Y13 [EN]: Chapter 50

Y13-50 (50/296)

00050 2010-11 Regular Season ====================================================

[Hello. This is Ske Sports broadcasting live the 2010-2011 NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Charlotte Bobcats. I am caster Lim Yong-soo, and commentary will be provided by commentator Son Dae-beom.]

[Nice to meet you. I am truly honored to be in charge of the NBA live broadcast, especially the first game, on Ske Sports. I don’t know how many years it has been. Yun Young-jae, who successfully entered the NBA, is playing for the Dallas Mavericks, and he is on the candidate list today.]

Caster Lim Yong-soo and commentator Son Dae-beom seemed to be getting excited as they talked about Young-jae, their voices rising. The Dallas Mavericks also began to gradually engage in Asian marketing with Young-jae at the forefront. However, because the NBA’s popularity in Korea wasn’t as high as expected, they began to gradually increase Young-jae’s visibility rather than making bold investments from the beginning. First, when a Korean broadcaster bought the Mavericks’ broadcasting rights, they initiated various partnerships and started attracting Koreans with ticket discounts.

Dallas is one of the largest cities in Texas, with a Korean population of over 50,000. Dallas is one of the few cities that boasts all four major American sports teams: American football (Dallas Cowboys), baseball (Texas Rangers), basketball (Dallas Mavericks), and ice hockey (Dallas Stars). The Texas Rangers (whose home stadium is in Arlington, but the team’s actual base is Dallas) of MLB, had been steadily marketing to Koreans since Park Chan-ho was recruited, and the marketing proved quite successful, even exceeding the player’s on-field performance.

However, Young-jae, unaware of these detailed behind-the-scenes strategies, was staring blankly at the court, still in his warm-up jersey. The five starters were already positioned on the court, and the tremendous roar of the crowd from behind reverberated through the stadium, pressing against Young-jae’s back.

[Here is the starting lineup. The home team, Dallas Mavericks, starts with point guard Jason Kidd, shooting guard Jason Terry, small forward Caron Butler, power forward Dirk Nowitzki, and center Tyson Chandler.]

[Yes, unfortunately, Yun Young-jae will start the game from the bench. However, considering the winds of change blowing in Dallas, I think Yun Young-jae will have ample opportunities to prove himself. Brandon Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson are usually mainstays, but they’ve been in extreme slumps during the preseason, revealing weaknesses at the shooting guard and center positions. Brandon Haywood signed a long-term contract for 6 years and 55 million dollars. It’s just the preseason, but he’s been too sluggish, and his physical condition looks duller than last year. In any case, if Tyson Chandler and Yun Young-jae effectively fill the void left by those two players, it’s not unreasonable to expect changes in the starting lineup. In fact, Tyson Chandler is starting today, so Brandon Haywood needs to be nervous.]

As commentator Son Dae-beom finished speaking, caster Lim Yong-soo immediately announced the starting lineup for the visiting team, the Charlotte Bobcats.

[Okay, I hope they perform well starting this game. Well, here is the starting lineup for the Charlotte Bobcats. Point guard D.J. Augustin, shooting guard Stephen Jackson, small forward Gerald Wallace, power forward Boris Diaw, and center Nazr Mohammed.]

[Charlotte is a team with good momentum, having advanced to the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time last season. A notable point is that Tyson Chandler was the starting center for the Charlotte Bobcats until last season, right? Charlotte’s biggest weakness is the center position. After Chandler’s trade, it was expected that Erick Dampier would be the center, but Dampier was waived due to a contract clause allowing a non-guaranteed contract in the final year.]

[Since then, they haven’t recruited any other centers and are temporarily using Tyrus Thomas as the center… but Tyrus Thomas is a power forward. No matter how weak Dallas is in the paint [the area close to the basket], they should be able to penetrate Charlotte’s paint. And Nazr Mohammed, who is starting today, is indeed starting, but his skill set isn’t really suited for a starting role.]

Commentator Son Dae-beom took a breath and continued.

[D.J. Augustin, who played alongside Chandler, is a point guard with great quickness and decent scoring ability, making him one of the players Dallas should watch out for. In my opinion, Yun Young-jae is likely to face D.J. Augustin or Stephen Jackson. Looking at Dallas’s team age, it’s quite high, right? So they are vulnerable to defending fast breaks that rely on speed. The key is whether Yun Young-jae can mitigate that vulnerability.]

[Ah, isn’t Stephen Jackson more of a small forward than a shooting guard? He is 6-8 (203cm) tall?]

[If you’re looking for the player with the best shooting touch in Charlotte, it’s Stephen Jackson. While he’s technically a small forward, Charlotte’s guard lineup is their weakest point, so Stephen Jackson is inevitably playing as a shooting guard. Dallas also used Caron Butler, who is 6-7 (201cm), as the starting shooting guard last season.]

