Y13 [EN]: Chapter 269

Y13-269. 2011-2012 Semi-Conference Final

While Perkins offered some rim protection, his mobility wasn’t great, which actually suited Barea’s game. Still, Dallas needed to maximize their most efficient offensive options.

[J.J. Barea makes a simple entry pass inside instead of trying to drive against Westbrook at the top of the key.]

Barea wasn’t known for his exceptional court vision (視野), but he understood his role and followed the coach’s instructions. Against Collison, posting up Nowitzki was the most effective strategy.

Nowitzki, with his back to Collison, straightened up to protect the ball and continued his move smoothly.

[Nowitzki posts up against Collison, successfully receiving the ball in a good position. The best way to stop Nowitzki is to deny the entry pass, but his height and the Dallas guards’ passing skills make that difficult.]

[Nowitzki is the biggest threat from Oklahoma City’s perspective. While there are ways to contain the other players, stopping Nowitzki with their current roster is a challenge. At least Collison is putting up a veteran and tenacious defense.]

As Collison was gradually pushed back, Nowitzki kept it simple and turned his body. A fadeaway jumper from that position would be unstoppable, even with Collison’s outstretched hand.

“!?”

[As if anticipating Nick Collison’s close defense, Dirk Nowitzki violently drives in with his shoulder!]

A sudden drive. Even Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan struggled with Nowitzki’s post moves. While he might appear slender, Nowitzki possessed surprising strength for his position.

Using his right shoulder to push Collison and dribbling with his left, Nowitzki drove to the low post. Though his lanky frame might have looked awkward, in his prime, he had the mobility and dribbling skills to play as a small forward, even with his size.

Reaching the rim, Nowitzki stopped his momentum by planting his right foot and turning his back again. Collison was unsure how to defend Nowitzki’s seamless transitions between post-up and face-up moves. Ultimately, he could only stay as close as possible while avoiding contact, as he’d initially planned.

[Collison sticks to him tenaciously! But Dirk Nowitzki is too experienced!]

[A smooth and quick spin move from post-up to face-up leaves Collison helpless!]

There’s a limit to how much you can stick to a player. If Collison tries to stay too close, Nowitzki simply shakes him off to either side and drives in the direction he prefers. Collison is smarter and more energetic on defense than Ibaka, but his lack of reach and athleticism negates those advantages.

Swish-

[Dirk Nowitzki scores an easy layup. Collison defends cautiously to avoid an and-one, staying close and extending his arm.]

[The score is now 82-75, extending the lead to 7 points. It’s a deceptively close score. Considering Dallas’s fourth-quarter performance, it’s a significant lead. Of course, Oklahoma City has the firepower to close the gap quickly.]

There was a window of opportunity for Oklahoma City to rally. However, the difference in energy levels between the young players and the more experienced Dallas team in the second half allowed Dallas to gradually extend their lead.

“…”

Coach Carlisle called a timeout during this precarious situation to encourage his players and make a bold move by bringing in his closing lineup early. Given Oklahoma City’s unfavorable matchup against Dallas, winning at home was crucial.

While winning the first game of a best-of-seven series isn’t a guarantee, giving a young team like Oklahoma City momentum could lead to an unstoppable run.

[Coach Rick Carlisle quickly puts out the closing lineup. Oklahoma City seems to be considering sticking with their current lineup for a bit longer.]

[Jason Terry, Young-jae Yoon, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler. This is Dallas’s best lineup, and one of the most efficient five-man units in the league this season. It’s also the foundation of Dallas’s strong fourth-quarter performances.]

Young-jae returned to the court and took possession of the ball. In this lineup, he was the primary point guard. Terry could provide some support, but he wasn’t a natural floor general. Coach Scott Brooks seemed surprised by Dallas’s quick closing lineup, but bringing out Durant or Ibaka, who had played heavy minutes through the third quarter, seemed premature.

After a few possessions, Coach Scott Brooks began to reconsider his options. Ultimately, he decided to make a change quickly.

Before it was too late, Coach Scott Brooks called a timeout, intending to use a small lineup that maximized offensive power and mobility to change the game’s momentum.

[Finally, Oklahoma City responds! Westbrook, Harden, Sefolosha, Durant, and Ibaka enter the game!]

[Consider this the highlight reel lineup. They’ve activated their best unit in terms of plus-minus. Dallas has opted for height and defense, while Oklahoma City has chosen mobility and offense. The key will be whether Nowitzki and Chandler can keep up with Durant and Ibaka’s pace.]

Oklahoma City launched their attack with the Westbrook and Harden combination. The offensive potential of a duo where either player could lead the offense or drive to the basket was immense. Westbrook, receiving a pass from Harden on the right wing, glanced at Young-jae, who was guarding him, and surveyed the court without attempting a risky drive.

‘…’

Harden, dribbling low between his legs while using jab steps, considered having Sefolosha set a screen but decided against it and lobbed the ball to Kevin Durant behind Young-jae.

[They choose Kevin Durant!]

[Good decision. Nowitzki will have trouble guarding Durant!]

As soon as Durant caught the ball, he turned to face Nowitzki. Using jab steps, Durant faced up against Nowitzki, utilizing his height and speed. Nowitzki raised his right hand to contest Durant’s shot, but Durant jumped and released the ball effortlessly.

