Y13 [EN]: Chapter 3

Y13-3

00003 Regression ====================================================

-Aztecs-

Youngjae Yoon

Graduated from a Texas high school at the age of 18.

Played as a starting guard in high school, with good penetration and finishing, and is altruistic.

However, his weaknesses are shooting and physicality. He is a player with limited offensive options.

He also shows limitations in defense.

He is a useful guard when paired with a big man who is good at 2:2 [a pick-and-roll play where the guard and center coordinate to create scoring opportunities].

“So it was.”

Youngjae, who joined as a freshman, could read the coach’s initial assessment for the second time.

Youngjae is just a freshman. Unless you’re a top prospect, it’s rare to play as a starter in your freshman year anyway. Moreover, he is not physically outstanding. Also, his name wasn’t on any high school player rankings. Besides, being Asian was a surprisingly significant obstacle.

“Today is the first day, so let’s do a simple test.”

‘Don’t blindly believe all the records from high school,’ Youngjae always thought. As a freshman, he knew the other college players were either in the same boat or had up to three years more experience.

Only a few of the players who were great in high school can advance to NCAA Division 1 [National Collegiate Athletic Association, the highest level of college sports]. And even among those who excelled in the NCAA, only a few make it to the NBA [National Basketball Association].

Only a tiny minority actually survive. It’s the same everywhere, but the sports world is naturally a sharp pyramid. Only a small number survive as you go up. And the media and fans are enthusiastic about that minority.

‘I worked hard for four years (three years in college, one year in the D-League [NBA Development League, now the G League]) to get in.’

That was why Youngjae never let his guard down, even with nine years of experience.

Coach Steve Fisher and his assistant discussed things, then singled out the freshmen for a basic physical fitness test. They didn’t check body size one by one like at a pre-draft camp (where players hoping to enter the NBA through the second round gather for basic tests), but they meticulously checked the 3/4 court sprint, max vertical jump, lane agility test, and 185-pound bench press.

‘Ah, what a waste of time.’

Youngjae did his best in the test. Even in his previous life, Youngjae’s test results weren’t very good. He keenly felt his physical limitations, and although he tried his best, Youngjae eventually chose to maximize his strengths instead of compensating for his weaknesses. He judged that there was a limit to compensating for his weaknesses, and it was better to maximize his strengths during that time.

‘But it’s different now.’

During the short two weeks before entering San Diego State University, Youngjae focused on weight training at a gym near his house to compensate for his weaknesses as much as possible. He didn’t have a personal trainer, but he already knew how to exercise.

“Hmm.”

Youngjae was a little concerned about the coach’s gaze. But he did his best in a short period, and as a result, he was able to get improved results compared to before. Youngjae couldn’t know the detailed results, but he noticed that his documents were in a place where Fisher kept certain files, and he couldn’t help but smile.

‘The real game starts now.’

Freshmen use all sorts of methods to catch the coach’s eye. Of course, it was clear that these players were called aces in each high school. But they were never recognized at the national level. No, it was the same even if you lowered it to the state level.

NCAA is ultimately an American university, and the style tends to utilize individual talents rather than organized and detailed team play. That doesn’t mean there are no team tactics at all. It’s just that the proportion of team play is lower than in the pros.

There is a strong perception that it is a stage to go through to become a pro, not a pro itself, and excellent players often go one-and-done (drop out after completing one semester of freshman year and participate in the draft), and even if that is not the case, many players are drafted or advance to overseas leagues before graduating.

Therefore, players were more interested in improving their individual skills than spending a lot of time on team play, and coaches also knew the situation, so they tried to improve team performance by improving individual skills rather than refining team tactics. Also, the fact that the range of individual skill improvement is large due to young age is also an important reason. Therefore, coaches form the starting lineup with players with excellent individual skills.

This is a stark contrast to Korean school sports. Korean school sports focuses on thorough organizational training due to achievement-orientedism. Irregular plays that deviate from team play are never allowed.

