In April 1998, spring in Boston arrived earlier than usual.
The heat wasn't limited to the FleetCenter Arena, which had just finished its regular season battles; movie theaters across the United States were also abuzz. With " Good Will Hunting " winning Best Screenplay at Oscar and Golden Globe Award during the recent awards season, and propelling Robin Williams to the Best Supporting Actor award, this dark horse film has achieved a double victory in both critical acclaim and box office success.
The black telephone in Lin Qi's office was constantly ringing. Revenue confirmation telegrams from Los Angeles poured in, and the largest overseas distribution settlement would be officially transferred into the account in mid-May. Lin Qi, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, did some addition and subtraction on a piece of paper: after deducting production costs, the real money spent on public relations across the United States, and the box office share given to Robin Williams, and after removing all financial leverage, his personal net profit would be a little over $40 million.
And this is just the appetizer. The real money is in the VHS videotapes that are being recorded at a rapid pace. In this era of B2B rental monopoly, tens of thousands of video stores across the United States will contribute at least $80 million in revenue in the first year alone.
For ordinary people, this is a windfall that can change their destiny.
Amidst the swirling smoke, Lin Qi tapped the number on the paper with the tip of his pen, muttering to himself.
"Only 120 million... that's still not enough."
In April 1997, the regular season concluded. The Boston Celtics ' final record was:
57 wins, 25 losses.
Third in the Eastern Conference.
A year ago, the entire American media was waiting to see Lin Qi make a fool of himself by dismantling the team. The Boston Globe's headline at the time was. " Lin Qi's gamble: pushing the Celtics into the abyss of rebuilding."
Now, the same journalist has changed his tune. " Lin Qi's Ark: Boston, Arriving in the Future Ahead of Schedule."
After reading the newspaper, Lin Qi casually tossed it into the trash can.
The more you praise someone, the harder they'll fall; he's long since become immune to that.
At the season-ending meeting, he laid out several key statistics from the year on the table.
Team record: 57 wins and 25 losses (34 wins and 7 losses at home / 23 wins and 18 losses away)
Points per game: 99.6 (ninth in the league)
Points allowed per game: 89.1 (First in the league)
Defensive metrics: 1st in defensive efficiency, 2nd in rebounding rate, lowest opponent field goal percentage in the paint, and 1st in blocks per game.
Bench depth: Second unit has the best net rating in the entire league.
Lin Qi put down Mark marker and looked at the list on the whiteboard one by one. In his mind, these isolated names began to mesh and turn like gears.
Next to the whiteboard, there is a separate player data sheet.
Lin Qi didn't rush to speak, but simply pushed the form in front of everyone.
This is more than just cold, hard data.
This is something Boston has honed little by little this season.
Over the past year, the Celtics have spent money on more than just players.
Jack Sikma, Pete Newell, Chip Engelland, Chris Paul Westphal, Tom Thibodeau, plus Adelman's well-established attacking system.
And Mark Price.
This veteran point guard, whose knees no longer allow him to play 35 minutes every night, has become one of the busiest people in the training facility.
He helped the young guards break up pick-and-rolls, adjusted the forwards' receiving rhythm, and even corrected Garnett's free throw form and mid-range shot repeatedly.
These are things that fans can't see during the game.
But by the end of the season, they were all hidden in this data table.
Sam Cassell (No. 28)
Averages: 15.8 points | 3.2 rebounds | 7.0 assists | 1.3 steals
Field goal percentage: 44.8% | 3D: 36.2% | Free throw percentage: 84.5%
Compared to last season, his biggest change is his increased consistency. The past Sam Cassell was like a gun that could misfire at any moment, but this season, he's begun to truly learn to control the team. He knows much more clearly than before when to accelerate, slow the pace, pass the ball, or back down smaller guards. This man has transformed from a tough player capable of winning tough games into a starting point guard who can lead his team to victory.
Eddie Jones (No. 7)
Averages: 14.2 points | 4.0 rebounds | 2.7 assists | 2.0 steals | 0.7 blocks
Field goal percentage: 49.8% for field goals | 38.5% for three-pointers | 82.0% for free throws
Eddie's progress is hidden in places that are not easily seen. His three-pointers are more consistent and his off-ball movement is sharper. By April, he was already able to use his footwork, wingspan, and anticipation to make the opponent's primary outside scorer uncomfortable for an entire night.
