Y13 [EN]: Chapter 60

With a 5-point difference, Chicago was now the team being chased. The Chicago players, who had been trying to leisurely run down the clock, were flustered by Dallas’s sudden surge. Their plan was to stall for as much time as possible, fight for offensive rebounds, and use up the entire 24-second shot clock, but that strategy only worked if their offense was successful or if they consistently stopped Dallas’s attacks. As before, if their offense failed and they allowed a three-point play, they needed to answer in kind.

Puck!

Beeeep!

[Tyson Chandler! A foul called while blocking Joakim Noah’s hook shot!]

[Chandler is protesting the call, but the referee is standing firm. Joakim Noah steps to the free-throw line. Noah is a decent free-throw shooter for a center, making around 70% of his free throws.]

Noah licked his dry lips and nervously made the first free throw, then focused on the second.

Whoosh-

The ball left Noah’s hand. Simultaneously, both teams battled fiercely for rebounding position, anticipating a potential miss. The ball spun around the rim, teetering precariously as if performing acrobatics, before finally dropping. Chandler snatched the rebound and immediately passed it to Shawn Marion, who was positioned up the court.

“Run! Run!”

Youngjae shouted as he chased after Marion. Marion glanced back and began to sprint toward the basket. Marion was known for his athleticism and ability to finish on the fast break, but Luol Deng was equally athletic and younger. Deng caught up to Marion and leaped to contest the layup.

“Hmph!”

But Marion didn’t jump. Spotting Youngjae trailing behind him, Marion passed the ball to Youngjae, who, without attempting a shot, quickly relayed it to Dirk Nowitzki, who was further back.

[Nowitzki, for THREE!]

[BANG!! He nails it! The score is now only 3 points apart!!!]

[That series of passes, from Marion to Yoon to Nowitzki, was brilliant! Luol Deng and Derrick Rose were drawn in by their speed, creating a momentary open look for Nowitzki trailing behind! Amazing! It’s a bit unfortunate for Chicago that Taj Gibson crashed the basket instead of staying out to defend Nowitzki!]

Uncharacteristically, Nowitzki shouted with excitement and pounded his chest. Only 1 minute and 20 seconds remained in the game. Derrick Rose’s previously relaxed expression tightened. Stalling for time was a viable strategy, but ineffective when the offense sputtered, so Rose nodded, acknowledging the signal from the bench.

[Okay, Rose is going to hold the ball for about 20 seconds. Only 5 seconds left on the shot clock.]

[The longer he stalls, the more predictable the attack becomes, decreasing the chance of success. What’s he planning?]

Rose, who had been dribbling at the top of the key, seemed to make a decision. He exploded towards the rim with the most speed he’d shown all game, even at the tail end of the fourth quarter. To impede Rose’s acceleration, Youngjae stuck to him, but Rose pushed Youngjae even harder, as if daring him to stop him.

“Ugh!”

Youngjae was forced backward, landing hard on his rear. He scrambled to his feet to chase Rose, but Rose was already hanging on the rim with one hand, looking down at Youngjae. Rose had all the momentum, while Youngjae was unable to generate power from his seated position.

[Oh my god! Derrick Rose with the one-handed dunk! Only 55 seconds left!]

[Ah, Youngjae Yoon! He defended Derrick Rose well for most of the possession, but he lacked the strength and explosiveness at the crucial moment. Is it still too early for him to overcome Derrick Rose’s dominance? The score is back to a 5-point difference!]

Youngjae gritted his teeth. Chandler helped him up, while Derrick Rose turned to play defense with an indifferent expression. It was the look of the strongest, looking down and saying, ‘Good job. But this is the end.’

“Damn it. I can’t believe I got pushed back like that.”

“The game isn’t over yet. Let’s make them pay on offense.”

Youngjae crossed the half-court line again. To mount a comeback, they had to score on this possession, no matter what. But Chicago’s suffocating defense intensified, putting even more pressure on the fatigued Dallas players.

Sensing that his initial plan wouldn’t work, Youngjae passed the ball to Jason Terry. Terry, positioned on the left wing, was surprised to see Youngjae sprinting towards him to set a screen, but he couldn’t waste the opportunity. Youngjae was executing Coach Carlisle’s instructions to move towards the baseline.

[Jason Terry quickly moves to the top of the key after receiving a screen from Yoon Youngjae! Only 47 seconds left!]

