Y13 [EN]: Chapter 253

253. 2011-2012 Regular Season

As the third quarter began, the momentum seemed to be shifting in Dallas’s favor. While the Chicago Bulls’ lineup was objectively strong, Dallas had enjoyed a four-day break after a demanding schedule, while the Bulls were fatigued from a back-to-back, having narrowly defeated Indiana by five points on the 25th.

[Coach Tom Thibodeau continues to rely heavily on key players like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng despite the back-to-back. They’ve already logged over 20 minutes. At this rate, they’ll likely exceed 35 minutes today.]

[And Derrick Rose, who has been battling minor injuries throughout the season, has already played over 18 minutes. The game’s intensity, coupled with it being the last regular-season home game, makes it understandable. Ideally, his playing time should have been managed better earlier in the season, but resting starters in the final game with home-court advantage at stake is a tough call, even for a coach known for his time management.]

In contrast, Youngjae, who had played the most minutes for Dallas, had only been on the court for about 17 minutes, similar to Rose, while the rest of the starters had played around 15 minutes each.

Tunk!

[Carlos Boozer throws up an ill-advised jumper from Derrick Rose’s pass near the half-court line!]

Perhaps fueled by unusual offensive confidence, Boozer was frequently seen taking shots at inappropriate times, squandering possessions. Had he instead passed the ball and developed the offense around Derrick Rose’s penetrating drives and clever plays, the success rate would have been significantly higher.

[Rebound, Tyson Chandler grabs it. The suddenness of the jumper caught the Chicago players off guard, and they failed to box out properly. He secures the rebound easily.]

[Noah shakes his head and retreats. Both teams’ starting centers have seven rebounds each today, making a double-double seem likely.]

Chandler passed the ball back to Kidd, who began to dribble deliberately.

[Jason Kidd slowly crosses the half-court line.]

Once across, Kidd recognized that Youngjae was steadily putting up impressive stats. Youngjae adapted his playing style effectively, whether playing with Kidd, Terry, or Barea. When paired with Kidd, he prioritized pick-and-rolls and defense, deferring offensive leadership.

Kidd, positioned at the top of the key, passed the ball to Youngjae on the left wing. Instantly, Nowitzki set a screen on Rose’s side.

“Ugh!”

[Youngjae Yoon navigates the screen expertly! Derrick Rose tries to fight through, but Yoon’s screen navigation is truly remarkable. He shakes off Rose despite Nowitzki’s screen not being particularly tight.]

Youngjae, opting for a concise play, jumped as soon as he confirmed Rose was caught on the screen. It’s common to cover immediately after an opponent is screened, and an open shot is unlikely if that coverage arrives. However, in professional basketball, an open opportunity arises the moment a defender is screened, and skilled ball-handlers often exploit this gap with pull-up jumpers.

Players like Steve Nash, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams, all pick-and-roll experts, maintained high shooting percentages using this technique. Youngjae had slightly increased his reliance on mid-range jumpers after receiving screens since the second half of the season, a result of Coach Carlisle’s tactical adjustments.

‘It must be to increase the team’s offensive tempo.’

“?!”

Predictably, Joakim Noah anticipated this play and rushed in, leaving Nowitzki open. However, Youngjae shot almost unimpeded thanks to Nowitzki’s veteran move of setting the screen on the opposite side of Noah.

Swish-

[BANG!!!]

[A very efficient and reliable offensive maneuver! Nowitzki’s screen may lack the brute force of Tyson Chandler’s, but a guard who knows how to use it can create countless mismatches due to Nowitzki’s shooting threat.]

[With Youngjae Yoon’s basketball IQ, he could easily score over 50 points with just a two-man game with Nowitzki. Since Nash, Nowitzki seems to have found his best pick-and-roll partner. Kidd is a great floor general, but he joined Dallas too late in his career to be a dynamic pick-and-roll threat.]

[The score is 55 to 60! The gap widens to five points!]

However, Chicago’s response was equally impressive. Led by Boozer, who was having a strong game, they steadily scored and narrowed the deficit.

[Deng, coming up top, passes to Joakim Noah, who’s at the high post! Joakim Noah! An incredible bounce pass that threads the needle between Nowitzki and Chandler!]

Swish-

[Carlos Boozer! Scores his 14th point! The Chicago Bulls close the gap again to 57 to 60!]