At the end of the season, coaches across the league voted for him, sending him to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. This was the highest tribute to his suffocating, deadly defense—he was developing into a true lock-up on the perimeter for the entire league.
Robert Horry (No. 8)
Averages: 8.8 points | 5.8 rebounds | 2.8 assists | 1.3 steals | 1.1 blocks
Field goal percentage: 47.8% | 3D shooting percentage: 37.0% | Free throw percentage: 76.8%
Horry's stats may not seem impressive, but he always manages to be in the right place.
Kevin Garnett (No. 5)
Averages: 18.4 points | 8.1 rebounds | 3.8 assists | 1.7 steals | 2.2 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 50.2% for field goals | 31.6% for three-pointers | 80.1% for free throws
Garnett's improvement was the most striking aspect of the entire team. That year, the Celtics practically assembled a top-tier development team around him.
Jack Sikma taught him how to face up in the high post; Pete Newell dismantled his footwork in the low post; Chip England fine-tuned his release point; Mark Price relentlessly battled free throws and three-pointers.
Ultimately, Chris Paul Westphal became the chief architect... He stitched together and reassembled these scattered skills, painstakingly merging these fragmented pieces into a game that combines top-tier face-up scoring with high-post support.
Garnett began to learn to observe from the high post, connect plays handoffs, punish retreating big men with three-pointers, and even dribble up the court on fast breaks.
Even more frightening is his defense. Thibodeau repeatedly corrected his positioning (switching, collapsing, leaving the weak side open to block drives). These details that scratched his head at the beginning of the season have now become almost instinctive reactions.
At the end of the season, although limited by his age and experience, the league's judges ultimately only awarded him a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, this could not conceal the fact that he ranked among the league's best in every advanced defensive statistic. In the discussion for the Most Improved Player (MIP), he should have been a top contender, but those arrogant media outlets gave a laughable reason: everyone seemed to think that it was only natural for a third overall pick to perform like this.
Dikembe Mutombo (No. 11)
Averages: 11.2 points | 12.5 rebounds | 1.0 assists | 0.4 steals | 3.4 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 53.6% | Free throw percentage: 68.0%
Mutombo is officially 30 years old (his real age is unknown), but he is still the formidable African Mountain that sits in the paint, a true menace. He is the last line of defense in the entire system.
This season, Mutombo won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award for his dominant defensive performance and was selected to the All-Defensive First Team.
The second team also showed significant improvement.
Mark Price (No. 52)
Averages: 7.6 points | 1.6 rebounds | 4.8 assists
Field goal percentage: 51.2% | 3-point percentage: 40.6% | Free throw percentage: 90.1%
Price's biggest change was accepting that his body could no longer return to its peak condition.
He no longer insists on a starting position.
But whenever he's on the court, Boston's second unit is like someone has suddenly gotten everything sorted out.
Michael Finley (No. 26)
Averages: 14.8 points | 3.7 rebounds | 2.1 assists
Field goal percentage: 47.7% | 3D shooting percentage: 35.4% | Free throw percentage: 78.8%
In the past, his first reaction upon receiving the ball was to drive to the basket with his body. But this season, he has begun to learn to discern: when to launch a fast break, when to stop outside the three-point line and wait for a pass back, when to use Mullin's gravity to make an alley-oop cut, and when to pass back to Price to reorganize the offense.
Chris Mullin (No. 71)
Averages: 7.4 points | 2.4 rebounds | 1.9 assists
Field goal percentage: 55.8% | 3-point percentage: 41.2% | Free throw percentage: 88.5%
Mullin's progress doesn't sound like progress because he's simplifying his game: reducing ball-handling, reducing power drives, and reducing the individualistic, heroic plays that belong to his prime. He's reduced himself to the most consistent scoring option in the second unit: catch-and-shoot, cut to the basket, and weak-side transition.
