Y13 [EN]: Chapter 255

2011-2012 Playoffs Round 1

[Dallas 2011-2012 Season Review]

1. Overall Review

This season for the Dallas Mavericks can be summarized as a ‘generational shift.’ The primary role has been passed on to Youngjae Yoon, marking a year where Nowitzki’s desire to transition away from being the primary offensive option is gradually becoming a reality. In the bench lineup, Chandler Parsons, picked 29th overall in the first round, and Brandon Wright, who joined on a 1+1 year minimum contract (minimum salary), quickly adapted and contributed to raising the team’s energy.

Thanks to this infusion of youth, Dallas ranked 4th in the league with an average team age of 28.6 years. Only the Boston Celtics (29.4 years), LA Lakers (29.1 years), and Phoenix Suns (28.9 years) were older.

The team, which had the highest average age of 30.9 years during the championship season of 2010-2011, had become much younger. Interestingly, the top 1-4 teams in average age last season were also in the order of Dallas-Lakers-Phoenix-Boston. Because the core players were veterans and remained so, there were only slight changes in the rankings.

Dallas was one of only two teams, along with Miami (7th in scoring, 4th in points allowed), to be in the top 10 in both team scoring (4th) and points allowed (9th). Their point differential was 2nd (+7.5) only to Chicago (+8.1), and they were well-balanced, ranking in the top 10 in all primary team stats except blocks, including rebounds (7th), assists (4th), steals (3rd), field goal percentage (5th), 3-point percentage (6th), free throw percentage (3rd), and turnovers (3rd). It would not be an exaggeration to call them an all-around team.

Even more encouraging was the successful distribution of playing time, with 13 out of the 14 roster players averaging over 10 minutes per game. Except for Youngjae Yoon at 33.6 minutes and Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry at exactly 30 minutes, everyone else played less than 30 minutes.

Although there were injuries to Jason Kidd, Brendan Haywood, and Rodrigo Beaubois, Coach Carlisle’s consideration for the players’ stamina was evident due to the tight schedule. For Jason Kidd, the disappointment regarding injuries would be even greater, as he had prepared thoroughly in the offseason and led the team in training.

Dallas experimented with a variety of lineups, with over 25 different 5-man lineups playing together for more than 40 minutes. This means that unexpected lineups could appear in the playoffs, which is another strength of Dallas.

2. Lineup

[Dallas’s 5-Man Unit Records]

Lineup (Minutes Played/Offensive Rating/Defensive Rating)

Youngjae Yoon – Jason Terry – Shawn Marion – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler (319 minutes/107/92)

Jason Kidd – Youngjae Yoon – Shawn Marion – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler (247 minutes/101/87)

Jason Kidd – Jason Terry – Shawn Marion – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler (167 minutes/105/97)

(Omitted)

3. Best 5

Youngjae Yoon – Jason Terry – Shawn Marion – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler

3-1. Youngjae Yoon (G)

Youngjae Yoon took over the primary role from Nowitzki, leading the team in playing time, scoring, assists, and steals. He was one of only two players, along with Deron Williams, to record over 20 points and 7 assists, and he uniquely achieved the 180 club [shooting 50% or better from the field, 40% or better from three-point range, and 90% or better from the free-throw line] for the second consecutive year after his debut. Despite facing significant pressure in scoring, playmaking, and defense, he experienced a rapid slump in the middle of the season. However, if he hadn’t had that slump, it might have been reasonable to suspect that the Y13 robot theory was actually true. He successfully overcame the slump in a short period and rebounded.

3-2. Jason Terry (G)

Jason Terry is one of the top sixth men in the league, and as the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year last year, he is a solid third option. Although his average scoring has decreased, his offensive efficiency remains top-tier. Kidd starts, but Terry often closes games due to Kidd’s frequent absences, so Terry was selected for the Best 5.

3-3. Shawn Marion (F)

Shawn Marion continued to demonstrate his versatility across the entire court and his skills as a forward ace stopper. His unique shooting form and release, often called the ‘ugly shot,’ improved compared to the previous year, and the fact that he is one of the only two post-up options along with Nowitzki is a positive factor for Dallas.

3-4. Dirk Nowitzki (F)

Among Dallas fans, there was a saying, ‘He’s still Dirk,’ proving that he was still Dirk Nowitzki. His performance at the beginning of the year was by far the worst of his career, as his body was not ready. There were rumors that Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were entering a dark age this season, but thanks to Youngjae Yoon relieving Dirk Nowitzki’s offensive burden, he successfully rebounded in the second half. He maintained shooting efficiency close to Kevin Durant and successfully recorded +20 points for the 12th consecutive year. With reduced playing time and less focused defense, he had more stamina, which improved his defensive efficiency.

3-5. Tyson Chandler (C)

Tyson Chandler lived up to his salary, recording a double-double for the season (10.1 points, 10.2 rebounds). Most encouragingly, he dispelled concerns from fans who worried about him being injury-prone and having a bad contract by only missing 4 games this season. On offense, he helped the Dallas guards’ offensive development with his top-level screening ability, and on defense, he solidified the paint, ranking 4th in opponent field goal percentage.

