Y13 [EN]: Chapter 30

‘He probably wants to evaluate my tactical effectiveness.’

Youngjae’s primary position is shooting guard. However, the current team composition was forcing Youngjae to play as a ‘3’ [small forward]. However, Youngjae wasn’t ideally suited for the 3 position. The game was only 24 minutes, covering just the 1st and 2nd quarters, but Youngjae had never played small forward for more than 15 minutes in a single game, even in the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association]. Furthermore, playing as a 3 in the NBA was more akin to a 3-guard system than playing as a traditional forward. This meant that Youngjae’s options were limited.

In the 08-09 season, Dallas frequently utilized a 3-guard system. It consisted of Barea, Terry, and Kidd. Since Youngjae possessed better physical attributes than those players, he would likely play the 3 if included in a 3-guard system. Therefore, this workout could be interpreted as a test for that possibility.

First, he could play the 3 passively. However, simply filling the 3 position wasn’t the answer. The workout was designed to evaluate Yoon Youngjae as a shooting guard. Yoon Youngjae as a small forward wasn’t considered particularly appealing.

Second, he could focus solely on individual skills and force one of the other two guards to sacrifice and play small forward. This was the least desirable option. If he demanded to play shooting guard purely out of personal preference, his performance would likely suffer. It was evident to everyone that there was no one else readily available to play the 3 within the team’s current makeup.

Third, the most ideal approach in the current situation: Play as a 3, but showcase the scoring ability of a shooting guard, and leverage his leadership skills to gain the trust of his teammates in the first half. If successful, he would not only be able to demonstrate his strengths as a shooting guard in the second half but also enhance the team’s overall organization.

“Hoo.”

There wasn’t much in the way of established team tactics. They hadn’t played a single game together yet. He sought advice from Antonio Daniels, who possessed the most NBA experience (excluding Youngjae’s past life) and was the oldest player present. Youngjae believed this was the most viable way to build ‘initial team chemistry,’ so he maintained a polite demeanor towards the slightly bewildered Daniels.

“Um… Honestly, even if I explain various tactics right now, it’s impossible to fully implement them. We can only execute extremely simple tactics and movements that all players are likely to already know.”

That was accurate. If intricate NBA-level tactics could be immediately implemented simply by discussing them, it wouldn’t be the NBA. That’s how detailed yet bold, and simple yet organically evolving NBA partial tactics were.

“Yoon, right? Your main position is shooting guard, correct?”

“Yes.”

“It’s safe to say that there are no traditional centers among all the players who came today. The two biggest guys are Brian Cardinal and Matt Rogers. So, our team has three guards, Steve Novak as a power forward, and Matt Rogers can play center. Right?”

In response to Daniels’ statement, Novak and Rogers nodded in agreement. Steve Novak was a ‘one-tool player’ whose 3-point shooting was good enough to be valuable even in the NBA. If he had survived in the NBA primarily on his 3-point shooting, there was no need to question his proficiency. Consistently making 3-pointers with a 40% or higher success rate in the NBA made him a valuable asset.

Matt Rogers wasn’t yet a member of the Texas Legends [a D-League team], but he was a strong candidate to be picked by them in the first round. With a solid 6-11 frame, he was expected to be good enough for the D-League, having been named this year’s player in NCAA Division 2.

“Yoon, I understand you can handle the 1 [point guard], 2 [shooting guard], and 3 [small forward] positions?”

“That’s right. So, I think we should all sacrifice a little until our plays mesh together. Of course, I’ll try to play for the team first. It’s good for everyone, right? We’re all in the same situation. We’re all being tested. It’s like taking a test back when we were students.”

The players smiled slightly and nodded at Youngjae’s playful gesture of bending his index and middle fingers while emphasizing the word ‘test’.

“I like your attitude. So, what do you want us rookies to do?”

Steve Novak stepped forward and patted Youngjae on the back, and Youngjae smiled and began to share his thoughts.

Youngjae was leading from the small forward position. His matchup was Adam Haluska. Haluska was a guard of the same height, 6-5, but he was playing the 3 position because the opposing team also lacked a suitable 3.

On the surface, it appeared that Antonio Daniels, a combo guard, was leading with the ball, but through a brief conversation with his teammates, Youngjae was able to understand Antonio Daniels’ needs.

Not only Daniels, but the needs of the nine players participating in the game were slightly different, but ultimately, they all wanted the same thing: to increase their value. Especially those with limited roles, they wanted to be recognized for those specific roles.

Rashad McCants wanted to showcase his scoring ability, Antonio Daniels wanted to demonstrate his leadership and shooting skills, Steve Novak wanted to display his spot-up 3-pointers, and Matt Rogers wanted to prove that despite being undersized, he could still handle the center and power forward roles.

Embracing all of that and transforming complete strangers into a cohesive team was Youngjae’s task. Since it was a game to evaluate the rookies, they had no choice but to center the team play around them. Youngjae lightly brushed past Haluska’s defense by feigning a weight shift and began to penetrate from the top of the key towards the basket.

“Heot-”

That same listless shout. Sean Williams (formerly of the New Jersey Nets, 17th pick in the 07 first round), who was positioned to block Youngjae’s smooth penetration, didn’t pay attention to Novak, whose spot was open due to Youngjae’s movement. Williams assumed Youngjae, also a rookie trying to impress in the draft, wouldn’t be willing to pass, as he’d want to showcase his own abilities. Besides, Youngjae was a shooting guard, and the most basic virtue of a shooting guard is scoring. He figured a rookie wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to penetrate to the basket and score a highlight-reel point.

James Anderson and Dominic Jones, who had been tested previously, had played that way, and Sean Williams expected Youngjae to be no different. He anticipated that the team would fall apart as a result. That’s what Sean Williams guessed.

