Y13 [EN]: Chapter 64

Y13-64 Regular Season 2010-11

Utah’s early offense sputtered. Andrei Kirilenko, once known as AK47, was a shadow of his former self, his performance significantly declining. He was a liability on both ends of the court, already with two turnovers. Paul Millsap was at least consistent, and Deron Williams, though challenged by Youngjae’s smart defense, managed to create space with 2-2 plays [a pick-and-roll play involving two players]. Al Jefferson also struggled to score, stifled by Tyson Chandler’s strong defense.

The Dallas bench players, subbed in with about nine minutes left in the first quarter, were performing well. J.J. Barea’s occasional drives to the basket were consistently effective. Jason Terry steadily added points from the perimeter, as long as he didn’t hold the ball too long. Brendan Haywood, still vying for a starting role despite Chandler’s presence, also played solid defense.

However, Dallas began to show cracks in the second quarter. Despite a 15-point lead (14-29) just three minutes into the quarter, things unraveled as soon as Coach Carlisle mixed starters and reserves.

[Oh no! Jason Terry and DeShawn Stevenson are turning the ball over too much!]

[DeShawn Stevenson fumbles Kidd’s pass again! Deron Williams steals it and starts a fast break. Stevenson chases, but Williams is too fast!]

“Defense!”

“Al Jefferson’s running behind him!”

Chandler and Youngjae, on the bench, shouted, pointing out what the players on the court couldn’t see. The atmosphere shifted as Utah began to rally. Coach Carlisle, frustrated, loosened his collar and tie.

But their shouts were lost in the roar of 20,000 Utah fans. DeShawn Stevenson, focused on catching Williams, didn’t see Al Jefferson trailing him.

Whoosh-

Just as Stevenson thought he was close, Williams lofted the ball towards the basket. Al Jefferson soared through the air and slammed it home with two hands.

Wowwww!!!

[Deron Williams to Al Jefferson!! A fantastic alley-oop!]

[Dallas’ momentum is shifting to Utah! They’re on an 8-0 run in just over a minute! Carlisle has to call a timeout!]

Coach Carlisle watched the score with a growing headache. Their early 15-point lead (14-29) had shrunk to just six (27-33) in five minutes. The players’ shooting had been good, and the defensive rotations were solid, even in an away game.

“We’re making too many careless turnovers! I don’t get it!”

Carlisle tried to mask his frustration, but his disappointment was clear. He calmed himself, empathizing with Jerry Sloan, the Utah Jazz coach, and addressed his players.

“They’re not catching Kidd’s passes! Terry, you need a rest. Stevenson, your team play is nonexistent. You’re dribbling and shooting too much on your own! Haywood, you defended well initially, but now you’re playing sloppy!”

Stevenson and Haywood, expressions sour, nodded and drank their sports drinks. Carlisle knew what they were feeling, and that it would likely lead to an outburst, whether insubordination or a polite complaint. That was the nature of professional sports. Carlisle knew his job was to manage the noise and unite the team.

“Yoon and Butler, you’re in for Terry and Stevenson! Chandler, get ready to replace Haywood! The strategy remains the same: a big man and a guard in a 2-2 game! Keep moving to create space! Yoon, move between the wing and the side, find gaps, and drive! Miles and Haywood aren’t good defenders. Call for Chandler’s screens to get open!”

Youngjae nodded. Carlisle had learned to use him effectively, and Youngjae understood his instructions. Carlisle believed the key was timing his substitutions and matchups, a prediction that proved accurate.

Youngjae’s activity level was the highest on the team, constantly moving with and without the ball. He had to guard the opponent’s best guard and move the most on offense, which drained his stamina. Veteran players like Kidd and Terry needed their playing time, and the other backups needed enough minutes to stay sharp.

Carlisle carefully managed Youngjae’s playing time and substitutions based on the opponent’s lineup. Youngjae rewarded him with high efficiency whenever he was on the court.

“Lastly, Novak, you’re in for Nowitzki. Don’t stay in the post; move around the perimeter. I know you might struggle with rebounding and defense, so compensate with offense! We’ve closed the gap, now let’s regain our momentum! Don’t let them get ahead; overwhelm them with skill!”

The players responded to Carlisle’s encouragement and took the court.

[Rick Carlisle is putting his starters back in!]

[He tried an experimental lineup with many reserves, but it failed. With the lead shrinking, he’s bringing back the starters to stop Utah’s momentum. Karon Butler and Yoon Youngjae, who are shooting well today, are in, and Steve Novak, a 3-point specialist, replaces Nowitzki, who hasn’t rested. Tyson Chandler is also back!]

The players coordinated around Kidd. Except for Chandler, they focused on the outside. Chandler set a screen at the top of the key, Kidd took a few steps forward, and passed to the side.