Joakim Noah’s playmaking ability was on full display, but Richard Hamilton, tasked with breaking free from Youngjae and igniting the offense from the three-point line and beyond, struggled to find open looks. Instead, Kyle Korver, coming off the bench, was providing a spark with 2-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

[Chicago’s three-point shooters are having an off night. But their strong inside finishing, combined with Luol Deng’s occasional outbursts from the high post, prevents the score from getting out of hand.]

The Rose-Boozer pick and roll was creating good opportunities, and even though Chandler was actively contesting Boozer with his defensive range, Boozer was cleverly evading Chandler’s defense and scoring by utilizing the mid-range effectively.

[Jason Kidd dribbles the ball for a moment and then signals for more player movement?]

[It’s evident that Dallas’s veteran players, being in their 30s, are showing signs of fatigue from the second half onwards, particularly in the third quarter. Coach Rick Carlisle is addressing this with strategic rotations, but it’s clearly a limiting factor.]

[Perhaps if today wasn’t a game with playoff seeding implications, the starters might have been given a collective rest. Dallas’s priority is the playoffs and the Finals, not regular-season standings.]

Kidd passed the ball from the top to Youngjae on the right wing, and Chandler immediately stepped out to set a screen. This was Dallas’s standard offensive initiation: a big man like Nowitzki or Chandler would always screen when Youngjae had the ball.

[Here comes Tyson Chandler’s screen! Chandler sets a solid screen, ensuring the ball-handler has a clear path! And Youngjae Yoon stays glued to the screener, preventing the defense from easily following him!]

Chandler now set screens that perfectly complemented Youngjae’s style without needing any verbal cues. He was an incredibly intelligent player, and both were seamlessly integrated into the team’s offensive schemes. While Nowitzki compensated for imperfect screens with individual skill, Chandler made up for any individual shortcomings with fundamentally sound and precise screens. Combining the strengths of both, with a slight downgrade, would give you a player like Tim Duncan.

[Richard Hamilton, who was guarding Youngjae Yoon, is completely stonewalled by Tyson Chandler’s screen!]

“Ugh!”

Carlos Boozer, guarding Chandler instead of Hamilton, who was left trailing like a kite in the wind, attempted to cover Youngjae. However, recalling Barea’s earlier penetration, he cautiously guarded Youngjae’s driving lane without committing to an aggressive help.

[Ah! Carlos Boozer seems to remember being burned by Barea’s speed earlier, so he’s hesitant to commit to a full-blown help!]

[But that strategy only works against Barea! Barea rarely shoots jumpers, preferring to drive and throw up floaters. But against Yoon…]

Swish!

Before Derek Harper could finish his analysis, Youngjae stopped abruptly near the high post, capitalizing on Chandler’s screen to his right, and elevated for a jump shot. Boozer then realized his mistake and frantically rushed to contest, but Youngjae’s shot had already transformed into a perfectly placed alley-oop pass.

[Who is it?! Who is the lucky recipient of this incredible lob pass!]

Tyson Chandler, who had cleared Youngjae’s driving lane with his screen, executed a textbook pick-and-roll and charged towards the rim. The ball, initially appearing too high to be a shot, suddenly descended and landed directly into Tyson Chandler’s hands as he leaped off the court. Joakim Noah, desperately chasing after him, was easily brushed aside by Chandler’s raw power.

Kwaaaang!!!!

“Woo-hoo!!!”

[YES, SIR!!!! Y13 TO T.CHANDLER! A MONSTROUS TWO-HAND SLAM!!]

[A truly flawless alley-oop play! How can anyone not be thrilled by such a display!]

[It’s no coincidence that Dallas leads the league in alley-oop attempts. They have a wealth of players capable of throwing and catching lobs, and the team employs a variety of tactics to create those opportunities. And the duo with the most alley-oop connections in Dallas is Yoon and Chandler.]

[Chandler boasts the second-highest success rate among players with over 50 successful alley-oop dunks this season, at 97%. The top spot belongs to Andrew Bynum, who has rapidly ascended to become the league’s No. 2 center this season. Bynum is 56-for-56, while Chandler is 64-for-66.]

Youngjae smiled as he watched Chandler, who had been a defensive force in today’s game but had expressed a desire to contribute more on offense, hang on the rim with both hands and roar in celebration.

‘He really enjoys that kind of play. It’s not usually his style, but I appreciate it…’

[Derrick Rose attempts a drive! Youngjae Yoon cuts him off with ease! But Derrick Rose is still testing Youngjae Yoon with moves worthy of last year’s MVP!]