“Nice pass!”

But that was Williams’ big miscalculation. That’s why stereotypes can be so misleading. Youngjae’s primary position was shooting guard in this life, but in his previous life, his main position was point guard. If he wanted to, he could play with the mindset of a point guard, drawing on his nine years of experience in that role.

Thanks to Sean Williams’ help defense, a clean pass was delivered to Novak, who was wide open on the outside. Novak caught the ball and launched it without hesitation.

Swish-

“Nice!”

Novak didn’t miss Youngjae’s excellent pass and cleanly sank the open 3-pointer. After that, Youngjae displayed a completely different approach compared to the previous two rookies. Starting with the assist to Novak’s 3-pointer, Youngjae seamlessly transitioned between point guard, shooting guard, and small forward, appearing unconstrained and versatile.

When Rashad McCants utilized his unique explosiveness to penetrate the basket, Youngjae set a screen for him. In the case of Matt Rogers, who had to battle for position with Brian Cardinal in the post, Novak, the power forward, was a 3-point specialist who wasn’t particularly skilled at setting screens, so Youngjae was the most suitable for setting those screens.

It was none other than Youngjae who double-teamed Sean Williams, who was targeting Novak, whose defense was weak, and cleverly filled the gaps whenever McCants and Daniels provided help defense. If it was just standard help defense, the opponent wouldn’t have felt so suffocated, but Youngjae’s effortless steals, combined with his excellent reflexes and judgment, truly disrupted the flow of the opposing team’s attack.

Did that mean his penetration was clumsy or his shooting form was flawed? Not at all. Youngjae was the only reliable penetration option on this team besides McCants, and he consistently scored with a variety of skills even under tight defense.

“Heup!”

Matt Rogers was now setting a pick for Youngjae, firmly holding his ground with his body. Youngjae drove deeply into the basket, utilizing the pick that Matt Rogers had set with difficulty from the high post to the low post.

Haluska, who was trailing Youngjae, who was penetrating with a seemingly swaying center of gravity, was already blocked by Matt Rogers’ screen. Youngjae glanced at Brian Cardinal, who was firmly guarding the basket, then suddenly stopped in front of Cardinal and jumped back.

Swish-

A beautiful finger roll. Brian Cardinal did his best to contest the shot and raised his hand, but the ball that left Youngjae’s fingertips traced a high arc and dropped into the net.

As the game entered the second quarter, the situation became even more impressive. With Youngjae’s play, his teammates developed a sense of unity and were applying strong pressure to the opposing team. He had the ability to maximize the strengths of his teammates: creating open 3-point opportunities for Novak, setting screens for McCants to facilitate his penetrations, moving actively to support Daniels’ assists, and finishing effectively when receiving good passes. He also actively participated in defensive rebounds for Matt Rogers, who was boxing out with Cardinal, and increased Rogers’ scoring opportunities with timely passes to the basket.

The expressions of the two people in the audience were telling.

“Cuban, do you still disagree with my opinion?”

“Oh, Nelson, that player is more complete than any rookie I’ve ever seen… I can’t understand why a player of that caliber has received such limited attention. He’s already perfectly ready to play in the NBA.”

Nelson also looked at Youngjae with an admiring expression.

“I’d like to know where such a player came from. I rated him highly, but he’s exceeding my expectations. He can be a perfect fit. He can become a member of the Mavs [Dallas Mavericks] right now, regardless of whether he’s on the bench or a starter.”

Nelson glanced down. Below, Carlisle and the coaching staff, who were holding their hands tightly, appeared calm on the outside, but they were watching Youngjae with satisfied eyes.

“The Mavs have been aiming for offensive basketball, but due to the lack of slashers [players who aggressively drive to the basket] and the aging of the starters, they’ve had no choice but to rely on jump shots. Naturally, their performance has been inconsistent. If Yoon becomes a member of the Mavs… even if he only adds one offensive option – the ability to break through defenses – Coach Carlisle’s tactical options will become endless. Besides, Yoon isn’t limited to just breakthroughs.”

In 24 minutes, Youngjae recorded 14 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 5 rebounds, including 2 3-pointers. Youngjae shared a light high-five with Novak, who cleanly sank another 3-pointer, and then retreated back on defense.

Yoon’s scouting report was accurate. As for team chemistry, he is one of the best among this year’s draft participants. His physical condition might be lacking, but his skill set is exceptional. He was proving with his performance that those words were not false.

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

Finally, we’ve reached episode 30. Thank you to those who read it.

Matchup: The opponent who faces each other in attack and defense

Because it is a game to test rookies, the existing players match the rookie’s play. The opposing team will do their best to block and attack. Of course, it is not as intense as in actual combat. And usually, a player who is a lower pick in the first round is a bit more classy than the D-League players.

The 3-guard system usually has 2 guards playing, but it is a system that rotates 3 guards and 2 forwards or 1 forward and 1 center. Of course, because they are short, they have advantages in speed and attack, but they show weaknesses in height and defense. Naturally, it is not a lineup that can be rotated for a long time or often. At that time, Dallas coach Carlisle enjoyed using the 3-guard system. Because of that, he received a lot of criticism and there was a strong public opinion that fans should fire him.

AdYang, dydqlsl /// Haha, thank you. I will try to upload without rest even during the exam period.

Fury Daewang, Kundara /// Thank you!!

Susulhwa (episode 3) /// Yep. That’s right. Thomas is a name that is a pity for Mobis fans…

P.S.: I am a Mobis fan, the younger brother of Team Signature ㅋㅋㅋ

Noreul Sarang (episode 22) /// Inevitable injury…

Thank you for your pre-selections, recommendations, and comments!!!