Y13 [EN]: Chapter 69

Y13- Episode 69 (69/296)

00069 2010-11 Regular Season =========================================================================

Russell Westbrook. A young point guard born in 1988 who scores many points due to his exceptional athleticism. The Russell Westbrook that Youngjae knew from his past life was a player rapidly ascending to become a top offensive point guard. His raw offensive power, averaging well over 20 points, was an incredible ability capable of dismantling opposing defenses.

However, the current Westbrook is still developing. His athleticism is evident, but he lacks experience, and his youthful exuberance sometimes leads to ill-advised attacks.

[Russell Westbrook drives! Amazing speed and power, isn’t it?!]

[I can’t believe that power comes from a 6-3 (191cm) frame! Ah! But Youngjae Yoon responds with excellent defense! Matching Westbrook’s speed and forcing him into a specific path!]

As Jeff Van Gundy noted, Youngjae intentionally left one side open. Completely stopping Westbrook was nearly impossible, so Youngjae cleverly directed Westbrook towards a pre-planned defensive position.

Westbrook, penetrating from the top, drove from the left high post to the low post. At that moment, Youngjae subtly stepped back, seemingly beaten, while simultaneously cutting off Westbrook’s passing lane.

[Youngjae Yoon! Has he been beaten?! (뚫렸습니까?!)]

[No! Tyson Chandler is positioned exactly where Youngjae Yoon moved! Ah! This can only be explained as Youngjae Yoon cleverly guiding Westbrook! Youngjae Yoon, who appeared to retreat, is also tightly guarding Westbrook! He’s trapped by Chandler and Youngjae Yoon!]

[Tyson Chandler is in front, and Yoon is blocking the pass and holding his ground. There’s no easy pass to make!]

[That’s it!]

Jeff Van Gundy enthusiastically praised Youngjae’s defense. Regardless of Westbrook’s athleticism, his speed diminishes during the drive, and with Tyson Chandler in front, Youngjae on the right, and the baseline on the left, his options were limited.

[The shot clock is winding down! 2 seconds left! Westbrook leaps and forces a shot, but Tyson Chandler skillfully contests! No foul is called, and the ball bounces off the rim! Nowitzki grabs the rebound!]

Another fast break opportunity. Nowitzki immediately passed to Kidd. To capitalize on the fast transition, Youngjae and Butler needed to sprint ahead before Oklahoma City’s defense could set, leaving Nowitzki and Chandler (rebounding) and Kidd (leading the break) behind. This offensive tactic demanded significant mobility and stamina, but for the Dallas Mavericks, whose primary offense relied on jump shots, it was crucial to exploit any slight defensive lapse and create open looks.

Kidd, the team’s oldest player, ran alongside his teammates and anchored Dallas with his exceptional court vision, passing, and game management. While transition offense might lack some speed, Kidd’s contributions were invaluable to Dallas, more than compensating for any shortcomings.

“Hmph!”

And now, the pass.

Kidd, dribbling quickly towards the half-court line, targeted the opening created as Oklahoma City players scrambled to cover the Dallas players. The architect of that opening was none other than Yoon Youngjae. In previous years, the absence of a penetrating player, a mobile player capable of intelligent off-ball movement to disrupt the opponent’s defense, had limited offensive options. This year, Youngjae perfectly filled that void.

His unbelievably skilled and cunning offense and defense for a rookie, his high basketball IQ allowing him to anticipate and deceive opponents, his stable and practical dribble penetration despite lacking elite explosiveness, and, finally, his accurate shooting touch were precisely what Dallas needed.

Even now, Youngjae, constantly moving in the right high post, glanced at Krstic, who was battling Tyson Chandler, and then darted towards the rim. Sefolosha, guarding him, hastily pursued, but Youngjae slipped past Tyson Chandler’s screen. Sefolosha tried to recover, but his feet were caught on Tyson Chandler’s perfectly timed screen, forcing him to take a longer route.

Consequently, Youngjae found himself open momentarily at the left 3-point line. Kidd had already released the ball as Youngjae cleared Tyson Chandler’s screen.

[Amazing movement! He broke free from his defender instantly, using the baseline! Jason Kidd! He delivered a perfect pass as if he knew it all along!]

[Youngjae Yoon’s 3-pointer!]

While not as quick as Stephen Curry, a guard renowned for his rapid release, Youngjae’s shooting form is equally accurate and consistent. A shooting form unremarkable except for its speed.

Swish-

[Y13!!! BANG!!]

[BULLS EYE!!!]

But Youngjae remained unfazed. He believed that shooting with his optimal, most comfortable posture was the coolest thing.

Instead of clenching his fist and yelling, as he sometimes did, Youngjae smiled, flicking his wrist while keeping his right arm extended after forcefully releasing the ball, his excitement evident.

“Nice!”

“Yeah!!!”

Chandler cheered and tapped Youngjae’s head as Youngjae quickly retreated, still flicking his wrist, and then high-fived Kidd, who had delivered the perfect assist.

Thanks to Youngjae’s early five-point burst, Dallas began to pull away in the first quarter. Coach Casey called a timeout to allow the players to rest and to commend Nowitzki on the team’s outstanding performance, which made them forget they were playing on the road.

[Okay! With only 5 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, both teams are making substitutions!]

[For Dallas, Yoon, Caron Butler, and Nowitzki are coming out, and J.J. Barea, Jason Terry, and Shawn Marion are entering! This seems to be about managing physical condition! And in Nowitzki’s case, his knee isn’t in great shape, so they’re likely trying to avoid overusing him.]

[Oklahoma City is bringing in James Harden, Nick Collison, and Serge Ibaka, replacing Thabo Sefolosha, Jeff Green, and Krstic.]

