Y13 [EN]: Chapter 266

Y13-266. 2011-2012 Semi-Conference Final

[The Dallas Mavericks! Are on fire against Oklahoma City in their home opener today!]

[Is last year’s nightmare returning? Coach Scott Brooks is definitely a great leader who integrates the team well and excels at maximizing individual potential, but his tactical abilities have been pointed out as a weakness throughout the season.]

“Ugh!!”

James Harden, driving hard towards the basket, was once again blocked by Corey Brewer’s tight defense. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Harden has now been blocked twice near the rim. Brewer was living up to his potential as the next Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest), reminiscent of Artest’s Defensive Player of the Year days, if Brewer’s potential fully blossomed.

[BLOCK!!!!]

[Corey Brewer! Absolutely amazing! He has been limited in his role and playing time due to his inconsistent jump shot, but in this series, he seems to have been given a special mission to shut down Harden! Harden is struggling quite a bit!]

The ball Brewer blocked was grabbed by Shawn Marion. Simultaneously, J.J. Barea, guarding Russell Westbrook, and Youngjae, guarding Thabo Sefolosha, sprinted down the court. Westbrook could easily match Youngjae or Barea’s speed, but Sefolosha was the issue. While Sefolosha was a good, fast defender, Youngjae and Barea were even quicker.

[As expected, Russell Westbrook! Amazing speed, but he’s up against Barea and Youngjae Yoon!]

Marion considered his passing options but decided to trust Youngjae in this situation. Barea was a capable driver, but in the final seconds of the second quarter, especially against Westbrook, anything could happen.

Thwack!

Marion’s pass was a laser, fast and direct. Westbrook, recognizing Youngjae as the greater threat, immediately moved to block him at the rim.

[Youngjae Yoon isn’t slowing down! Is he going to collide with Westbrook?!]

Westbrook’s one-on-one defense wasn’t terrible, but his offensive explosiveness, fueled by his incredible physique, didn’t translate as effectively on the defensive end. Despite pre-draft projections of defensive prowess, the opposite proved true.

“…”

A safe play would have been to drive to the basket, but with Westbrook guarding, the situation changed. Youngjae made his decision. Just before colliding with Westbrook, he stopped abruptly, planting both feet and flicking the ball to his right.

[Wow!!! Instead of finishing himself, he passes to J.J. Barea, who was also on the fast break!]

[Westbrook positioned himself perfectly for rim protection between the two players, but how did Barea end up in Youngjae Yoon’s passing lane?! He’s so fast!]

Sefolosha, anticipating Youngjae challenging Westbrook in the air, momentarily lost track of Barea, creating the opening Barea needed.

[J.J. Barea, floater!!!]

Swish-

[J.J. BAREA YES, SIR!!!]

[Yoon passes it out at the perfect time and obstructs Westbrook’s vision, ensuring Barea’s shot is clear!]

[The score is 49 to 44! The home team Dallas Mavericks maintain a 5-point lead!]

With that, the second quarter ended, and FOX SPORTS began its halftime show with Mark Followill and Derek Harper, along with Jeff ‘Skin’ Wade, a Dallas broadcast analyst for FOX SPORTS. (FOX SPORTS also introduces him as JEFF ‘SKIN’ WADE.)

“The first game of the second round of the playoffs between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder has reached halftime. As Dallas has home-court advantage, this first game is at the American Airlines Center. What are your thoughts on the pre-game predictions and what we’ve seen so far?”

Derek Harper nodded, a satisfied expression on his face in response to Mark Followill’s question.

“Dallas had a full five days of rest, and Oklahoma City had four. Both teams finished their series 4-1, giving them ample time to recover and analyze their opponents. This series was expected to be a hard-fought battle, and it’s certainly living up to that. Dallas has carried their momentum from the second half of the season into the playoffs, while Oklahoma City experienced some ups and downs but seems to have recovered. The momentum is truly equal.”

“So you see it as neck and neck? The experts’ predictions are almost evenly split. Dallas winning and Oklahoma City winning are predicted at about the same rate. And that’s why most people are predicting six games or more, right?”

Jeff ‘Skin’ Wade, who had been listening, finally spoke, offering his logical analysis.

“That’s right. Both teams are strong, and their regular season record was tied at 2-2. They also faced off in the Conference Finals last season, which Dallas won. Oklahoma City seems to have prepared extensively for this rematch, seeking revenge.”

Derek Harper elaborated, seamlessly continuing the show.

“There haven’t been many player changes, but the young core of Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka have grown even more this year, fueled by last season’s experience. Dallas has maintained its core and shown even stronger teamwork. The most impressive aspect of the first half is the Westbrook-Durant duo for Oklahoma, and the Youngjae Yoon-Dirk Nowitzki duo for Dallas. Dallas has 26 points from Youngjae Yoon and Dirk Nowitzki, and Westbrook and Durant have a combined 30, highlighting where the scoring is concentrated.”

Mark Followill, looking thoughtful, spoke up, wondering if something had occurred to him.

