On July 1, 1999, the free market opened.
The league ended that shortened season of only 50 games, and the schedule was restored to the standard 82 games.
For the defending champions, this is the best litmus test: there is no excuse for a compressed schedule, no controversy over the "asterisk" designation, this is a true test of the team's strength.
At the beginning of the season, during the coaching staff meeting, Lin Qi set the tone for the team.
"Some people said last year's championship was a bonus from the shortened season. This year, after playing 82 games, we will silence all the doubters with our results."
Regular season record: 65 wins and 17 losses (first in the Eastern Conference, first in the league)
Average points per game: 102.3
Defensive rating: 98.1 (best in the league)
Net point differential: +10.6 points (League-leading)
The core defensive system is solid. With Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace joining the rotation, the defensive depth has significantly improved. Mutombo's rim protection, Garnett's help defense, and Jones and Gary Payton's perimeter pressure form the cornerstone of the team this season.
65 wins is their best performance since the 1991-92 season.
Gary Payton (No. 20), PG, 31 years old
Averages: 24.1 points / 8.9 assists / 4.7 rebounds / 2.1 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 47.1% for field goals / 36.5% for three-pointers / 77.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 82
Honors: All-Star / All-NBA First Team / NBA All-Defensive First Team
He's 31 years old, but his stats have increased by almost three percent compared to last year.
Gary Payton has played with more determination this season than ever before. He's no longer the one who has to carry the team... Garnett is growing, Pierce is improving, and the role players are much more reliable than last year. But he still plays 35.5 minutes every night, still chases down the best opposing guards on defense, and still takes over possession in crucial moments.
Perfect attendance. Eighty-two games, not a single one missed.
In Boston, fans have begun to compare his name with that of Dennis Johnson. Both moved from Seattle to Boston, and both are tenacious, tough championship point guards.
[ Eddie Jones (No. 7) SG, 28 years old]
Averages: 10.2 points / 3.7 rebounds / 2.4 assists / 2.8 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 48.0% for field goals / 38.5% for three-pointers / 84.0% for free throws
Appearances: 82
Honors: NBA All-Defensive Second Team
He averages 2.8 steals per game, ranking first in the league.
Jones is the kind of player you only really notice in replays. TV broadcasts won't focus on a wing player who makes a quick off-ball run and gets back on defense, nor will they include the frame in highlights where he positions himself to let his teammate get the rebound.
But his coach knew, and his teammates knew.
This season he's improved his three-point shooting percentage to 38.5%, and he's a bigger threat from the corner than last year. Offense isn't his primary option, but he can make those shots when Gary Payton is double-teamed and Pierce is contained.
Chris Paul Pierce (No. 34), SF, 22 years old
Averages: 19.8 points / 5.8 rebounds / 2.9 assists / 1.5 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 45.8% for field goals / 37.0% for three-pointers / 82.0% for free throws
Appearances: 72
Honors: All-Star
Second year, All-Star.
From 14.4 points per game in his rookie season to 19.8 points per game, Pierce's improvement exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. He was no longer just a "promising young man," but a wing scorer who could consistently dish out twenty points every night.
His offensive skills have become more refined. When a defender closes in, he uses his shoulder to deflect, turns, leans back, and shoots. The pace isn't fast, but he always manages to create shooting space for himself.
He scored over 25 points in 17 games throughout the season. In the game against the Raptors in April, he scored 34 points against Vince Carter.
That night, Lin Qi sent a message to his assistant. "He's even better than we thought."
[ Kevin Garnett (No. 5) PF, 24 years old]
Averages: 22.8 points / 11.8 rebounds / 5.3 assists / 1.7 steals / 1.8 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 50.6% for field goals / 37.6% for three-pointers / 79.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 81
Honors: All-Star/ All-NBA First Team / NBA All-Defensive First Team / NBA Finals MVP
This line of data is the page Lin Qi spent the most time on in the entire report.
22.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks. Field goal percentage was over 50%, three-point percentage was close to 38%, and free throw percentage was 79%.
Garnett has undergone a significant role transformation this season. He and Gary Payton have formed the team's core leadership duo. Gary Payton is the tactical commander on the court, responsible for controlling the tempo and executing immediate tactics, and the ballast in the locker room. Garnett, on the other hand, speaks more frequently in the locker room and leads by example... He is always among those who stay behind for extra practice after every training session.
When the Finals MVP trophy was handed to him, the New Garden chanted "KG" for a full three minutes.
[ Dikembe Mutombo (No. 55) C, 34 years old]
Averages: 8.0 points / 10.1 rebounds / 3.0 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 54.0% / Free throw percentage: 65.0%
Appearances: 76
Honors: NBA All-Defensive Second Team
He is thirty-four years old.
His playing time dropped from 25.5 minutes to less than 24 minutes. Lin Qi began to strictly control his playing time in the middle of the season, paying particular attention to the second game of a back-to-back. Mutombo may have complained, but his body had already answered him.
His block rate dropped from 3.3 last year to 3.0. The new rules are not favorable to him, and he can't jump as high as before. But the accumulation of experience has made up for some of the decline in athletic ability. He can still be in the right place at the right time and can still use his long arms to interfere with shots.