[Oklahoma City appears to be adjusting their rotation in response to Dallas’ substitutions! Sefolosha will likely be used to lock down the opponent’s scorer or ace, while James Harden, their bench leader, will play more minutes than Sefolosha during bench stretches to close the point gap! Serge Ibaka seems to be brought in with the same intention! I wonder if power forward Nick Collison will be able to effectively guard Tyson Chandler!]

Jeff Van Gundy’s astute prediction proved accurate. Coach Scott Brooks meticulously monitored Dallas’ substitutions and the game’s flow, making frequent player changes. However, the impact of losing the early momentum lingered longer than anticipated. The performance of the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook duo was below expectations, hindering their comeback efforts.

“Double team! That’s right! Attack with everything you’ve got! If they try to pass out, recover and take charge!”

Westbrook, effectively contained by Dwayne Casey’s defensive strategy, struggled with a poor shooting percentage of 2/7 early in the 2nd quarter. Kevin Durant, a phenomenal superstar considered capable of challenging LeBron James’ dominance, remained a formidable threat even with double teams and help defense. Completely shutting him down was nearly impossible.

Despite being a small forward, his height in his debut season was an impressive 6-9 (206cm), and he’s even taller now. He possesses the shooting touch and skills of a top-tier shooting guard, despite his exceptional height of nearly 6-10 (209cm). Furthermore, his mobility is among the league’s best. If Durant hadn’t been playing well, the game would have become a blowout.

[James Harden! Quickly drives into the paint! Layup attempt! Terry, trailing behind, jumps to block, but!]

Beep-

[Foul! Jason Terry’s foul! Ah, Jason Terry and Barea already have 2 fouls each in just a few minutes. It’s because of James Harden, right?]

Swish-

Rather than Russell Westbrook, James Harden was alleviating Durant’s burden and keeping the game competitive. With his blend of strength and speed, his ability to draw fouls and earn free throws posed a challenge for Dallas, even with double teams and help defense.

[Eventually, Dallas is making substitutions! Caron Butler replaces Jason Terry, who quickly accumulated 2 fouls. And Youngjae Yoon and Ian Mahinmi replace Kidd and Chandler, who have been playing continuously!]

[Has the early momentum shifted? With 3 minutes gone in the 2nd quarter, the score is 38 to 42. The 11-point lead Dallas built in the 1st quarter has been reduced to 4 points during the bench players’ stint. Dallas urgently needs to regain control!]

[Oklahoma City is proving to be a tough opponent. Especially with James Harden and Kevin Durant scoring even when Russell Westbrook is struggling, it doesn’t feel like bench time at all!]

Youngjae glanced at the shrinking score and refocused. The immediate point difference wasn’t the primary concern; the ultimate goal was to win the game. He needed to consider the bigger picture.

‘Kevin Durant and James Harden’s 2-man game, Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Coach Casey knows these three are leading their attack.’

Youngjae nodded, recalling his instructions to guard James Harden instead of Westbrook. Pick-and-roll plays using screens. A play that creates more diverse options than 1-on-1 drives and is a textbook method for freeing players from their defenders.

James Harden was central to these 2-man pick-and-roll plays. If James Harden could be contained, Oklahoma City’s potent offense would be stifled.

“……”

Harden silently dribbled, observing Youngjae, who was closely guarding him and obstructing his view. He had reviewed the data and film, but in their first head-to-head matchup of the season, Harden and Youngjae, both coming off the bench, had the experience of guarding each other and assessing their respective skills.

In that game, Harden had a poor performance with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, and 1/4 shooting in 17 minutes. Youngjae was also contained by Harden, playing about 15 minutes and recording 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 3/7 shooting.

[Serge Ibaka sets a screen for James Harden, freeing him from Shawn Marion! James Harden immediately dribbles and drives past Ibaka!]

[Dallas has been giving up a lot of points through this play! I’m eager to see how they respond!]

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

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

@It’s the conference finals between GSW [Golden State Warriors] and Houston. It’s no exaggeration to say that Houston came this far because of Detroit. Josh Smith is playing a significant role in the playoffs.

If Ariza and Brewer defend the Splash Brothers [Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson] effectively, GSW may struggle. Houston is full of young players, so they should be able to handle it physically. The stamina of point guards Terry and Prigioni will be key.

@Even at this time, Scott Brooks is still a tactically limited coach. His offense relies heavily on Durant-Westbrook-Harden’s 1-on-1 play. Serge Ibaka is not yet fully developed, so there is no suitable big man to play 2-on-2.

Kanen-nim/// Congratulations on your first comment!!

Dydqlsl-nim/// Harden’s style and Houston’s GM Daryl Morey’s style seem to be a good fit. The team roster construction that makes a shooting guard with weak mid-range and focused on penetration and 3-pointers the MVP runner-up is also successful.

Tteureak-eseo-nim/// It’s been like that for the past few days… I’m glad it looks a little better today.

Kundara-nim, Kashas-nim, Cheonsangbyeolli-nim, 찬란한유산-nim/// Thank you for the comments!!

Nunkoetending-nim/// lol 600,000 won [approximately $450 USD]. It’s a pipe dream for us lol

Magara-nim/// It wasn’t intentional lol

Misscherry-nim/// Hehe, it’s not fun if it’s flat

라피르and진트-nim/// They will block both depending on the lineup and tactics lol

Yabes-nim/// Sigh. You must be disappointed. Paul really looks pathetic.

-DarkANGEL-nim, 오마리온-nim, 파이넨시아-nim/// Thank you for always commenting!!

Hinajin-nim/// Hehe, please leave comments often~~