Y13 [EN]: Chapter 256

Y13-256 2011-2012 Playoff Round 1 =========================================================================

As the starting members of both teams finally stepped onto the court, Mark Followill began his smooth introductions of the lineups.

[The starting lineup for both teams is Jason Kidd – Youngjae Yoon – Shawn Marion – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler. This has been a consistent starting five, barring injuries, and the lineup that solidified last season.]

Derek Harper nodded, as if it were obvious.

[Definitely the best. It’s a top-tier lineup, ranking as high as 4th in defensive efficiency among five-man units. It fluctuates a bit depending on Kidd’s condition, but Dallas starts with Kidd for his strong early-game defense. In clutch time, they bring in Terry for a lineup with high offensive efficiency. The other four remain the same. It’s like a card game where changing just one card turns a shield into a spear, and vice versa. Also, Terry is a decent defender when playing with Yoon, as he can guard players of similar or smaller size. He has a strong understanding of team defense; he’s smart and quick.]

[I see. I think this is one of the strengths that allowed Dallas to take first place in the league with a record of 50 wins and 16 losses. Being able to easily switch between the strongest offensive and defensive lineups whenever needed is key! Here’s the starting lineup for the opposing team, the LA Clippers: Chris Paul – Vince Carter – Caron Butler – Blake Griffin – DeAndre Jordan.]

At Followill’s explanation, Derek Harper nodded knowingly.

[This lineup is the Clippers’ best as well. It’s a matchup against his former team for Caron Butler. Butler is performing well for the Clippers despite his long-term injury last year. The additions of Chris Paul and Caron Butler, Vince Carter still playing well, elite big man Blake Griffin (the Rookie of the Year from last year), and defensive center DeAndre Jordan, who is in the spotlight for his excellent combination with Chris Paul, make them a formidable team compared to last year! The Clippers also have top-notch efficiency in their starting lineup. However, all five starters play more than 28 minutes each, and they mostly play together. In other words, they tend to rely heavily on their starters and are a bit rigid in managing the stamina of the starters versus the bench.]

Derek Harper, a bit thirsty, took a sip of water and continued.

[It’s because of coach Vinny Del Negro’s tendencies; he’s sometimes called ‘Stopwatch’ for his rigid rotations. Of course, Paul and Griffin play over 36 minutes, so they get some rest with the bench, but while Carlisle, the opposing team’s coach, hardly ever uses a pure bench lineup, Del Negro tends to use a pure bench lineup for longer stretches.]

As the referee tossed the ball, Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan jumped to contest it. Chandler wasn’t weak at jump balls, but Jordan, with his incredible athleticism, secured the ball.

Thump!

[DeAndre Jordan’s jumping ability is incredible! His scoring was very low before Chris Paul joined, but his efficiency in attack has improved through Paul’s addition and Griffin’s development.]

“…”

Chris Paul, facing Youngjae, whom he had guarded several times during the season, opted for a different approach instead of forcing an early shot. Since Griffin was matched up with Nowitzki, Paul passed the ball before Youngjae could get too close.

[Chris Paul safely delivers the entry pass!]

[It’s practical. One of the Clippers’ strengths against Dallas is Griffin. If they put Chandler on him, Chandler has to come out to the mid-range to guard Griffin, and if they put Nowitzki on him, it’s hard to control Griffin’s face-up game. It seems they’ve chosen to put Nowitzki on him for now and have Chandler help protect the paint.]

Paul’s pass sailed lightly over Youngjae’s head, and Griffin received the ball and went to work against Nowitzki. Griffin tried to post up Nowitzki, faking him out with a few pivots, but even though Nowitzki’s physical abilities had declined and his defense wasn’t what it once was, he wasn’t a player who could be fooled by clumsy pivot fakes.

Thud!

“Kuh!”

Finally, a strained sound escaped Nowitzki’s mouth, and Griffin, having created a sliver of space, pivoted on his right foot towards the baseline and drove to the basket.

“Uwaaaat!!”

“Euaaaat!!”

[There!! Tyson Chandler! How did he get in front of Griffin?! Blake Griffin attempts a one-handed dunk after pushing Nowitzki, but Tyson Chandler is reaching out his hand in front of him!]

Clang!!

In the end, Griffin’s dunk attempt was blocked by Tyson Chandler. Griffin’s choice was sound, but Dallas had anticipated this move, and Chandler reacted quickly. Griffin’s athleticism and speed were impressive, but Chandler’s reaction was just too fast.

Whack!!!

