Y13 [EN]: Chapter 234

Y13-234 2011-2012 Regular Season

“Ugh!”

The instant Youngjae’s block connected, Conley recoiled, briefly shaking his left hand and letting out a pained cry as if Youngjae had struck him. He then collapsed to the floor.

Beeeep!!!

“?!!”

[Ah! An incredible fast break, capped off by Youngjae Yoon’s NASTY BLOCK!]

[But a foul is called! A questionable call, to say the least!]

Conley clutched his untouched left hand, feigning pain, while a furious Youngjae started to charge toward him.

“Hey, hey!”

Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion immediately grabbed Youngjae’s arms, restraining him. Youngjae struggled, shouting.

“I didn’t hit him! It was a clean block on the ball! Are you even watching the game?!”

“Calm down!”

“Why are you acting like this? This isn’t like you! You’re too aggressive today!”

Sensing Youngjae’s agitated state, Shawn Marion gave him a stern warning. Youngjae felt utterly wronged. Normally, he would have protested lightly and moved on, but today he couldn’t control his frustration. He was facing a difficult opponent and a frustrating situation, all while feeling impatient and anxious.

“I’m serious, I didn’t hit him! Marion! I’d bet anything on it. At least do a video review!!”

Chandler and Marion soothed the enraged Youngjae, managing to pull him back. Conley, watching them, maintained a calm expression, assessing the situation. As Youngjae claimed, there had been no contact between Conley’s left hand and Youngjae’s hand. If Conley hadn’t flopped [exaggerated a foul to deceive the referee], the momentum could have shifted to the Dallas Mavericks, boosting Youngjae’s morale.

“…”

Conley couldn’t help but feel relieved that his gamble had paid off. He had successfully drawn a foul and shaken his opponent’s composure.

[Well! This play is sure to spark controversy! Youngjae Yoon is incredibly agitated, insisting on his innocence, but the referee is sternly warning him, clearly not tolerating any further protests!]

[Marion and Chandler did well to calm him down, and it seems Yoon’s choice of words didn’t cross the line. Any harsh language would have resulted in an immediate technical foul. It seems he still has some self-control left.]

[Actually, Yoon is usually so mild-mannered that he rarely crosses the line, even when he’s angry.]

The broadcasting station showed a slow-motion replay, and the commentators sighed as soon as they saw the screen. Unlike Korean commentary, NBA commentators and analysts often offer definitive opinions on referee decisions and aren’t afraid to criticize them.

[Ah!! He only hit the ball! Mike Conley’s left hand was nowhere near the play!]

[Should Mike Conley receive the Actor of the Year award for deceiving the referee with that flop? It’s a clear miscall! A beautiful block, worthy of being a highlight reel play, is turned into a foul because of a bad call!]

[It’s understandable that he’s upset! But if he keeps losing his temper like that, it will have a negative impact, right? He needs to be careful!]

Youngjae eventually retreated to the bench while Conley shot the first free throw. He angrily wiped his sweat with the towel he was given and threw it down. He slumped onto the bench, covered his head with a new towel, and began to calm down.

“…”

He was just unlucky. Youngjae’s declining performance could have been improved with rest. In reality, very few guards in the NBA could effectively penetrate Tony Allen’s defense and score consistently. Coach Carlisle believed that Youngjae was already contributing enough, considering his current condition. He had struggled even more against Allen the previous year, so Carlisle thought he was performing adequately, given the circumstances.

But Conley’s shooting was exceptional today. Mike Conley had 11 points, including 2 free throws, on 4/7 shooting through the middle of the third quarter. However, Conley’s shots were mostly difficult, contested shots thanks to Youngjae’s tight defense.

At least two of Conley’s successful shots were made despite Youngjae’s hand being in his face, obstructing his vision and even being in the shot’s trajectory. It was practically perfect defense; Youngjae couldn’t have done anything more to prevent those tough shots from falling.

‘Besides recovering his stamina, there might be other issues to address. Maybe this backlash is happening now because Yoon has progressed so rapidly.’

Coach Carlisle watched Youngjae, who was struggling to control his anger on the bench, and sighed. When impatience and competitiveness combine, they create a powerful synergy when things are going well, but the opposite is true when things go wrong. The former had been the case for the first half of the season, leading to rapid growth, but the side effects were now becoming apparent. It was a classic example of what happens when a player who has only experienced rapid success hits a wall.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

Youngjae, who was trying to calm down on the bench, barely suppressed his rebellious feelings and glared at Terry, who had been substituted and was now sitting next to him. He spoke in a confrontational tone, grinding his teeth.

“What… do you mean?”

“Get a grip! Do you think this is a one-man game? Where are the plays we’ve been working on? You’re playing solo basketball! And are you taking your anger out on your teammates? Are you out of your mind?! Do you think it’s okay to yell at Chandler, who was sticking up for you?!”