[Forward, backward, left, and right! Rose’s movements, light as a feather in all directions, are a defender’s nightmare!]

Youngjae rested in the late third quarter and re-entered the game. Rose, seemingly well-managed by Coach Tom Thibodeau, had preserved his energy, playing only 20 minutes until the start of the fourth quarter. In other words, both Youngjae and Rose had ample energy to showcase their skills.

Derrick Rose unleashed a dazzling array of jab steps, drives, step-backs, and spin moves to try and shake off Youngjae. Youngjae, in turn, focused intently on Rose’s steps, hands, and overall movements, determined not to be fooled by Rose’s dribbling and putting forth a desperate defensive effort.

[Drive in again! Derrick Rose roughly puts his left shoulder into Youngjae Yoon’s chest!]

[But he can’t break through Youngjae Yoon! He has incredible footwork, allowing him to quickly recover and stay with Rose, even against his agile and intricate dribbling!]

Tatat!

[Step back! There’s virtually no other player in this era who can execute a step-back like Derrick Rose! But! Even with such a step-back, he can’t shake off Youngjae Yoon!]

[Derrick Rose still manages to create a sliver of space, and Luol Deng is drifting out to the wing at that moment!]

Tung!

Rose spun the ball with his right hand and fired a bounce pass the instant Deng moved to the side. The pass, not a straight bounce but a gentle curve that bounced once on the court and arced to the right, became a risky but precise pass that Luol Deng could catch with an outstretched hand.

[DENG, THREE POINT!!!]

Swish!

[BANG!!! Luol Deng buries a dagger into Dallas, who were threatening to pull away! He roars, as if to declare that the game is far from over! The score is 68 to 70! The Chicago Bulls are closing the gap to just 2 points again!]

Youngjae wore a slightly disappointed expression, but he still hadn’t allowed Rose a clean breakthrough. He continued to force tough shots, pushing Derrick Rose towards a pass-first approach, and maintained relentless pressure. Perhaps that’s why Rose was held to 11 points on a poor 3-for-8 shooting, but had compensated with 6 assists, finding open teammates after his drives.

[The duel between Derrick Rose and Youngjae Yoon is truly captivating. Both players have only 2 turnovers! Derrick Rose is underperforming with 11 points and 6 assists in 21 minutes, while Youngjae Yoon is winning the matchup with 15 points and 5 assists in 25 minutes.]

[The 2-2 battle between Rose-Boozer and Yoon-Nowitzki is intense. Dallas is winning the battle of the aces, but it seems the other players need to contribute more.]

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

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

＠Curry was a bit too much today. How can he sink three 3-pointers in a row from 30 feet…? It wasn’t quite T-Mac [Tracy McGrady] time, but he showed tremendous performance with 14 points in 1 minute and 50 seconds. Now, Curry feels more like a shooting guard than a point guard. His assists and turnovers are almost 1:1… Because Curry is being pressed from the front, Green is actually playmaking.

＠Bynum… If he hadn’t bowled [referring to Andrew Bynum’s injury sustained while bowling]… Among players who have successfully completed more than 40 alley-oops in a single season since the 10-11 season, only Bynum (56/56) in the 11-12 season and Griffin (52/52) in the 12-13 season have 100%. LeBron James successfully completed about 60 with 100% success over the 11-13 seasons, and Brandon Wright successfully completed about 70 with 100% success during the 12-14 seasons. Alley-oops are said to have a high probability, but 100% is still only a few people.

잉킹둘님/// Rose’s play style has been pointed out for injury risk since his MVP days. Moreover, his playing time was also at the top of the league. Chicago, with its tight offense, relied on Rose’s breakthrough for offense, so Rose used his body to the limit in every game.

ㅎ0ㅎ님/// Hmm, I’m sorry. I should have left a comment ㅠ.ㅠ

-DarkANGEL-님, 사라질영혼님, 이동석동님, 파이넨시아님/// Thank you for your comments!!

울트라10님/// I also think Thibodeau is a coach who lacks 2% as a coach. His utilization of players is narrow, and his dependence on specific players is too high. And I think he is weak in the playoffs compared to the regular season. This seems to be in line with the monotonous offensive tactics. Well, I still think he is good enough to be among the top coaches, so I don’t think he will be a defensive coach. If Thibodeau returns next year, there will be quite a few teams rushing in.