“But Harden’s struggles seem quite unexpected.”

“Corey Brewer is definitely a player who can disrupt James Harden to some extent. He seems to be in excellent form today, playing with a vengeance. Brewer’s defense is good, and by limiting Harden’s shooting and affecting his confidence, he’s doing his job perfectly. So far, it’s been very successful. Harden only has 6 points.”

As the discussion about Corey Brewer and James Harden concluded, Followill transitioned to another topic.

“Looking at Corey Brewer and James Harden, there are many interesting matchups in this series. First, there’s the battle between Kevin Durant, who had an outstanding season but finished second in MVP voting behind LeBron James, and Youngjae Yoon, who rose to fifth in MVP voting in just two years. Then there’s James Harden, the Sixth Man of the Year, being contained by Corey Brewer, and Jason Terry, a Sixth Man mainstay.”

Followill paused to drink some water before continuing.

“In addition, there’s the pride battle between Serge Ibaka, the Defensive Player of the Year and block leader with 3.7 blocks per game, and Tyson Chandler, the center of Dallas’ defense and ranked 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.”

“Looking at these three matchups alone, Dallas seems to be at a disadvantage. It’s a battle of 2nd vs. 5th, 1st vs. 3rd, and 1st vs. 4th, isn’t it? Dallas has Dirk Nowitzki, but Oklahoma City also has Russell Westbrook. Strictly speaking, it should be called the Big 4. The core four of Oklahoma City seems stronger.”

Jeff Skin Wade, intrigued by Derek Harper’s analysis, nodded, looking at the first half’s stats.

“But Dallas is slightly winning in all three of those matchups. In the MVP battle, Durant and Yoon each have 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 turnovers, and 12 points, 5 assists, and 1 turnover, respectively. Durant is scoring more, but he has 3 turnovers and most of his points came when he was used in a small lineup. If he can’t score this much against Nowitzki, he wouldn’t be Durant. But he only scored 4 points when matched up with Marion at the small forward position.”

“Harden is also struggling against Terry. He’s colliding a lot with Corey Brewer, but Harden only has 4 points, 2 turnovers, and several blocked shots. Terry has 6 points, but he hasn’t taken many shots, showing good efficiency in limited minutes. Finally, the defense battle between Ibaka and Chandler seems even. We’ll have to watch that more closely.”

With the analysis of the key player matchups complete, Followill moved on to the final topic.

“What about the bench players? Objectively, wouldn’t Dallas be superior?”

“That’s right. Dallas’ role players are much stronger. Compare Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, J.J. Barea, Brendan Haywood, Chandler Parsons, and Brandon Wright to Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison, Derek Fisher, Daequan Cook, and Nazr Mohammed.”

The screen displayed a comparison of the bench scores and points allowed for both teams, and the two analysts explained the comparison in response to Jeff Skin Wade’s statement.

“Looking at the data, Dallas’ bench seems twice as good. Oklahoma City has the stronger starters, and Dallas has the stronger bench.”

“That’s right. But that’s where the problem lies. Oklahoma City needs to score points with their starters, but they’re having an equal game with Dallas’ starters, so the score is gradually widening.”

Derek Harper elaborated, delivering the information vividly.

“Dallas also has a coaching advantage. Coach Scott Brooks is still relying on the talent of his core four, and there are almost no clutch-time tactics. He just relies on Durant and Westbrook’s individual abilities. The lack of clutch-time tactics and the coach’s tactical limitations are consistently cited as Oklahoma City’s weaknesses. On the other hand, Rick Carlisle’s offensive efficiency after timeouts is ranked 1st in the league this season, and he demonstrated the importance of tactical ability in the last Finals. It’s no exaggeration to say that these slight differences have created the current 5-point lead.”

Followill glanced at the clock, checked the remaining time, and asked a question that viewers might be wondering about.

“But is it possible that Oklahoma City’s talent is so overwhelming that tactical ability is irrelevant? Especially if they have a slight advantage in the starting lineup compared to Dallas.”

“That works in the regular season. But in the playoffs, there’s a limit unless you use tactics that involve all five players. Among the championship teams in the last 16 years, there isn’t a single coach who lacks tactical ability. Phil Jackson (8 times – LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls), Gregg Popovich (4 times – San Antonio Spurs), Doc Rivers (1 time – Boston Celtics), Pat Riley (1 time – Miami Heat), and Larry Brown (1 time – Detroit Pistons).”

Jeff Wade agreed with Derek Harper and nodded.

“That’s right. Experts who favor Dallas see that difference as greater than the difference in the Big 4’s individual skills. I agree. Oklahoma City has better individual skills in the Big 4, but Dallas has better combination and chemistry. Ibaka has never effectively contained Nowitzki, who is shooting over 50%, with 14 points in the first half, including a three-pointer, an and-one, and 6/9 shooting overall. He can’t control him at all. Also, Yoon and Nowitzki-Chandler’s pick-and-roll is the best in the league. Youngjae Yoon struggles against physically dominant guards like Westbrook, and the Dallas backcourt is being overrun when Westbrook and Harden play together, but Durant isn’t having much fun against Marion and Parsons.”