[Is he going to shoot?! Derrick Rose, who was chasing Terry, is momentarily blocked by Youngjae Yoon’s screen!]

Youngjae, glancing at Keith Bogans who was also caught in the screen, pretended to run towards Terry but suddenly changed direction, sprinting from the left wing towards the corner. Bogans, caught off guard, tried to follow Youngjae, but Terry recognized the opening and fired the ball to Youngjae with all his might.

‘Go in, please!!’

His breath came in ragged gasps. His stamina was clearly depleted, as evidenced by his dragging feet. But he couldn’t waste this perfect, open look. He wasn’t an established star yet, so he wouldn’t face excessive criticism, but he couldn’t allow himself to shy away from the moment.

Thwack!

Youngjae released the ball with perfect form. The shot, launched with desperation and precision, began its leisurely arc towards the rim, spinning rapidly.

Swish-

[WOW!!!!! Y13 NAILS A PERFECT THREE!]

[Is this the same player who was 0-for-4 from beyond the arc today?! Is this player really a rookie?! Youngjae Yoon, who couldn’t buy a basket from three all game!!! Sinks his only three-pointer in the clutch! This is a huge shot; the score is now only 2 points apart!!!]

At that moment, Youngjae collapsed backward, completely spent.

“Heh, heh heh… Wooaaa!!!”

-Beeeep

[Chicago Bulls, timeout!]

Nowitzki helped Youngjae to his feet, and all the players exchanged high-fives with Youngjae, sharing their intense joy.

===

[Derrick Rose: “Y13. He is a player who deserves to be in the Rookie of the Year conversation.”]

After the game against the Dallas Mavericks, who suffered a narrow 86-84 defeat to Chicago, Derrick Rose commented, “It was a slightly disappointing game for myself.” When asked to name the most impressive player on the opposing team, he concluded the interview by saying, “Yoon was really impressive.”

The following is a Q&A between Derrick Rose and a reporter.

Q: What are your thoughts on winning a tough game?

A: I want to emphasize the significance of defeating the Dallas Mavericks, a strong team that is performing well in the Western Conference. Close games like this help me grow, and they help our team (Chicago) grow. In that sense, I thank the Mavericks.

Q: If you had to pick the most impressive player, who would it be?

A: I can definitely pick Dirk Nowitzki and Youngjae Yoon.

Q: What’s the reason?

A: Dirk Nowitzki is the best power forward in the league and the Dallas franchise player. He’s always the focal point of their team, and he exploded with scoring ability against us, chasing us to the very end.

As for Yoon, this was my first time playing against him in the regular season, and I was immediately impressed. When things aren’t going well, especially when shots aren’t falling, it’s easy to get discouraged. But Youngjae Yoon was different. His tenacity and intelligent play made it difficult for me to break through, and I think he’ll be the best rookie this season. Yoon was especially clutch in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter.

(Dirk Nowitzki had a great performance in this game, scoring 36 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.)

(Youngjae Yoon recorded a poor field goal percentage of 4/11 in this game, and only 1/5 from three-point range. But in the last 3 minutes, he scored 1 two-point shot and 1 three-point shot, bringing the Bulls within striking distance.)

(Omitted)

Re: Did you see Derrick Rose go head-to-head with Y13? Seriously… I was in tears.

Re: You’re exaggerating, what tears… Hey, seriously. But what’s flowing from your eyes?

Re: I thought he still couldn’t beat Derrick Rose, but the last 5 minutes were amazing.

Re: His ability to adjust his shot when it’s short is amazing. Wow… this kind of player is Korean? What is the Nonghyup [National Agricultural Cooperative Federation] doing! Not picking this kind of player!

Re: Bullshit! Choi Jinsoo will end up like that. Now is the time to develop his skills in Dallas! Are you going to take responsibility if he gets screwed up from being constantly called up?!

Re: I’m worried. What if he naturalizes [becomes a citizen of another country to play for their national team]?

With his continued strong play early in the season, interest in Youngjae’s performance was focused in Korea. Derrick Rose’s interview, released during this time, had a huge impact in Korea. The interview, in which he was highly praised by Derrick Rose, one of the best young players in the league, spread rapidly online.

