling violation!]

Wade frowned, forced to fly past Youngjae. A perfect open shot opportunity had materialized. Youngjae stepped to the opposite side of Wade, regained his balance, and jumped, executing his accurate shooting form.

[Youngjae Yoon! Open 3-point shot!!]

Swoosh-

[BULL’S EYE!!]

[That pump fake was so convincing it was chilling. How many rookies, or even seasoned NBA players, can pull off that kind of fake against Wade?! He fools “Flash” Dwyane Wade, making him look foolish, and calmly scores 3 points!]

But Youngjae refrained from any showboating. Had he been less composed, he might have held his shooting hand in the air or pointed to his jersey number. However, he couldn’t bring himself to disrespect Dwyane Wade. The intensity of the Finals and the opponent’s reputation demanded respect. Such a display would have felt like an insult. Instead, Youngjae met Wade’s gaze, tapped the mustang logo on his chest, and casually retreated.

As expected, the Finals amplified the impact of even the smallest mistakes. Despite showcasing incredibly fluid teamwork, both teams played with heightened caution and precision, leading to frequent turnovers.

Miami’s strength lay in forcing turnovers through aggressive backcourt pressure, leading to fast breaks. Reducing these turnovers was crucial for Dallas in this series.

[Okay! Miami Heat gets the stop! Chris Bosh grabs the defensive rebound and quickly passes the ball forward to LeBron James!]

However, Bosh’s pass was slightly rushed. While LeBron James was the team’s primary playmaker, not point guard Mike Bibby, and Dwyane Wade served as the primary scorer, LeBron James was the true floor general. Mike Bibby, while nominally the point guard, wasn’t at the level of a starting point guard for a championship-caliber team. In fact, outside of the Big 3, Miami’s roster was relatively weak, with only Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, and Udonis Haslem providing reliable contributions off the bench.

Tak!

[It was a telegraphed pass! Shawn Marion attempts to steal!]

[Ah, the pass was too hot! The ball sails towards the sideline!]

“Ugh!!”

As the ball threatened to go out of bounds, a player dove for it, colliding with Shawn Marion. The player, a towering figure of 7 feet with flowing blond hair, exuded a tremendous sense of urgency, as if a telephone pole was crashing down. It wasn’t just hustle; it was a display of unwavering determination, sacrificing his body without regard for the future.

Beee!