P.J. Brown (No. 93)
Averages: 5.8 points | 5.9 rebounds | 0.8 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 48.2% | Free throw percentage: 73.2%
His progress went from "usable" to "reliable." As the season progressed, both Adelman and Thibodeau were willing to put him in crucial moments because he didn't make mistakes. His pick-and-roll, positioning, and help defense were solid, and he became increasingly confident in taking mid-range shots from the free-throw line when left open. His consistency was reassuring.
Bo Outlaw (No. 45)
Averages: 4.2 points | 4.3 rebounds | 1.0 steals | 1.0 blocks
Field goal percentage: 55.0% | Free throw percentage: 62.0%
Throughout the year, he was still the same player who would throw himself out of bounds for a loose ball. But thanks to Price's guidance, his shooting form and free throw percentage had improved. That was enough.
In the third team, some players' progress has not yet been fully reflected in the statistics.
Steve Nash (No. 13)
Averages: 2.5 points | 0.8 rebounds | 1.8 assists | 38.8% three-point shooting
His physique still puts him at a disadvantage, and he's still a target on defense, but everyone in the gym can see the changes in him: his passing is faster, he's less prone to losing his balance after contact, and his pauses during pick-and-rolls are becoming more and more accurate. Mark Price really likes this young man. Lin Qi knows that Nash still has a long way to go before he's truly ready to be used.
Bruce Bowen (No. 27)
Averages: 2.1 points | 1.3 rebounds | 32.5% from three-point range
His three-point shooting isn't consistent enough, and he's almost invisible on offense. But his defense is starting to take shape.
Sam Mitchell (No. 44)
Averages: 3.0 points | 1.8 rebounds | 43.5% field goal percentage
Mitchell was already a veteran, and this year, he learned a different role... keeping an eye on Garnett. Late to practice? He yelled. Inattentive on defense? He yelled. Too cocky with his mouth? He yelled. Getting carried away by the veteran? He yelled too (occasionally yelling at the opponent). He became the young man's iron-fisted mentor.
Ben Wallace (No. 12)
Averages: 1.6 points | 3.2 rebounds | 0.7 blocks | Field goal percentage 48.9% | Free throw percentage 39.0%
Lin Qi's perspective: Big Ben's data is the least impressive.
Lin Qi stared at his name, pausing for a few seconds. Right now, no one in the entire league had noticed this short center at the end of the bench, but some things can't be seen on the stat sheet.
For example, how intense is a person's feeling of hunger?
After all the data was laid out, the meeting room remained quiet for a long time.
Looking at the table, Lin Qi suddenly realized that what truly satisfied him this season was not just the 57 wins.
Instead, these people are all moving forward and making great strides.
Lin Qi stood in front of the huge whiteboard in the office, watching his deputy copy the final rankings of the Western Conference line by line.
Top eight in the Western Conference:
First, the Utah Jazz record of 64 wins and 18 losses.
Second, the Houston Rockets, with a record of 63 wins and 19 losses.
Third, the Seattle SuperSonics, with a record of 59 wins and 23 losses.
Fourth, the Los Angeles Lakers, with a record of 56 wins and 26 losses.
Fifth, the Portland Trail Blazers, with a record of 49 wins and 33 losses.
Sixth, Phoenix Suns, 45 wins and 37 losses.
Seventh, Minnesota Timberwolves, 43 wins and 39 losses.
8th, Los Angeles Clippers, 41 wins and 41 losses.
The Utah Jazz 64 wins, are first in the Western Conference.
This is Carl Malone's first regular season MVP award.
Averaging 27.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, the Utah the Mailman led their team to the top of the Western Conference. With Utah unparalleled consistency, they pulled off a stunning comeback in the national vote, defeating Michael Jordan, who had led his team to 69 wins.
The controversy instantly filled the North America media. But this was the ironclad rule of the 1997 regular season.
Houston Rockets, 63 wins.
Point guard, Kevin Johnson.
Shooting guard, Klay Clyde Drexler.
Small forward, Rick Fox.
Power forward, Charles Barkley.
Center, Hakeem Olajuwon Olajuwon.
The mere presence of those five names is enough to terrify any team.
This is an extraordinary fortress that is terrifying on paper.
Their only flaw, and also their biggest flaw, is that they are too old.