It is no wonder that Korean school sports has an unspeakable truth: more time is spent running around the playground than holding the ball and refining the ‘individual skills’ necessary for basketball.

On the other hand, American school sports focuses on improving individual skills. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the school’s records aren’t important.

For example, there were cases where no one was nominated in the first round of the NBA draft from the NCAA National Tournament winning university. On the contrary, there were many cases where they were nominated in the lottery rankings (1st to 14th in the 1st round) from schools that were eliminated in the 1st round of the National Tournament.

“We’re going to have an intra-squad scrimmage.”

Steve Fisher didn’t give any special instructions to the team made up of freshmen.

“Man-to-man defense. Mark your opponent to the end. Just show us what you can do for the team.”

Youngjae could sense a hidden intensity in Fisher’s words. When he heard it before, he simply interpreted it as standing out, but now Youngjae understood.

‘Show your potential.’

There are many possibilities. A case where an individual’s ability is outstanding. A case where individual ability is not outstanding but definitely helps the team, etc., there can be many cases, but it means that self-centered play that harms team play in the results of the game should be avoided. In addition, it meant to do his best in the defensive part, which receives less spotlight compared to the offense.

No matter how good you are, even if you become the ace in the game, if the result is bad, the coach will not use that player without hesitation. A part that is also called team chemistry. A player who harms team chemistry is the worst player.

“We’ll start the game in 10 minutes. It’ll be almost the first time you’ve met, so talk to each other and discuss how to play.”

Steve Fisher left the freshmen behind and walked towards the two teams, giving various instructions to the two team players who were the existing starters.

Youngjae was barely holding back the giggles that were leaking out as he looked at the members of the 1st team, that is, the freshmen, whom he was meeting for the second time. He wanted to joke, ‘Hi? Haven’t we met before?’ but the expressions of the four players except Youngjae were quite serious, so Youngjae suppressed his playfulness and opened his mouth first.

“Aren’t you too nervous?”

“……”

The four glared at Youngjae as if it were obvious. The word ‘show your potential’ from Fisher before the intra-squad game has added a lot of pressure.

Freshmen are naturally stiff and burdened, and Malcolm Thomas, a junior who transferred, is even more stiff with the pressure that if he doesn’t do well here, it’s over.

And even in this, the main characters and supporting actors are divided. In a way, all the players on the 1st team are enemies and competitors, so there is no need to have a conversation, and a atmosphere is being formed where everyone does their own thing. But Youngjae, who is experiencing this situation for the second time, was different.

“I also think we’re competitors. But think about it. If the performance of the five of us is not inferior to that of the 2nd team, can’t the five of us be used as one tactic?”

“That’s too much of a dream.”

One of the freshmen, who had been listening silently, broke the silence and opened his mouth in a calm tone.

“I think the intention to relieve tension is good. But they are starters who have been working together for years. On the other hand, we have to meet for the first time today and play as a team. Above all, the tactics that the coach gave us are all about our respective positions.”

“Yes. That may be true. No, maybe Leonard. Your words may be the answer.”

Youngjae made a subtle expression and stared at Kawhi Leonard from the front.

“Then are you just going to throw away this opportunity?”

The smiling Youngjae had disappeared somewhere. Youngjae stared at Kawhi Leonard with a cynical, sharp, and expressionless face.

Kawhi Leonard was quite surprised inside to see such Youngjae. He thought he was just an Asian who could say light words, but it turned out that the previous actions were not the real appearance of ‘Yoon Youngjae’.

“I don’t want to throw it away. But I just don’t like talking vaguely. Youngjae, was it? You seem to be saying that you have some way, so can I hear that ‘way’?”

Kawhi emphasized the ‘way’ by bending the index and middle fingers of both hands, and Youngjae smiled lightly again and nodded.

Youngjae was taking control of the team’s atmosphere.

After finishing talking to the 2nd team, Fisher was looking at the 1st team with shining eyes.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

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

The early part of the regression is in the NCAA.