[BLOCK!!! WHAT A NASTY BLOCK!!!]

[If that kind of block happens so early in the game, Griffin won’t be feeling good! It’s like Griffin chose the worst possible option! Shake off Nowitzki, spin along the baseline, and then a slam. In a way, it’s a great attack, but the situation wasn’t ideal. If Chandler had reacted just a little later, Griffin could have drawn an and-one foul.]

Chandler pounded his chest like a gorilla as the ball sailed out of bounds, roaring in front of the home fans.

DEFENSE!!

DEFENSE!!

[Wow! The fans’ energy has reached fever pitch! The defense chant is pouring out from tens of thousands of spectators! Today, the American Airlines Center is sold out with all 21,146 seats. It has been sold out every game this season!]

[The Clippers need to regroup quickly and make their next attack count, right? They can’t afford to lose momentum! They must not be overwhelmed by the cheers of the opposing team’s fans!]

Caron Butler passed the ball back to Chris Paul from the sideline.

“?!”

As soon as Paul received it, he tried to initiate the offense, but Youngjae gave him no room to operate comfortably. Of course, a point guard of Paul’s caliber wasn’t easily flustered, but from Paul’s perspective, there was no easy option, whether it was a pass, a drive, or a shot.

Moreover, the Clippers’ big men weren’t setting great screens. It was much better when he played with David West or Tyson Chandler during his New Orleans days.

[They have to set a screen! Griffin seems to be setting a screen appropriately…]

Swoosh!!

Paul, perhaps a little impatient, attempted a drive just before Griffin could fully set the screen, and Youngjae seized the moment. Griffin hadn’t fully settled into position, and as Youngjae tried to slip through the gap, Griffin inadvertently moved his body and blocked Youngjae.

Thump Thump Thump!!!!

Beeeep!!!

Everyone knew that Youngjae was physically weaker than Griffin. However, anyone would be pushed back or fall when colliding head-on with a player in motion.

“Augh…”

Youngjae appeared to be in pain on the floor, clutching his knee and rubbing it. Griffin looked at Youngjae with a bewildered expression, then looked at the referee and gestured that he was innocent.

[Moving screen foul! Called on Blake Griffin!]

[The importance of teamwork in a screen play is evident here! No matter how good Griffin and Paul are, Griffin is only in his third year, and since he missed his entire rookie season due to injury, it’s fair to say he’s essentially a second-year player, right? Griffin’s screen-setting ability is still developing, it’s not yet refined.]

When Griffin’s foul was called, Youngjae subtly got up and rubbed his knee a few more times, then nodded to the bench to signal he was okay. In reality, even when he tangled with Griffin and fell, there wasn’t much impact on his body, and the bench seemed to know, nodding in response.

“Whew… I was surprised because I fell so suddenly.”

Melly was startled when Youngjae clutched his knee, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him walking and running normally. Emily, however, wasn’t very surprised and watched the game calmly.

“Uh… Sister, weren’t you surprised?”

Melly, who now called Emily “sister,” hesitated to speak every time she looked at Emily, wondering if she was really older than her. Emily nodded and said.

“It happened because the opponent was impatient.”

“Yes?”

“You shouldn’t move after firmly establishing your position for a screen. But Griffin was still moving to secure his screen position, right? That’s why Yoon rushed in. If you can follow, you follow, and if you panic and move, you draw a foul.”

“Ah…”

Not only Melly but even David stared at Emily with a blank expression at her expert analysis.

[Chris Paul TO DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul TO Blake Griffin’s fantastic alley-oop play hasn’t appeared even once in the first quarter after 8 minutes!]

Whoosh!

Paul, struggling against intense close defense, started dribbling at the top of the key as if to prove he wasn’t finished yet. With Youngjae in front of him, Paul dribbled the ball between his legs, and in a flash, he took a left-foot jab step while simultaneously extending his right foot forward. Youngjae read Paul’s jab step and path with incredible reaction speed, but he also reacted immediately to the heavy force he felt from behind.

[DeAndre Jordan’s screen! But he neatly gets over that screen…]

At that moment, Paul used his extended right foot as a pivot and spun counterclockwise, using DeAndre Jordan’s screen in reverse to let Youngjae slip.

[SPIN MOVE!!! SPIN, SPIN, SPIN!!!]

[How can you defend such an amazing spin move! Holding Chris Paul to only 2 points in the first 7 minutes is an amazing defensive effort! This kind of fake and spin move is practically daring you to try and block it!]