[Jason Kidd is briefly open thanks to Chandler’s screen, and he passes to Karon Butler cutting in from the right! Butler is playing much better than Terry and Stevenson.]

[Exactly. Haywood’s screens weren’t effective. The starters are playing well today. If Dirk Nowitzki returns with fresh legs, they’ll be even more dangerous. It’ll be interesting to see how Steve Novak performs at the four!] [Power Forward position]

Butler dribbled, but when he couldn’t find an opening, he leaped and threw the ball across the court. Youngjae, constantly moving, shook off Gordon Hayward and found himself open on the side.

[Yoon Youngjae! He’s open! Will he shoot?!]

Youngjae bounced the ball once and adopted a shooting stance. Hayward, remembering Youngjae’s fake against Raja Bell, hesitated.

“If you’ve decided, you have to do something.”

Youngjae smirked and shot a 3-pointer, muttering to himself as he landed. He didn’t care if Hayward heard him.

Swish-

[Yoon Youngjae hits the 3-pointer! Perfect!]

Gordon Hayward gritted his teeth, frustrated. It was his fault for hesitating. He had to mark Youngjae closely from now on.

‘Yeah, don’t hesitate.’

Youngjae hoped Hayward would commit. If he did, Youngjae could anticipate his moves. Youngjae, who had just cooled off Utah’s rally with a 3-pointer, also stood out on defense. Dallas’ team defense, including Youngjae, was remarkable.

[C.J. Miles! He passes to Gordon Hayward because he can’t drive! Hayward tries to create space on the perimeter, but he can’t get past Yoon Youngjae!]

Hayward understood why Deron Williams struggled against Youngjae. It was unbelievable that a rookie from the same draft class, considered far below him, could shut him down like this.

“Tch!”

Hayward tried to use his superior size to push past Youngjae, but Youngjae skillfully redirected him towards a spot where a double team was likely.

[Wow! Jason Kidd double-teams after Yoon Youngjae’s amazing defense!]

[He’s trapped! C.J. Miles runs to receive Hayward’s pass, but it’s too late! Jason Kidd steals the ball!]

Hayward panicked as the double team arrived. Kidd stole the ball, exploiting the gap created by Youngjae’s positioning. Youngjae, Butler, and Novak sprinted towards the basket. Kidd threw a long pass to Youngjae, who saw C.J. Miles closing in and tapped the ball to Novak on the left wing.

[Yoon Youngjae’s amazing tap pass!]

[It reminds me of his tap pass from the Chicago Bulls game! He catches Kidd’s long pass with his right hand and throws it like a laser! Steve Novak is wide open!]

Swish-

[Steve Novak scores! Dallas is up by six again!]

Youngjae felt a connection with Novak, whom he hadn’t played with since their last workout. Novak felt it too, saying, “Hey, Rookie! Nice pass!” Youngjae tapped his hand and gave him a high five.

============================ Author’s Comments ============================

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

@Whew, I’m so busy preparing for the exam. The school is in an uproar because of the festival ㅎㅎ;; I hope college students enjoy the fun festival period. I hope office workers cheer up thinking about the holiday on the 25th. Just in case there’s a misunderstanding, it’s not a hiatus. I’m going to keep posting one episode a day!!!

@LeBron and Harden exploded, and Cleveland and Houston won. Chicago looks tough with Gibson like that. Houston is having a decent game for some reason.

※Tap Pass: A pass that lightly hits and sends a ball in the air.

Brilliant Legacy/// Thank you for your first comment!!

Nandwa Kim/// Thank you for your support ㅎㅎ. We will be busy preparing for the exam for a few days. I’ll try to do it next week.

Big Big/// In Washington’s roster composition, if John Wall is missing, only Ramon Sessions, whose form has declined, can lead. Bill, Pierce, and Butler Porter, who are starters, can’t lead… There is no player to play 2:2 games with the big man. To be honest, Washington without Wall is no different from Houston without Harden.

Anti, Kundara, Heavenly Star/// Thank you for your comments!!

Rough 99/// ㅎㅎ Please keep watching until the end of the season.

Lafir and Jint/// Kidd suffered a lot from fast guards at the time ㅎㅎ. DeShawn Stevenson blocked him well, so he was also at the top of the defense, but his playing time itself was short;;;

Fairy Tale and Reality/// ㅎㅎ Thank you for your opinion

misscherry, -DarkANGEL-, zigichacha, Financier/// Thank you for your comments as always!!

Yabes/// It’s a bit unique. If you think of Ginobili in the Sixth Man Award era, or Kobe or Wade when they were point guards, it’s the most similar. Kobe and Wade often have many cases where the point guard on the team roster can’t even assist properly, so these players often get 10 assists if they play the game with a pass-first mindset. And now the main character has a lot of assists, but he doesn’t do much leading.

Omarion, huhcafe/// Thank you for your comments~~