Jason Terry, known for giving the most interviews on the team and speaking his mind, didn’t hesitate to criticize Youngjae. Kidd and Nowitzki rarely got angry during games. Terry hadn’t liked Youngjae’s recent play, but he had hoped he would improve. However, he couldn’t let today’s incident slide.

“I’ve let things go a few times during practice, even when you were being difficult. I thought you were young and could get away with it. But what are you doing during the game?!”

“…”

Youngjae lowered his head slightly, then carelessly tossed the towel onto the bench and headed toward the locker room. Terry started to chase after Youngjae, intending to grab his collar, but Stotts, who was standing nearby, stopped Terry and shook his head. Terry sighed and plopped down on the bench.

Coach Carlisle, who had been watching, made eye contact with Coach Stotts. Coach Stotts shrugged, and Coach Carlisle sighed and turned away.

“Damn it!”

It was late when he arrived home, as expected after a game with team interviews. As soon as Youngjae entered the house, he threw his bag down and scratched his head, cursing under his breath. The game had been a disaster, and no matter how hard he tried, the ball wouldn’t go in.

“Huff, huff…”

Youngjae’s head throbbed as he replayed the Memphis game in his mind. He couldn’t be more frustrated. After the All-Star break, he had focused on replenishing his stamina and felt good, but the game had been incredibly difficult. The combination of physical fatigue and psychological pressure overwhelmed him, and he struggled to restrain himself.

He hadn’t experienced such a prolonged period of failure since his regression [reincarnation/time travel]. It felt like he was suffering from indigestion after constantly experiencing success.

“It was a problem that I held back. No… that’s not it. Miscalls and everything are just excuses. It’s all my fault.”

He felt tormented for the first time since he was reborn. He felt frustrated and angry at himself, and he had nowhere to vent his emotions. He was somewhat aware of the situation rationally, but if understanding something rationally was enough to fix it, people would be able to do anything.

“Tch.”

He was annoyed by the subtle throbbing in his wrist, where Tony Allen had hit him. He wanted to shoot until he collapsed, but it was late, and the coaching staff had advised him to rest. Plus, Emily was coming over, so he decided against it and tried to calm down.

“Only 5.”

He had been a little sluggish in the Lakers game but felt better at the All-Star game. He felt good and rested well, so he approached the game against the New Jersey Nets with a positive attitude. However, the team lost, and he shot only 7/17, with his performance declining in the second half.

The biggest problem was that his strong performance in the early part of the game didn’t last through the fourth quarter. If he, who was supposed to lead during clutch time [critical moments in a game], performed poorly, the team couldn’t win unless it was a blowout.

So he practiced even more. He accepted Emily’s support, the encouragement of his teammates, and the advice of Terry Stotts, and he worked harder than ever. But he still lost the Memphis game. The loss to the New Jersey Nets had been a narrow one, but this time, they suffered a 10-point defeat without even having a chance to compete. Starting with Nowitzki being carried off the court due to an early injury, the momentum shifted to Memphis after Mike Conley’s block in the third quarter was called a foul.

“Three consecutive losses… I think this is the first time we’ve had three consecutive losses this season.”

Of course, these three consecutive losses weren’t solely Youngjae’s fault, but he couldn’t deny that he was largely to blame. He had practiced shooting like crazy to prepare for the Memphis game, watched Tony Allen’s videos dozens of times, and studied Mike Conley’s game footage extensively. He continued to practice with those images in mind.

“The feeling I have during practice doesn’t translate to the actual game. And my performance isn’t consistent. I thought I played the best defense I could, but is the problem that everything went in anyway?”

Youngjae was already physically and mentally exhausted due to his inconsistent performance, and today, he finally snapped. The opposing defender had been harassing him throughout the game, and the player he was guarding was making difficult shots as if he was taunting him. He might have handled it if only one or two things had gone wrong, but too many things went wrong at once.

“…”

Thud!!!

Youngjae slammed the table in frustration, then let out a choked sound and slumped onto the sofa. It wasn’t a recurrence of last season’s trauma, and he wasn’t injured. He had prepared for the game by working harder than usual, but he had been showing an overall slump in performance during the three consecutive losses before and after the All-Star break. His shooting, in particular, was a major issue.

Today’s game stats were 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 2 blocks, and 4 fouls.

“Haa.”

Youngjae felt incredibly pathetic. It was the first time he had felt this way since joining Dallas. Moreover, he felt terrible because his pathetic performance seemed to have caused trouble for Emily as well.

[Unusual slump, what happened to Y13 in the past few weeks?]

[Y13, distracted by his relationship with Emily Kinney, puts on a terrible performance]

[Y13’s true personality revealed? Taking his anger out on teammates who are trying to help him]

[Is it simply a matter of stamina? Or has his true level been exposed?]

Youngjae was frustrated by the speculative articles written by reporters who wrote whatever they wanted. He knew it was important to ignore the media, but recently he had been struggling to do so.