“Although it is early in the season, interest in the NBA is gradually increasing in the Korean market. Until now, the NBA in Korea was a content that had almost disappeared in the 21st century. However, due to Yoon’s performance, national interest is rapidly increasing.”

At a meeting attended by Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, and Dallas Mavericks marketing department managers, the briefing by the overseas marketing manager continued.

“The overseas soccer boom in Korea is more amazing than you think. Based on Korean cable subscribers, an average of over 7% of viewers watch overseas soccer despite the late-night hours. Even if they don’t watch the games, everyone from children to adults knows the name Jisung Park [a famous Korean soccer player].”

The presenter advanced to the next PowerPoint slide and continued the explanation.

“Satellite live broadcasts of our team and the Chicago Bulls were held on November 19 through a cable broadcasting station called ske sports. And ske sports edited Yoon’s highlight videos into short, easily digestible clips and used them as filler. As a result, this game recorded a viewership of 4.2%. ske sports has signed a broadcasting rights contract with the NBA for this season, and all 82 of our team’s games are scheduled to be broadcast. Apart from our team’s games, the schedule is mainly focused on games of popular teams. We are also revamping the website and creating a Korean website. Considering Korea’s economic power, the profits from Korean marketing in the future are expected to be considerable. In addition, the economic power of Koreans in Dallas is also significant, so we think that marketing targeting them should also be carried out in parallel.”

When the official’s explanation was over, Mark Cuban nodded. Donnie Nelson carefully reviewed the items that needed detailed adjustments with the official and began preparing to ensure that there were no setbacks in the future plan.

“Then, is there a need to pick Asian players in the next draft?”

In response to another official’s question, the official who was explaining shook his head firmly.

“That’s a separate issue. Of course, if there is a player who catches the eye of Dallas in places like youth basketball clinics that each club occasionally conducts, I don’t know, but we will never pick a player who is not good enough solely for marketing purposes. First of all, if a player shows potential, I think inviting them to the Summer League camp is a good way to evaluate them.”

In overseas soccer or the major leagues, there are players who are brought in under the guise of marketing players for the purpose of promotion and club profits. However, in the NBA draft, only two rounds are held each year. In addition, only five players play per game, so it’s not possible to rashly insert a player. The roster must also be operated within a fixed 15 players, so adding a marketing player is a considerable burden.

============================ Work Afterword ============================

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

@Youngjae was miserably defeated, but it was a game where he showed some fighting spirit. Of course, the stats are not good at all ㅡ.ㅡ

@Memphis may be able to do something. GSW [Golden State Warriors] lost powerlessly even after receiving favorable calls. If Conley is healthy, Memphis may be able to defeat GSW within 6 games. For the first time since 1984, when the playoff teams were confirmed as the current 16 teams, the lower seed teams are all leading 2-1 in the conference semi-final 3rd game. An upset feast may unfold in this conference semi-final.

Chanhwalan Yusan-nim/// Congratulations on your first comment!!

Misscherry-nim/// Thank you for your support. Youngjae is more of a growth-type character than a munchkin [overpowered character].

Yumin Farm-nim, Kundara-nim, Cheonsangbyeolli-nim, Painensia-nim, -DarkANGEL-nim/// Thank you for your comments

Pen36-nim/// Irving was also not in good condition, and LeBron also showed some signs of running out of steam. The Bulls blocked it well too.

Yabesu-nim/// Of course. Excluding 72 wins once in the NBA, I remember only two 67 wins. The Bulls once, and the Mavericks once in the 06-07 season. Even 80% is only once every few years ㄷㄷ

Lapir and Jinteu-nim/// This season’s semi-conference is very interesting. Certainly, Carlisle had a lot of fans requesting his dismissal after the 09-10 season. A special feature is that there were almost no experts (reporters, columnists) who criticized Carlisle. It seems that Carlisle’s direction and thoughts were good enough. In the end, he won the championship the following year ㅎㅎ. In addition, he was definitely a leader in Detroit or Indiana. Even in Dallas, if it wasn’t for that Barea [J.J. Barea, a Mavericks player] ㅋㅋ

Zigichacha-nim/// This playoff 2nd round is really chaotic.

Jeumbaqui-nim/// Rose was still Rose after all ㄷㄷ. Not as good as before though…

Yathongida-nim/// Thank you for the coupon!!

Anseobin-nim/// Thank you for pointing out the typo!!