4. Bench

(Jason Kidd – J.J. Barea – Rodrigo Beaubois – Corey Brewer – Chandler Parsons – Brandon Wright – Brendan Haywood)

4-1. Jason Kidd (G)

Jason Kidd’s number of 3-pointers and success rate dropped significantly due to injuries and poor conditioning, but he was still a starting-caliber player considering his leadership and defensive abilities. There is no bench point guard at Kidd’s level. He gave up his clutch (Best 5) spot to Terry due to stamina and slowed speed, but Kidd is still the starting point guard.

4-2. J.J. Barea (G)

J.J. Barea continued to show his ability to collapse the opponent’s defense with his drives during bench time, and his court vision has become even wider. However, his defense is still the weakest among the main rotation players.

4-3. Rodrigo Beaubois (G)

Rodrigo Beaubois is still being given opportunities due to past potential, but his offense and defense are both declining. It’s not that his talent is doubted, but it seems that he has become a withered flower after experiencing too many setbacks in his third year as a professional. Unless there is a significant turnaround, it will be difficult to see him next year.

4-4. Corey Brewer (G,F)

Corey Brewer’s growth has also stagnated, but he has been useful with his excellent defensive skills, drives, and fast-break ability. However, his efficiency was low compared to his individual stats due to his low basketball IQ.

4-5. Chandler Parsons (F)

Chandler Parsons continued the trend of Dallas finding valuable players with late first-round picks (2009 Rodrigo Beaubois, 2010 Youngjae Yoon, 2011 Chandler Parsons). Chandler Parsons was a versatile bench option with shooting, defense, and passing skills. He can play both the 3 (small forward) and 4 (power forward) positions and scored the second-most points among the bench players. In some cases, he can even start instead of Marion.

4-6. Brandon Wright (F,C)

Brandon Wright’s primary position is power forward, but he is limited because he cannot reliably score outside the paint. However, his efficiency in that limited area was the highest among the bench players. He showed off flashy and athletic alley-oop dunks in Dallas, earning the nickname ‘Helicopter,’ and was second on the team in blocks and first in field goal percentage.

4-7. Brendan Haywood (C)

Brendan Haywood’s stats are underwhelming compared to his salary, but like Kidd, he is still a capable backup center. He can average 9 points and 9 rebounds per 36 minutes and is a reliable rim protector. However, his performance declining as the season progresses is a concern.

Inactive (Playoff Roster – 12 players – High possibility of exclusion): Ian Mahinmi, Brian Cardinal

Need more explanation? I’ll skip any further details.

[※ The Dallas roster & stats and league standings in the story are made in Excel and uploaded in the work setting section. I will only describe it briefly in the main story. Please understand that it is difficult to write tables on Joara.]

After the last game against Chicago, the Dallas Mavericks felt very sorry that they couldn’t give the players, coaches, and manager even a moment to rest. The first round of the playoffs started on April 28th, just two days later, which was unavoidable from the club’s perspective.

[Hello! Finally, the 2011-2012 NBA Playoffs Round 1 has begun! The first game between the Western Conference 1st seed Dallas Mavericks and the 8th seed LA Clippers will be broadcast live on FOX SPORTS. Mark Followill will be the caster, and Derek Harper will be the commentator. Nice to meet you!]

[Nice to meet you. To be honest, I didn’t imagine that the Dallas Mavericks would be this strong, but they have truly become a top team with a successful generational shift. As a result, they have achieved tremendous records such as the Western Conference 1st seed and 50 wins in the shortened season.]

While Mark Followill and Derek Harper were naturally talking, familiar people were sitting in the audience, looking at the court with excited expressions.

“There’s Yoon!”

David, who had grown quite tall, had acne appearing on his face. David, who had joined the school’s basketball club at the age of fourteen, admired Youngjae and wanted to play as a guard, but he was playing as a forward because he was taller than his peers.

“I see. David, how do you think Yoon’s condition is today?”

Melly and Emily, who were sitting next to him, asked David with a smile, and David pondered with a cute expression before nodding.

“His condition is good today! When I practice shooting, if my first shot goes in well, I also play well during the game!”

“Oh~ That’s a statement worthy of the best point forward in school, isn’t it?”

Emily pinched David’s cheek and smiled, as if she had become very close to David, and David smiled shyly.

[This is the first game of the first round between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers. It’s a match between the 1st and 8th seeds in the Western Conference, but in a short series, the outcome can be reversed depending on the performance of the ace, the momentum, or the matchup advantage. Dallas must remember that in the 2006 playoffs, despite achieving a great record of 67 wins, they were swept 0-4 by Golden State in the first round.]