But Lin Qi knew that next season, they needed to start thinking of a "post- Mutombo " solution for the center position.
[Other Players]
[ Chauncey Billups Billups (No. 4) PG, 23 years old]
Averages: 7.8 points / 3.1 assists
Field goal percentage: 43.2% for field goals / 38.4% for three-pointers / 86.5% for free throws
Appearances: 76
After learning from Gary Payton for several seasons, he's starting to show some different qualities this year.
He's no longer as eager to prove himself as he was in his rookie season. After coming off the bench, he observes the situation before deciding whether to orchestrate the offense or attack. His three-point shooting percentage has improved to 38.4%, and his free throw percentage has reached 86.5%. During Gary Payton's rest periods, he steadily controls the game's tempo.
Lin Qi wrote a few words next to it, "Becoming more and more reliable."
[ Ron Harper (No. 9) SG/SF, 36 years old]
Averages: 2.1 points / 1.1 rebounds / 0.9 assists per game
Appearances: 65
The pillar of strength in the locker room. His contributions on the field are negligible, but his very existence is a value.
Ron Artest (No. 37) SF/SG, 20 years old
Averages: 2.5 points / 1.3 rebounds / 0.6 assists per game
Appearances: 61
In his rookie season, he didn't get much playing time, but he gave Pierce a lot of trouble in practice. In one intra-squad scrimmage, he defended Pierce so well that he missed three consecutive shots. Doc Rivers laughed out loud on the sidelines.
[ Rasheed Wallace (No. 30) PF/C, 25 years old]
Averages: 14.8 points / 6.8 rebounds / 2.3 assists / 1.1 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 50.3% for field goals / 36.0% for three-pointers / 75.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 78
The trade for Rasheed from the Trail Blazers was Lin Qi's most important move last summer.
He fits perfectly into the team's system. As a backup power forward, he provides a second scoring option besides Garnett. When Garnett is off the court, he works with the second unit and can also stretch the floor to shoot threes. Defensively, he can also switch to guard the perimeter, adding another layer of versatility to the Celtics ' defensive strategy.
[Ben Wallace (No. 13) C/PF, 25 years old]
Averages: 2.4 points / 3.6 rebounds / 0.8 blocks per game
Appearances: 72
Last year, Lin Qi wrote the words "Looking for someone" next to Ben Wallace's name.
This year, his free throw percentage improved from 50.1% to 58.0%. The progress wasn't huge, but it was on the right track. In the summer, he worked with Mark Price, who returned to the team as a shooting coach, to readjust his release motion, and spent the entire season adapting to the new muscle memory.
His rebounding efficiency remains one of the highest on the team. In just 8.5 minutes per game, he grabs 3.6 rebounds. That translates to 15.2 rebounds in 36 minutes.
[Functional rotation]
[ Bruce Bowen (No. 27) SF/SG, 28 years old]
Averages: 1.1 points / 0.5 rebounds
Appearances: 45
Defensive role player. Limited playing time, but doing the same thing every minute: defending the opponent's best scorer.
[Rashad Lewis (No. 0) SF/PF, 20 years old]
Averages: 1.2 points / 0.5 rebounds
Appearances: 34
He's still adjusting to the physicality of the NBA. His height and shooting touch are assets worth developing.
[ Wang Zhizhi (No. 51) Center/PF, 22 years old]
Averages: 0.7 points / 0.3 rebounds
Appearances: 18
The young center from China has a good foundation in footwork and technique. However, his physical strength is not yet up to par, and he cannot fully utilize many of his techniques. We need to be patient with him.
[ Brad Miller (No. 52) C, 24 years old]
Averages: 0.9 points / 0.6 rebounds
Appearances: 27
He demonstrated playmaking ability in limited time and listened to the team's advice to practice three-pointers; he's worth continuing to observe.
Playoffs:
Sweep the Detroit Pistons 3-0 in the first round
Sweeping the New York Knicks 4-0 in the second round
Defeat Indiana Pacers 4-1 in Eastern Conference Finals
Defeat Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 in the NBA Finals
Annual Awards:
Regular season MVP: Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal ( Los Angeles Lakers )
NBA Finals MVP: Kevin Garnett ( Boston Celtics )
Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning ( Miami Heat )
Rookie of the Year: Steve Francis ( Houston Rockets )
Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers ( Boston Celtics )
Best Manager: Lin Qi ( Boston Celtics )
All-NBA First Team: Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal
All-NBA Second Team: Allen Iverson, Kobe Brian, Grant Hill, Carl Malone, Alonzo Mourning
All-NBA Team Third Team: Stephen Marbury, Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Antonio McDyess, David Robinson
NBA All-Defensive First Team: Gary Payton, Kobe Brian, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Alonzo Mourning
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: Jason Kidd, Eddie Jones, Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Dikembe Mutombo
All-Rookie First Team: Ron Artest, Steve Francis, Lamar Odom, Andrei Miller, Wally Szczerbiak
Lin Qi closed the file.
Two consecutive championships.
Sixty-five wins.
A full season, without any controversy over the asterisks.
Eighty-two matches, every single one of which was played with real determination.
Lin Qi wrote a line on the last page of the report.
"Stay hungry."
Summer has only just begun.