Seattle SuperSonics, 61 wins.
Gary Payton and Kemp remain one of the toughest duos in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers, 56 wins.
Jerry West, with O'Neal and a bunch of other established players he picked up, managed to take what should have been a chaotic young team to fourth place in the Western Conference.
As for the San Antonio Spurs --
After the Admiral injury, this former Western Conference powerhouse plummeted to the bottom of the Western Conference. But in the deepest ruins of the lottery zone, Popovich now feels only relief and excitement at surviving a disaster, because the Spurs have "redeemed" their team's future from Lin Qi by using two future unprotected first-round picks.
Lin Qi promptly threw those two Spurs first-round picks into the trade market, acquiring two unprotected first-round picks from the Vancouver Grizzlies in return.
At this time, the Grizzlies were trapped by the league's cruel expansion restrictions.
Under the constraints of the rules, this new team had no chance of being drafted number one for several years, making their tanking pointless. In their eyes, the Spurs draft pick that Lin Qi sent over was a high pick with at least a certain probability of being drafted number one and not subject to the expansion clause.
That was the only glimmer of hope the Grizzlies saw in the darkness. In order to secure this opportunity to legally compete for the number one draft pick, the Grizzlies willingly offered up their future unprotected first-round pick.
The Spurs believe they have redeemed their future.
The Grizzlies believe they have bought back their hope.
Top eight in the Eastern Conference:
First, the Chicago Bulls, with a record of 69 wins and 13 losses.
Second, the Miami Heat, with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses.
Third, the Boston Celtics, 57 wins and 25 losses.
Fourth, the New York Knicks, with a record of 54 wins and 28 losses.
Fifth, the Orlando Magic, with a record of 49 wins and 33 losses.
Sixth, the Washington Bullets, with a record of 44 wins and 38 losses.
7th, Cleveland Cavaliers, 42 wins and 40 losses.
8th, Atlanta Hawks, 40 wins and 42 losses.
The Eastern Conference presents a completely different scene.
Chicago Bulls, 69 wins, first in the Eastern Conference.
That mountain still stands tall above everyone's heads.
The defending champions failed to achieve back-to-back 70 wins, but their domineering aura that dominates the entire Eastern Conference remains undiminished.
Miami Heat, 61 wins, second in the Eastern Conference.
Pat Riley, with Mourning, Hardaway, and a group of tough guys, honed that team into one of the toughest opponents in the Eastern Conference.
Boston Celtics, 57 wins, third in the Eastern Conference.
Lin Qi looked at his team's name, displayed below the Chicago Bulls and the Heat, and felt little emotional.
This position is even higher than he expected at the beginning of the season.
Below the Celtics is the New York Knicks.
54 wins, fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Starks, and their gang of tough guys remain the most annoying presence in the Eastern Conference.
That year, however, they were pushed back by Boston.
Next up, the Orlando Magic are fifth in the Eastern Conference.
After O'Neal went to Los Angeles, that once-future team completely lost its strongest backbone.
Penny Hardaway remains as dazzling as ever, still able to tear apart defenses with his talent.
Without that monster in the penalty area, Orlando is no longer a powerhouse team.
Lin Qi's gaze continued to sweep downwards, stopping at a name.
The Atlanta Hawks a record of 40 wins and 42 losses, and are ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference.
This season has been a disastrous one. They barely made it into the playoffs, a far cry from their former prowess.
Only Lin Qi knew why the Hawks had slipped.
Because in the original timeline, Dikembe Mutombo should have become the Hawks ' absolute defensive cornerstone this summer, and even won them a Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, Mutombo is currently stationed in Boston.
This is the enormous butterfly effect created by Lin Qi, the time traveler, in this storyline. It transformed Atlanta from a top-tier team that should have been among the top three in the Eastern Conference into a mediocre team struggling to avoid first-round playoff exits.
Lin Qi withdrew his gaze.
The situation in the Eastern Conference is now clear.
The Chicago Bulls and the Heat are two Mountain standing in everyone's way.
His Celtics, as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, are the youngest and deepest team in this game, yet they have never been truly tested in the playoffs...
Unknown variables.