[That’s right. However, the head-to-head record between Dallas and the LA Clippers this season is 2 wins and 1 loss, with Dallas winning 2 games at home and the Clippers winning 1 game at home. The home-away games were not perfectly evenly distributed due to the shortened season, but Dallas definitely showed extremely strong performances at home. The Clippers’ wins and losses depend on Chris Paul’s performance, and Dallas has a point guard killer. In the last game of the season, he tied up Derrick Rose, last year’s MVP point guard. He is a gem that Dallas discovered last season after always struggling against fast point guards after sending Devin Harris away. That’s Youngjae Yoon. His position is shooting guard, but Yoon often guards point guards because of Jason Kidd. Let’s look at the matchup record between the two players.]

2011-2012 Season Head-to-Head Record (3 Games)

Youngjae Yoon (20.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 50.3% FG, 44.7% 3P)

Chris Paul (17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 44.6% FG, 35.3% 3P)

As Derek Harper finished speaking, the two players’ records began to appear with subtitles and highlight videos. Mark Followill nodded, saying it was really amazing.

[Looking at the head-to-head record between the two players, we can see that Youngjae Yoon is a really consistent and amazing point guard killer! Youngjae Yoon showed similar stats to his average despite playing against Chris Paul, while Paul’s stats were a bit lower than his average. If Paul is contained by Yoon in the playoffs as he was in the regular season, the Clippers will have to pack their bags. Although their positions are different, they match up against each other in both offense and defense due to the team’s situation.]

Derek Harper began by saying that he viewed Chris Paul negatively.

[Paul is bound to struggle against Yoon. He is a player who reigns as the best point guard by compensating for the height difference with his strong power, intelligence, and skills, but Yoon is much taller than Paul and faster than Paul. It’s similar to how Paul struggled against Deron Williams even in his prime. Moreover, his hand speed, technical perfection, and basketball IQ are also comparable, so it’s even more so. The players who struggle against Yoon are tall and strong players, but there are no such guards in the current Clippers. It’s a composition where Paul, who doesn’t have a good matchup, has no choice but to guard Yoon.]

[That’s right. Excluding Paul, there are Vince Carter, Mo Williams, and Randy Foye, but if Carter or Williams match up against Yoon, they will create the game of Yoon’s life. Foye is the better option, but he has the least playing time among the three.]

Vince Carter, who has become so slow that he is being told that he should be playing small forward, and Mo Williams, who is being criticized for disrupting the Clippers’ defense, could not be viable alternatives. Foye, who is young and athletic, was the next best option.

[Yoon disrupts passes to or from Paul as much as possible on defense, which is very threatening, right? If you make a mistake, it’s a steal. Because of this, the Clippers’ offense becomes very tight. The Clippers’ offense thrives when it goes through Paul and Paul holds the ball, but Yoon makes even the initial pass difficult.]

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

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

@ The actual average age of the Dallas team in 2011-2012 was overwhelmingly the highest. The LA Lakers were second with 29.3 years old, but Dallas was the only league average age in their 30s with 31.3 years old. Instead of Youngjae, Parsons, Chandler, and Barea, there were Carter, West, and Odom. So it would be strange if they didn’t get tired in the second half of the shortened season. They also lost all of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th playoff games by a narrow margin.

@ I have uploaded the Dallas roster & stats and league rankings in the story in the work setting section. You don’t have to read it, but if you do, it will be helpful for the novel. Any questions are welcome in the comments or messages.

Thank you for your comments, ㅎ0ㅎ, 위티드, 사라질영혼, 파이넨시아, 오마리온, -DarkANGEL-!!

여신유리찬양, 이동석동/// Yes… there are many cases where people frown. Even if I’m frustrated because I can’t communicate, I just give up…

prension/// Thank you for your support. After all, basketball is not very popular in Korea, there are few broadcasts, and there are few fans. Globally, basketball is second only to soccer, which I personally find disappointing. Still, I’m glad that you’ve become interested in basketball while reading our novel!!

오광/// Rose was so explosive that the risk of injury was constantly pointed out, but it happened too early. Unfortunately, the changes in play style after the injury also seem to be failing.

세상과맞짱중/// That’s the Shaq-Kobe era of 3 consecutive championships. I just watched it lightly at that time ㅋㅋ. Iverson… was really a fashionista. It’s a pity that he left the NBA too early. Now, there are almost no players left who spent their prime time at the same time as Iverson.

Lazze/// Rose and Youngjae are completely incompatible ㄷㄷ. In a way, it’s a structure where Youngjae can’t help but be advantageous. Since Jason Kidd can defend shooting guards, he can block point guards with a height advantage and similar speed. As you said, Youngjae is still growing ㅋㅋ

울트라10/// I understand the general manager’s intention, but I think it’s too extreme. Well, it’s not at the level of Isaiah Thomas of the Detroit era or Colangelo of the Toronto era, which is incomprehensible. I understand Hinkie’s intention, but I doubt whether he will succeed with that method, and the fans suffer too much in the process. The period is also long.

야베스/// At the time, the expected championship contenders were San Antonio, Oklahoma, Miami, Bulls, and Lakers. In the story, Dallas is easy to play against Miami and the Lakers, evenly matched against the Bulls and Oklahoma, and San Antonio is the most difficult.