Derek Harper naturally continued Jeff Wade’s points. Followill, thinking this would be the last comment, nodded in satisfaction.

“Experts who predict Oklahoma City’s superiority argue that the difference in the skills and energy levels of the Big 4 is greater. Compared to Nowitzki and Terry’s age, Oklahoma City’s Big 4 are 24 years old for Durant and Westbrook, and 23 years old for Harden and Ibaka. They argue that Dallas will struggle if Oklahoma City increases the pace and turns it into a physical game. In fact, Dallas has lost games in a similar pattern twice this season. However, those who made this argument will be surprised watching today’s game. Oklahoma City, which tried to maintain an up-tempo throughout the second quarter, seems to be getting caught up in Dallas’ experienced game management.”

“Now, the game enters the second half. So far, it’s a fierce battle! It’s a 50-50 fight where either team can win. Stay tuned to see how this game will go. This has been FOX SPORTS’ halftime show. We will be back with the third quarter game soon.”

Followill skillfully finished his closing remarks and ended the halftime show.

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

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

＠I tried to describe the halftime show instead of the pre-game commentary. Usually, 3-4 panelists will proceed for about 10-15 minutes.

＠Doc Rivers was considered a master at the time. He was also evaluated as having good tactical skills. He also received the Coach of the Year award in Orlando, combined the Big 3 to win the championship in one season, and Rondo grew up and the role distribution was good. On the other hand, he has become an incompetent image now. I also think it’s hard to see Rivers as a master now.

＠Ibaka is still weak against stretch big men. Ibaka’s other nemesis is Aldridge. So I think Oklahoma will have a hard time with San Antonio this season. Durant will be blocked by Kawhi again, and Ibaka will be completely털리다 [dominated] by Aldridge… In this case, Westbrook will end up struggling alone. Even then, Danny Green is blocking him, and San Antonio’s inside defense this season is literally hell, so it looks difficult.

Ultra10/// I think I have no choice but to pick LeBron if it’s one of the two. Leaving aside everything else, Durant’s durability is too bad. If I were an owner or general manager, I would be drawn to LeBron, but Durant’s health seems too uncertain.

Witted, Goddess Yuri Praise, Financier, Omari On/// Thank you for your comments!! It’s finally Friday ^^

Athoro/// Um, in terms of baseball’s WAR [Wins Above Replacement], it seems to be a little higher than half, around 6-7. NBA’s WS [Win Shares] is usually between 15-10 in the top 1-5, but I know that MLB doesn’t exceed 10. It is very rare for a 2nd year MVP to be in the top 5. Almost only legends who compete for the all-time top are possible. LeBron was also 6th in his 2nd year.

anguqwhdk/// It’s similar to Curry in terms of developing technique instead of physical. But the play style is quite different from Curry. The defense is also quite different from Curry.

Gray Shadow/// ㄷㄷ The 자리 [place] where 결국 [eventually] should be entered, but why is 이제 [now] entered again ㅋㅋ. Thank you for pointing out ^^

Ray Lua/// Thank you for being interested in basketball because of our article ^^
He’s only 21 years old, so he’ll develop even more.

Yabes/// I don’t think it was that good. But on the other hand, I don’t think he was unlucky with his teammates either. No matter how good LeBron is, it doesn’t make sense that the team members of a team that scores 66 wins and 61 wins are not good. Miami also had only one season with more than 60 wins out of 4 years. However, I also think it was not enough to win the championship.

In my opinion, the front office at the time said that they recruited everything LeBron wanted, and I think that’s the problem. The result of high-cost, low-efficiency recruitment came out. The expectations at the time of recruitment and the regular season results were good, but the limitations were revealed in the playoffs. LeBron played in Cleveland for 7 years, and there were only 2 All-Star teammates (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mo Williams), so he was unlucky with his teammates and only gathered old 퇴물 [washed-up players];;; Nowitzki also played with All-Stars only twice after 04. (Josh Howard, Jason Kidd) Dallas also gathered mainly old players, and high-cost, low-efficiency players were 득실득실 [everywhere].

In conclusion, the club did its best for LeBron, and LeBron’s teammate luck was not bad in the first Cleveland period, but it was not enough to win the championship. If LeBron had won the championship in the first Cleveland period, he would have been remembered as a great one-man championship like Duncan of 03 San Antonio or Nowitzki of 11 Dallas. However, I think the Miami era was a good team with 2 championships and 2 runners-up that were disappointing. How could there have been a survey at the time that 30% of the respondents said that even if Miami won the championship, it was not a fair championship…

anwkdk/// You’ll know that if you pass by.

ㅎ0ㅎ/// Youngjae is also 역대급 [legendary] if you only look at the records. There are not many players who have risen to the top 5 in MVP in their 2nd year ㄷㄷ