Y13 [EN]: Chapter 192

192. 2011-2012 Pre-Season

The shaky, four-point lead was enough to make Oklahoma City nervous. Even though it was just the pre-season and the outcome didn’t really matter, the fact that they were struggling so much at home after a big win on their opponent’s court wasn’t a good look.

And were Westbrook, Durant, and Harden in great shape? Not really. As young stars born in ’88 and ’89, they were recovering their condition much faster than veterans, but even considering that, Coach Scott Brooks and the three players themselves weren’t satisfied with their performance in this game.

Westbrook and Harden didn’t gain any real advantage in their matchups against Youngjae; instead, they seemed to be overwhelmed by Youngjae’s incredible performance. And Durant seemed to have lost his rhythm, struggling against the tough defense of Shawn Marion, Corey Brewer, and Chandler Parsons, who took turns guarding him. He couldn’t properly respond to the different defensive styles of the powerful and athletic Shawn Marion, the quick and agile Corey Brewer, and the lanky and intelligent Chandler Parsons.

[Rodrigo Beaubois! He’s showing that he’s recovered from his injuries to some extent in today’s game! It doesn’t look like he did much tactical training during his injury rehab, but his individual skills seem to have recovered a lot.]

As Derek Harper calmly explained, Beaubois was indeed playing well. His shooting was still decent, and even if his speed had declined, he still showed impressive bursts of speed that were good enough for the NBA, allowing him to lead fast breaks.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any shortcomings. Defensively, he could compensate with his physical abilities to some extent now that his body had recovered, but his basketball IQ, which had been pointed out as a weakness, was still lacking. He couldn’t properly execute Coach Carlisle’s complex, organic, and efficient tactical movements.

Beeeep!!!

[The game is over! The Oklahoma City Thunder ultimately win by a score of 92 to 87, with a 5-point difference.]

[Of course, both teams only played their starters for around 20 minutes, so it’s a meaningless hypothetical, but if this were a regular season game, I don’t think it would have ended like this. I’m looking forward to seeing both teams go all out during the season.]

After the game, the players on the court were chatting with each other, and Youngjae, who had been watching from the bench, felt satisfied just watching Beaubois on the court, soaked in sweat and smiling.

“Yoon.”

Youngjae was about to get up, thinking it was time to head to the locker room, but he turned his head at the sound of a player calling his name.

“Huh?”

Kevin Durant, the league’s top scorer and Oklahoma City’s ace, who had won the scoring title for two years in a row. Youngjae couldn’t help but stare at Durant, who had suddenly approached him, with a surprised expression.

“Good game.”

…

“It’s an honor. But the regular season will be on a different level.”

“Whew! If it’s on a different level from this, it’s going to be terrifying. Go easy on me then.”

Youngjae couldn’t help but chuckle at Kevin Durant’s smiling face. Despite being a bit skinny for a top-tier small forward, Durant had established himself in the NBA with his unique style, thanks to his agility and quick movements.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you don’t need to be that humble, do you?”

“…”

Durant looked at Youngjae with a serious expression, not avoiding his gaze. Youngjae also glared sharply at Durant in response, but soon shrugged and relaxed.

“The result will come out on the court. Who’s tougher, who’s stronger. And who survives.”

Durant just smiled and hugged Youngjae, saying that they should get along in the future.

“I’m not into guys, you know?”

“Neither am I. Don’t say weird things, and let’s just say hi to each other before every game from now on.”

[Dallas’s 2011-2012 Season Outlook as Defending Champions?]

Author: Nash&Finely

The 2011-2012 season for Dallas is one where anticipation and concern coexist. This is clearly shown by the conflicting predictions from various experts and media outlets. ESPN predicts 3rd in the West, Hollinger predicts 5th, Fox Sports predicts 1st, and SI predicts 4th. Up to 5th place, the teams within the top 5 are the same, only differing in their rankings.

(Western Conference Top 5: Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers)

The advantage they all commonly cite is maintaining the same roster as last season. Last season, Dallas completed a system and tactics that could beat any team. And they kept all the key players.