[Kevin Durant rises for a shot with Dirk Nowitzki guarding him!]

Nowitzki knew Durant’s shooting ability was a major threat, but even with anticipation, Durant’s footwork and speed were difficult to counter.

Swish!

[BANG!!!]

[Kevin Durant, back after a short break! With each season, he makes basketball look easier and easier.]

[And James Harden’s decision wasn’t bad either. No need to go up against a tough defender.]

After Durant’s mid-range jumper, Oklahoma City began to relentlessly target Terry. When Ibaka or Sefolosha came to the three-point line to set a screen, Harden confidently drove to the basket. Even if Terry, a smart defender with decent screen defense, got caught on the screen, there was no answer. Chandler and Marion, who were guarding Sefolosha and Ibaka, had to switch onto Harden, creating a mismatch. Harden could either drive past them or pass to the open man.

[James Harden uses the screen again!]

[Jason Terry is struggling on defense! Oklahoma City has clearly analyzed Dallas’s closing lineup! With less than 3 minutes left, they’ve closed the gap to 91-88, a 3-point difference! If Dallas doesn’t stop this attack, they could tie the game!]

As long as Terry couldn’t avoid the screen and stay with Harden, this play would continue to be effective. If Young-jae guarded Harden, the impulsive Westbrook, who attacks like a tank, would run rampant.

Oklahoma City’s attack started again from the right wing. This time, instead of Harden, Westbrook received the ball from Harden and went around the screen.

Harden was a capable scorer, but Westbrook had also performed well when Young-jae wasn’t guarding him. Mixing up their attack patterns would prevent Dallas from becoming too comfortable and create openings in their defense.

[Breaks through Serge Ibaka’s screen on the right side! Serge Ibaka’s screen, set up by James Harden, is also impressive!]

However, Young-jae was a guard optimized for 2-on-2 defense. Anticipating that Westbrook would barely make it over the baseline, Young-jae smoothly navigated around Ibaka’s screen. Fortunately for Westbrook, Young-jae’s stamina had slightly decreased, preventing him from completely getting around the screen.

[Oh! Jason Terry! Leaves James Harden and double-teams Westbrook!]

At that moment, Jason Terry rushed towards Westbrook. Seeing Westbrook, who had ventured to the opposite side of the baseline because Ibaka’s screen was too close, Terry quickly initiated a double team.

[What will this double team lead to!]

Westbrook smirked, seeing Terry, who had been struggling against Harden, double-teaming him instead. Passing the ball to Harden would create an open three-point opportunity. A shooter like Harden could easily capitalize on that chance.

“!?”

However, Young-jae was clever. He lightly tapped the ball in Westbrook’s hand, which had paused due to Terry’s double team, stealing it away. The ball went straight into Terry’s hands, who had come in for the double team.

[STEAL!!!! Y13 STEAL!!!]

Young-jae’s quick hands stole the ball from Westbrook, leading to an easy layup on a fast break for Dallas. While the score difference wasn’t significant, this steal and fast break disrupted Oklahoma City’s young players’ momentum.

[Kevin Durant calls a timeout. He must feel the need to cool down and regroup. All four of them except Sefolosha are in their early 20s. Sefolosha is only 28 years old. They can easily get caught up in the atmosphere. Coach Brooks needs to calm and stabilize the players during this timeout.]

[As expected, the limitations of Oklahoma City, which relies heavily on individual ability in close games, seem to be emerging. Durant called a timeout, but it’s unlikely that a new tactic will be introduced.]

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

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Thank you for the comments, Witted and Financia!!

여신유리찬양, as you said, it’s scary when the three of them explode. But I think there’s a limit if the 1, 2, and 3 lines explode as the Big 3. For the 1, 2, and 3 to explode, at least two of them must have good off-ball movement and very, very good 3-pointers. The teams that can do that are Golden State (골스) and San Antonio, and last year’s Atlanta.

And no matter how great the coach is, it’s impossible to produce more than 3 MVP-level players. Of course, Scott Brooks isn’t a coach who can be included in the ranks of great coaches. In the end, there’s only one ball, and stats are limited, so it’s almost impossible to produce 3 MVP-level stats from one team. 2 MVP-level players and 1 defensive king are the best. Even MVP-level talent will have humble stats if their playing time and role are limited. Like Bosh during Miami or Love last year. Of course, I don’t think there’s ever been a team that has gathered 3 real MVP-level talents like Oklahoma;;; Now, there’s only LeBron in the Cleveland Big 3, and there were only LeBron and Wade in Miami.

야베스, as you said, I think there’s a limit to the Big 3 of 1, 2, and 3. And the fact that they’re all attack-specialized was also fatal. Wade and LeBron both had good defensive power, so they reduced the disadvantages of on-ball players, but Westbrook-Harden-Durant are all hard to see as good defenders. Durant is the only one with good off-ball movement. If it was 1-3-5, the league would be devastated (초토화) ㅋㅋ

울트라10, yes. Physicality is a weakness, and there’s a limit to how much you can improve it. Stamina is pretty good even for MVP-level talents. Physicality is still better than Nash or Curry ㅋㅋ;; As you said, if Young-jae wants to become a better player, he’ll have to overcome his weaknesses or maximize his strengths. Rose would be an example of the former, and Curry would be an example of the latter. Well, Rose also maximized his strengths, and Curry also reduced his weaknesses.