With that, the commentary ended, and the players listened intently to Coach Carlisle’s final, detailed tactical instructions before heading onto the court. Young-jae gave the players going onto the court high-fives and cheered them on. During the preseason, Young-jae had grown close to Chandler and Nowitzki, perhaps because their positions complemented each other and their teamwork in the 2-2 game [a common basketball drill] was strong. He was also getting along well with Kidd and Terry.

The first quarter was closely contested. Due to a lack of slashers [players who aggressively drive to the basket], Dallas relied on the jump-shooting style they had developed in the previous season, steadily accumulating points. In particular, the pick-and-pop [an offensive play where a player sets a screen and then pops out to receive a pass for a jump shot] centered on Terry and Nowitzki, and Kidd’s brilliant passes often created scoring opportunities.

The problem was defense. Gerald Wallace, who was matched up against Caron Butler, was a player with exceptional athleticism, earning him the nickname “G-Force,” and in Young-jae’s previous life, his defensive prowess this season was beyond impressive, leading to his selection for the 2010 NBA All-Defensive Team.

Therefore, when Caron Butler, the team’s second offensive option, couldn’t find a solution on offense, the offensive flow was stifled. Furthermore, when Gerald Wallace attacked, Caron Butler’s defensive capabilities couldn’t withstand Wallace’s tough and solid physicality, creating dangerous situations. Fortunately, Wallace’s shooting touch wasn’t particularly good, otherwise Dallas wouldn’t have maintained their lead.

Also, when Jason Kidd and Jason Terry couldn’t keep up with the fast breaks initiated by the quick D.J. Augustin and Stephen Jackson, who formed the backcourt (PG+SG), a pattern emerged where Dallas struggled to score while easily conceding points on fast breaks.

“Backcourt quickly!!”

“Defend them toughly! Stick to them tenaciously!”

Coach Rick Carlisle shouted at the court, instructing the players as the weaknesses continued to be exploited, but that alone wasn’t enough. Eventually, after about 7 minutes of the first quarter, Carlisle called a timeout and gathered the players.

“How many times are you going to get burned by fast breaks!”

The guard lineup had no response to Coach Carlisle’s scolding.

“You know you have to get back on defense quickly, right? Of course, D.J. Augustin and Stephen Jackson are fast players, but you have to pressure them from the front before they gain speed, or block the passing lane if you see them trying to make a long pass!”

To give instructions and advice to the players in the American Airlines Center, filled with cheering fans, you had to shout at the top of your voice. It was unavoidable with tens of thousands of spectators shouting “Woo-ah-ah!!” Whether Carlisle was angry or not, it was necessary.

“When D.J. Augustin and Stephen Jackson are on the court, we will use Barea and Yun as much as possible to slow down the pace! Barea, Yun! Get ready. Barea will primarily be in charge of ball possession and leading the offense, like in practice, but if you don’t see an opening, pass it to Yun right away. Got it?!”

“Yes!!”

“And Yun! Don’t be nervous because it’s your first game. If you’re nervous, you’ll be eaten alive! Overwhelm the opponent as a shooting guard! This opponent is bigger than you. Overcome them with speed rather than strength!”

“I understand!”

Young-jae answered, took off his jersey, placed it on the bench, and started to warm up, preparing to enter the game. Barea reached out to Young-jae, saying, “Let’s do well!”, and Young-jae nodded with a determined expression, giving Barea’s hand a strong high-five.

“Okay! We have the lead. Maintain the lead and overwhelm the opponent!!”

Beeeee-

As soon as the timeout ended, the players shouted energetically and returned to the court.

[Ah! Finally, Yun Young-jae is stepping onto the court!]

[Yes, Coach Carlisle is introducing a new combination. Kidd and Terry are definitely great players, but they aren’t effectively controlling the opponent today. I think their aging is contributing to a decrease in speed, which is a weakness. Since they allowed fast breaks twice in a row, Coach Carlisle immediately inserted Barea and Yun Young-jae to engage in a speed battle!]

[And Shawn Marion has replaced Caron Butler!]

[That’s right. Since the opponent’s small forward, Gerald Wallace, is a top-tier player in terms of physicality, Caron Butler’s defensive capabilities are limited when matched up against his strength! Although offensive power is a strength, it seems they are shifting the offensive focus to Barea and Yun Young-jae, and bringing in Shawn Marion, Dallas’s best swingman [a player who can play multiple positions, typically shooting guard or small forward] defender with excellent physicality, to defensively contain Gerald Wallace!]

The score was 14 to 11. With a 3-point lead and 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter, Young-jae started to get ready as Barea dribbled the ball across the half-court line, surveying the court. Young-jae, positioned on the wing behind the left 3-point line, glanced at Stephen Jackson, who was guarding him, and began to initiate the attack. Barea stood at the top of the key [the semi-circular area at the free-throw line]. And Dirk Nowitzki, who slowly moved to the top and briefly blocked Barea’s path, set a screen. At that moment, Young-jae quickly anticipated which direction Barea was going to drive and started running as fast as possible.

[Well! Barea breaks through to the right with Nowitzki’s pick!!]