Paul looked around as he came off DeAndre Jordan’s screen. If it were Youngjae’s defense, he should definitely be following, but he was nowhere to be seen. Paul jumped, thinking he had finally shaken off the pesky Youngjae.

Swish!!

“?!”

[WHAT!!!]

[Where did he come from! Youngjae Yoon!!! Youngjae Yoon bursts out in front of Chris Paul, who was attempting a mid-range jumper by stepping into the high post!!!]

Paul looked around in horror, but there was no one to pass to on the outside. In the end, all he could do was drop the ball to Jordan, who had set a screen, a meaningless attempt to protect the ball.

Toss!

[Ah! But Shawn Marion lightly steals the ball as it falls to Jordan!!!]

As soon as he saw Marion steal the ball, Youngjae sprinted forward without hesitation. Vince Carter at the 2, Caron Butler at the 3. They were slow players anyway, and even Paul, who was considered fast, was no match for Youngjae’s speed.

Swish!

Marion’s outlet pass, delivered with perfect force. And Youngjae, running like a beast towards the ball floating and falling towards the court.

“Uwaaaat!!”

Youngjae usually went for safe and practical layups. Dunks were risky for injury and consumed a lot of stamina. That’s why guards who handled the ball a lot tended to avoid dunks.

But in such a big game, stealing the momentum was more valuable than anything else in a home game. Youngjae pulled his right hand holding the ball back with all his might, even letting out a shout he usually didn’t make. Youngjae jumped and slammed his right hand towards the rim as if he would shatter it.

Kwaaaang!!!!!

[YES!! SIR!!! Y13 CURSE SLAM!!!]

[It’s been a while since Yoon dunked! Haha!! Isn’t it amazing?! After showing a clever defense that used Chris Paul’s spin move in reverse, going around behind DeAndre Jordan and moving to a place where Chris Paul couldn’t see him, blocking Paul’s path, he finishes with a one-handed slam that steals all the momentum!!!]

Beeeep!!

[Time-out! LA Clippers!]

[They have to call a time-out! The score is 20 to 12 in just 7 minutes of the first quarter! They’re already 8 points behind!]

Y13!!

Y13!!!

The home fans roared. Melly and David’s family, and Emily, couldn’t contain their excitement and were shouting Y13 at the top of their lungs. Youngjae took his hand off the rim and landed, then turned his back to the side where Emily, Melly, and David were, and stretched both arms out to the side.

As if to say, remember my jersey number.

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

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

＠Many guards avoid dunks. Tony Parker and Stephen Curry can do it, but they don’t do it often. Gary Payton also said that it was a waste of energy and didn’t suit him. There are quite a few players who get injured while dunking. Russell Westbrook is unusual, and there have been many criticisms that Derrick Rose’s excessive dunk attempts put a strain on his knees. Of course, it is also true that it is flashy and helps to shift the momentum.

＠Griffin is a powerful player in 2-on-2 situations because he has a long shooting range and is a versatile offensive threat like Nowitzki, but he is not a solid screen setter. He’s gotten a lot better now. Still, he’s not at the level of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, or Tyson Chandler, who make it easy for the ball-handler to get open.

잉킹둘님/// I think he can be classified as a hard worker rather than a genius. To become the best player in the league, you have to be a genius by default, but if you had to distinguish between genius and hard worker, I think it would be LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. It’s not that LeBron is lazy, but Kobe’s training volume is said to make even the most hardworking players amazed. And it took Kobe quite a while to develop. Personally, I think Steve Nash and Stephen Curry, who have ordinary athletic abilities and have grown steadily since their rookie days, should be seen as hard workers. Whether you see Youngjae as a hard worker or a genius may differ among readers.

이동석동님, chaikopusuki님/// ㅎㅎ As a writer, I’m happy when you show affection for the main character.

위티드님, 사라질영혼님, misscherry님, 오마리온님, 흑월화야님, 파이넨시아님///Thank you for your comments!! Sigh, it’s Monday. The weather is cold, so everyone be careful not to catch a cold^^

ㅎ0ㅎ님/// He was the only peer in the team, so he had a big part in the beginning, but he fails too badly in reality. We usually give some changes to the players’ careers as much as possible, but we don’t give as much correction as Youngjae. Just doing what Boboa is doing now is better than reality. Of course, his appearance has decreased significantly ㅠ.ㅠ

天上天下唯我獨尊님/// Thank you for pointing out. Ah, what a mistake;;; We saw it wrong while making corrections. Correction completed^^