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

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

★Thank you to Inking2 and GoStopQueen for the sponsorship coupons!!

※NASTY has negative meanings such as ‘unpleasant, dirty’, but in American sports, it is used in some positive meanings such as ‘amazing’.

＠I couldn’t even access Joara yesterday because of the pile of assignments I had to do. Thank you for your understanding^^

And today, there are so many diverse comments that it seems like it would take too long and the content would become too complicated to reply to each one separately, so I will reply to the reviews in a comprehensive way.

＠Thank you for the opinions of many readers. First of all, I hope you understand that viewpoints are not wrong, but different. We thought A, and some of the readers may think B. We cannot agree with everyone’s thoughts, and I would appreciate it if you would read it thinking, ‘Ah, those writers thought that way.’

Youngjae has regressed, but even if you combine his previous life age, he is only 30 years old. Even legends in their late 30s like the current Kobe, Garnett, and Nowitzki show scenes of mental shaking several times during the season, but Youngjae has less experience and is younger than them. Youngjae’s previous life playing time is not even 2 years’ worth of a regular starting player.

In terms of setting, the only advantages Youngjae gained from regression are 5 years of NBA backup guard experience and knowing the future for 9 years (3 years of college, 1 year of D-League, 5 years of NBA). The only additional correction is the improvement of physical abilities. Nevertheless, as it is also listed in the settings, Youngjae’s physical is far lower than LeBron or Wade. If you look only at the novel’s descriptions, he is a case where he receives a lot of help from team tactics and teammates.

Unlike other novels, he is not a monster who can throw a ball in the late 150km range that is controlled from his teens, and God has not given him the best talent in the world. He also doesn’t have game stats or item corrections.

Youngjae is a legendary scam character in reality. A player who had close to 0% chance of entering the NBA when he entered college as a freshman has become an NBA Top10 player in just his second professional season. The tenacity, effort, and competitiveness that succeeded in entering the NBA with a low probability in his previous life are the result of combining his regression experience with his increased physical abilities. Nash and Curry are cases where players who are not top-class in physical ability become superstars, but Nash became a superstar in his 30s, and Curry became a superstar at the age of 27.

Our thoughts are not necessarily correct, but I just wanted you to know that we are writing with these thoughts in mind. You don’t have to agree with our thoughts, but I would appreciate it if you could just understand them.

＠Youngjae will not score stats like Kobe (35 points per season, 81 points in a single game) or LeBron (30-10-10 frequency, youngest cumulative score). In the first place, team tactics revolve around them, and the team goes up and down with their stats. If you look at it positively, it’s a solo play, and if you look at it negatively, it’s greed and selfishness. Teams that become XX and children, XX and extras. I personally don’t like that style, and the Dallas team or Carlisle is not that style either. Did San Antonio, Atlanta, or Golden State have more than 25 points per game? It’s not like the team is full of players who can only receive, and there are players who can score more than 10 points per game. And Kobe and LeBron also have a better win rate in games where they have more assists than in games where they score a lot. Also, Youngjae is not so talented in scoring and his body is not blessed by God. Still, if you look only at the games described in Youngjae’s novel, he is much better than his record. Since I wrote mainly about good games rather than bad games, the records and appearances of the described games are very good compared to the actual records.

＠As I said again, our novel has no fantasy elements except for the regression setting. And I made the premise that it is a growth story. Even in the first season, Dallas recorded a higher regular season ranking than in reality, and in the second season, the real Dallas was a mess, while Dallas in the novel is on a high march. Personally, I don’t understand how one player can raise the team’s win rate by 20 or 30 wins. There is a limit to how much one player can raise the team’s performance. If Messi comes to Korea, will the world ranking go up to 10th place? That’s nonsense. It is possible to be the number 1 in Asia (the number 1 in Asia goes back and forth between 20th and 30th place). We have come to 230 episodes without fantasy, and I don’t think we can put fantasy in here.

＠It may be a bit forced to get angry at a colleague, but we thought it was possible. He regressed and ran only on a path of success, but he hit a wall, and various things overlapped, and he was on the verge of mental breakdown. Of course, it may not be understandable from some people’s point of view. However, from a different point of view, please just pass it on thinking that this could happen. We cannot accept all the opinions of the readers. It is impossible to satisfy all readers. Even if you see something that is difficult to understand, I would be very grateful if you would read it while thinking that your thoughts are different from mine. If there is any problematic comment in today’s review, please send me a message or write it in the comments. Thank you.

kingofking/// Thank you for pointing out the typo. I will correct episode 166. And the reason why Norris Cole is in Miami is that on the day of the draft, Miami and the Chicago Bulls traded, so Norris Cole went to Miami and Jimmy Butler went to the Chicago Bulls. Thinking about it now, Miami did something stupid, but at the time, Miami had Wade, so it was right to bring Cole.