In: Brandon Wright (PF/C [Power Forward/Center]), Chandler Parsons (SF/PF [Small Forward/Power Forward])

Out: Caron Butler (SG/SF [Shooting Guard/Small Forward]), DeShawn Stevenson (SG [Shooting Guard]), Peja Stojakovic (SF [Small Forward])

It’s a shame that Caron Butler left, but Dallas had already achieved good results and won the championship without Butler. Chandler Parsons will replace Peja Stojakovic’s role and upgrade the defense, and Brandon Wright will enhance the energy that Dallas lacks. Even though three swingmen (SG/SF [Shooting Guard/Small Forward]) left, the acquisition of only Chandler Parsons is expected to be resolved by increasing Yoon Youngjae’s playing time.

Mark Cuban confidently stated, “This team is already complete, and we have confidence in our players, so no further reinforcements are needed.”

Looking at it this way, there are many advantages and it’s an optimistic outlook for a team that can win again, but the disadvantages are also clear. The most frequently cited disadvantage is the age of the players on this team. Some may dismiss it, saying, “Wasn’t it the same last season?” but everyone knows that one year for veterans is different from one year for young players.

Four players who are guaranteed to play more than 20 minutes (Nowitzki, Kidd, Terry, Marion) are in their mid-to-late 30s. There is no guarantee that their aging will proceed sequentially, and the moment they collapse like dominoes during the league, the Dallas Mavericks may also walk the path of decline. Furthermore, Dallas’s lineup is a risky gamble that could lead to a long-term dark age.

The second weakness is the injury risk of the big men. In addition to the four players introduced above, whether Tyson Chandler, a veteran player, will escape his injury-prone status is a major topic. Tyson Chandler, who had been undervalued due to frequent minor and major injuries, signed a massive 4-year, $56 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks before the start of the 2011-2012 league season. Most media outlets say that the Dallas Mavericks have finally escaped the shackles of big names, but some question whether Tyson Chandler can handle the league without injuries.

In addition, Rodrigo Beaubois has not yet fully recovered from his toe fracture, and it is a fact that NBA history has shown that veteran players are also difficult to escape the threat of injury.

The third is the step-up of players in their early 20s. Dallas has bet everything on re-signing Chandler and Barea. Unless there are trades, Dallas must essentially maintain this roster until 2013. The guaranteed salary in 2013 already exceeds the salary cap ($58 million). (Even if Haywood is amnestied, it is impossible to sign a FA [Free Agent] player who can receive a large salary.) They must self-supply players to succeed Kidd, Terry, Marion, and Nowitzki.

Rodrigo Beaubois, Youngjae Yoon, Corey Brewer, Brandon Wright, and Chandler Parsons must grow enough to replace these players. Fortunately, Youngjae Yoon is a player who can continue the Nowitzki era, but whether Beaubois and Brewer, who have low basketball IQ, can grow as much as Terry and Marion, and whether Parsons and Wright can make up for Nowitzki’s aging will determine the future of this team.

Finally, this season is a shortened season. Reduced rest days, increased back-to-back games, and a short pre-season are the worst combination for veterans. It is generally accepted that it will be difficult to show the same extremely strong performance as last year, at least in the beginning.

Below is a translation of a column’s outlook by position. Please excuse the informal tone.

Guards: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Youngjae Yoon, J.J. Barea, Rodrigo Beaubois

Kidd, Terry, and Yoon are expected to evenly split 25-30 minutes of playing time. Whether Rodrigo Beaubois will revive and whether Barea will perform as well as last year will be key during the remaining 10-20 minutes. The problem is how to deploy Kidd, Terry, and Yoon in clutch time [critical moments of the game]. Kidd and Terry won’t want to be left out of the clutch due to their pride, and role distribution with Yoon, who is entering his second year, is important.

Forwards: Shawn Marion, Corey Brewer, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Wright, Brian Cardinal

Carlisle can now pursue various forward combinations. There are 3 players at the 3 position [small forward] and 3 players at the 4 position [power forward], and through various lineups of 3 players with good defense and athleticism but short shooting range (Marion, Brewer, Wright) and 3 stretch forwards with long shooting range (Nowitzki, Cardinal, Parsons), they can introduce customized lineups and tactics for specific situations.