[Quick help defense! Augustin is blocked, but Gerald Wallace is closing in quickly! At this speed, the breakthrough seems to be blocked!]

Thud!

“Ugh?!”

At that moment, Wallace unknowingly let out a groan as the player who momentarily blocked Gerald Wallace slowed him down. This player was unexpectedly and tenaciously holding him with a screen, creating an opening for Barea to escape.

[Yun Young-jae is blocking Wallace’s defensive route!!!]

[Ah! Thanks to Yun Young-jae’s tremendous off-ball movement, Stephen Jackson loses track of Yun Young-jae for a moment, and Yun Young-jae’s fantastic screen play blocks Gerald Wallace, who came to help defend Barea’s breakthrough, for a crucial few seconds!!!]

[Barea’s shot! Accurate! It is!]

Barea was momentarily flustered by Gerald Wallace’s sudden help defense, but thanks to Young-jae’s timely screen, he took a step back and scored 2 points with an accurate jumper from mid-range. Barea reached out to Young-jae, who had fallen backward after stopping Wallace, who possessed tremendous physicality. Young-jae, groaning slightly, took Barea’s hand and got up, giving Barea a light high-five.

“Are you an old man? Hehe.”

“Don’t do that. It really hurt.”

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

★Thank you to those who gave me advance subscriptions, recommendations, comments, and coupons!! The remaining episode will be presented to you at the same time as usual.

※Swingman: Includes shooting guards and small forwards. On the basketball court, 45 degrees is called the wing, and since Sugars and Spots mainly stand in that position, players in these two positions are called swingmen.

＠Finally, I’m doing a series of posts after a long time. I’ll see you again at midnight later.

＠I will explain the question of why Young-jae looks like a point guard even though he is a sugar [slang for shooting guard]. Modern shooting guards can usually be divided into three categories. Kobe, Iverson, Harden, Wade, Ellis, Ginobili, etc., who are dual guards (1.5th) with shooting guards close to perfection. They are excellent scorers and playmakers who average more than 6-7 assists per season with their wide vision and passing.

The second is a thorough scorer. These are players who have a narrow field of vision and only play games with individual breakthroughs and shooting. For example, this season includes DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler, Lou Williams, and Jamal Crawford.

The third is 3&D, a new paradigm for modern shooting guards. These players specialize in 3-pointers and defense, and their personal offensive creation is very poor. This includes Danny Green, Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, and Wesley Matthews. If you grow from here, you will get closer to the first category, but you usually don’t grow to the point of being an immovable ace.

Young-jae belongs to the first of these. He has the experience and ability of a point guard from his previous life, and his shooting and physicality have improved, so he has converted to a shooting guard. If he grows, he can get a double-double depending on the direction of play that day, and he can also score 30 points. He still has strong memories of being a point guard, and when he plays with Terry or Barea, Young-jae has no choice but to lead. Young-jae will be able to score hot when he plays with Kidd.

And in terms of records, I have been writing stats that are closer to shooting guard, but it seems that there were more passes in the game scene description, so it looked like that. In the future, I will try to increase the proportion of scoring scenes. Thank you for your various opinions.

맛간냥이님/// ㅠ.ㅠ It’s as other people explained.

니앞에꽃미남님/// Thank you!!

kksswqq771님///I wrote an explanation in the postscript.

반포아찌님/// Reality is… well, it’s a gutter. Hehe. It’s a novel, so it has to be different.

천상별리님, 오마리온님, 파이넨시아님/// Thank you~

의설님/// American basketball often gives assistant coaches considerable authority. At this time, Stotts and Casey are older than Carlisle and have considerable coaching experience. Therefore, it is not a one-sided superior-inferior relationship. Steve Kerr of this season also accepted the strategies of coaches Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams as they were. Of course, the final authority rests with the coach, but it is rare to make unilateral decisions without agreeing with a coach of that level.

misscherry님/// I plan to gradually increase the proportion.

바람남님/// Munchkin… First of all, since we are basically aiming for reality rather than fantasy, it will not be a rapid munchkin. I would appreciate it if you think of it as a growth novel. There will be no development in the novel where you win the MVP from the first year and rise to the ranks of legends.

라피르and진트님/// ㅋㅋ Michael Jordan… I remember it too. In particular, this happens a lot when the names of non-English speaking players are read as they are in English ㅋㅋ

AdYang님/// Yep. I’m here hehe

도츠님/// One more episode is here!!

huhcafe님/// Thank you for your opinion. We also misunderstood a little. According to our own calculations, we thought that would be enough. He has won the NCAA Second Team and Summer League MVP. Young-jae’s Summer League record is MVP-worthy even when compared to other years.

I think you were wondering if the game didn’t overwhelm the opponent too much compared to the record. We may not have properly projected the recorded stats into the novel. I think it’s because the recorded stats are SSS-class, but the description looks like S-class. I think reducing this gap is one of the challenges we have to overcome in the future. We will work harder^^.

Thank you for your always good opinions.