Centers: Tyson Chandler, Brandon Haywood, Ian Mahinmi

Same as last season. This is a team that won the championship by controlling the opponent’s inside with the most competitive center lineup in the league. Chandler, who understands zone defense well and is the best at mismatches and 2-2 defense, and is an excellent screener and roller, will play 25-30 minutes, and Haywood, a bulky big man with strengths in 1-1 defense and average defense and rebounding ability, will back him up. Mahinmi will have little playing time unless Chandler and Haywood are injured or underperforming. When he comes into the game, he is busy setting moving screens or committing fouls.

Overall: They have good depth overall. Coach Carlisle needs to combine the good ingredients well. If he makes a mistake, there is no guarantee that there will be no discord with the veterans. He is an excellent commander and a great coach, but it is questionable whether he can control these veterans without discord. In addition, managing the condition of the veterans and maintaining their form will determine the success or failure of this season.

Looking at the entire league, the top 5 teams in the West have maintained or strengthened their power, so they can never be careless.

San Antonio hears every year that they are too old to succeed, but they were 2nd in the Western Conference last year. The depth of the roster is thick, and the coach is the best in the league. Oklahoma City has 8 out of 12 major rotation players under the age of 24. If they all step up together, they can become an all-time great team that no team can stop. The LA Lakers failed to trade for Paul, but succeeded in maintaining their existing players. The LA Clippers have greatly strengthened their power by acquiring Chris Paul, Vince Carter, and Caron Butler.

Fortunately, the three coaches of Oklahoma City, Lakers, and Clippers among the top 5 teams lack tactical ability, which will be a major weakness in short-term games like the playoffs. Scott Brooks of Oklahoma City, who has good rapport with the players and explodes their potential well but relies only on the individual abilities of the players, Mike Brown of the Lakers, who is good at defensive tactics but only knows LeBron’s go on offense, and Vinny Del Negro of the Clippers, who is called a time watch and only manages time thoroughly without tactical ability.

In addition, the Bulls, Celtics, and Heat in the East have succeeded in reinforcing their power while maintaining their existing core. Depending on which team they meet, it is ideal for Dallas to meet the Celtics, who are also an old team and have a weak outside game. If the Bulls and Heat’s outside game explodes, Dallas, which does not have strengths in perimeter defense, may struggle.

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

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

★Thank you for the support coupons from Minrad, terq9088, maksawigom, Newsik, baedullaeham, annyeongjoesongkida, and nunugung!! Have a happy Thanksgiving^^

＠I will be taking a day off tomorrow as it is Thanksgiving Day. It seems difficult to update while meeting and talking with relatives. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving holiday^^

Mackerel/// Oh, thank you for the first comment!! Parsons is a handsome and versatile player, so he’s a good player. The downside is that he’s a white forward, so his defense isn’t above average. Irving, the first pick in the 11th season! There will be a scene where he faces Youngjae later.

Yabes/// I misunderstood. Grouping Paul, Curry, and Subrook as the top 3 point guards is an undervaluation of Curry… I think this is too much of a boost for Curry. Curry was below the two players and only barely reached the same level or slightly surpassed them last year. Moreover, Paul has a better career than Curry + Subrook, and Subrook is the same age as Curry. I think there is a sufficient level to be reversed again this season.

Flame of Depravity/// You’re playing on PC. We only play on Playstation because of the feel of the pad [controller]. Many people play on PC too.

-DarkANGEL-, Lee Dongseokdong, Disappearing Soul, Omariyon, Financia/// Thank you for the comments!! Have a happy Thanksgiving^^

Ultra10/// If the aging of the veterans and Beaubois’s injury history are resolved, the best result is the league’s strongest guard ㅋㅋ. If negative results come out… Youngjae will hard carry ㄷㄷ

Heukgom12/// Thank you for the coupon~~ Have a good Thanksgiving^^

Coca-Cola Addict, ㅎ0ㅎ/// lol Did you think of Slam Dunk? That wasn’t the intention, but that’s what I wrote after watching NBA videos.

goimosp/// I will describe how it proceeds later. There will be various difficulties, and there will be some discord. I don’t know if I can write as well as I expect, but I will try my best.

Little Dreamer/// Beaubois is coming back to life^^ Fighting!!

Goddess Yuri Praise/// If you look at it positively, a dynasty is possible for about 3 years, but if you look at it negatively, the team could collapse even this season. Kidd is already 39 years old, and if 4 starters in their mid-30s or older age together, more than $50 million in salary will be tied up.