[Starting Lineup]
Point Guard (PG) | Gary Payton, Height: 1.93 meters, Age: 32. Jersey Number: 20.
Shooting Guard (SG) | Doc Doug Christie, Height: 1.98m, Age: 30, Jersey Number: 28.
Small Forward (SF/SG) | Chris Paul Pierce, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 22, Jersey Number: 34.
Power Forward (PF/C) | Kevin Garnett, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 24, Jersey Number: 5.
Center (C/PF) | Ben Wallace, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 25. Jersey Number: 13.
[Second lineup]
Point Guard (PG) | Chauncey Billups Billups, Height: 1.91 meters, Age: 23. Jersey: 4.
Swingman (SG/SF) | Bruce Bowen, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 29, Jersey Number: 27.
Swingman (SF/SG) | Ron Artest, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 20, Jersey Number: 37.
Power Forward (PF/C) | Rasheed Wallace, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 25, Jersey Number: 30.
Center/Power Forward (C/PF) | Brad Miller, Height: 2.13 meters, Age: 24, Jersey Number: 52.
[Functional rotation]
Combo Guard (PG/SG) | Ron Harper, Height: 1.98m, Age: 36, Jersey Number: 9.
Shooting Guard (SG) | Michael Redd, Height: 1.98 meters, Age: 20, Jersey Number: 26.
Small Hedo (SF/PF) | Hedo Türkoğlu, Height: 2.08 meters, Age: 21. Jersey Number: 41.
Power Wang Zhizhi (PF/C) | Wang Zhizhi, Height: 2.16 meters, Age: 23, Jersey Number: 51.
[Season over]
Small Forward (SF) | Grant Hill, Height: 2.03 meters, Age: 27. Jersey Number: 8.
[Overseas training (contractual rights reserved)]
Andrei /Power Forward (SF/PF) | Andrei Kirilenko, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 19, Jersey Number: 47.
[Overseas Training (Satellite Club)]
Center/Power Forward (C/PF) | Dino Radja, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 33. ( Olympia Milan )
Swingman (SG/SF) | Raja Bell, Height: 1.96m, Age: 23 ( Olympia Milan )
Swingman (SF/SG) | Stephen Jackson, Height: 2.03 meters, Age: 22. ( Olympia Milan )
Center/Power Forward | Chris Anderson, Height: 2.08 meters, Age: 22 (Player on the sidelines by Italian Basketball Second Division Serie B team)
The president's office at the New Garden in Boston.
Lin Qi sat behind his desk, casually tapping his pen against the signed final roster of fifteen. Then, his gaze moved down to the coaching staff and backstage team section at the bottom of the list.
This is a huge team that he personally recruited and assembled from all over the United States and even Europe.
[Core coaching staff]
Head Coach | Rick Carlisle
Lead Assistant Coach | Tim Grgurich
Assistant defensive coach | Dwane Casey
Offensive Assistant Coach | David Blatt
[Specialized Coaches and Behind-the-Scenes Team]
Shooting Coach | Chip Engelland
Shooting Coach | Mark Price
Interior Technical Coach | Jack Sikma
Lead Video Analyst | Frank Vogel
Chief Sports Trainer and Physical Therapist | Ed Lasset
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach | Mike Boyle
Strength and Conditioning Trainer | Brian Doo
International scout and data analyst | Darrell Daryl Morey
International scout and data analyst | Masai Jerry
Local Scouting Director | Sam Presti
[Special Advisor to a Veteran]
Dominique Wilkins
Robert Parish
Lin Qi's fingertips gently traced the surface of the document, his gaze sweeping down the list line by line.
In this team, Rick Carlisle was undoubtedly the tactical mastermind, but Lin Qi knew better than anyone that Rick Carlisle, at this point in time in 2000, was still a "half-finished product."
The current Rick Carlisle possesses unparalleled tactical wisdom and extremely high standards, but at heart he is a "control freak" who craves absolute control. He is accustomed to calling out every tactic in detail from the sidelines, attempting to turn players into precise cogs executing rigid procedures. This all-encompassing, slow-paced coaching style is completely at odds with the dynamic attacking and space-maximizing philosophy that this team aims to develop in the future.
But Lin Qi still chose him. Because Lin Qi knew that Rick Carlisle possessed a quality that the vast majority of coaches in the league did not have—an extremely rare ability to evolve on his own.
Lin Qi put him in the head coach position to force him to face this talented and unpredictable lineup, to experience growing pains, to learn to delegate authority, and to let the core players have a "sense of control" over the tactics. Lin Qi wanted to watch him transform from a control freak obsessed with details into the dynasty-level championship coach who could take "flow" and "randomness" to the extreme.
However, before Rick Carlisle completes this transformation, his cold, sharp, and ruthless high-pressure personality will be like a spark, ready to detonate locker room powder kegs like Gary Payton and Rasheed Wallace at any moment.
Therefore, Lin Qi paired him with Tim Grgurich and Dwane Casey.
These two assistant coaches are the "buffer zone" that Lin Qi tailored for Rick Carlisle. The experienced Grgurich is one of the league's top mental masters; with this veteran coach, who even managed to completely subdue Gary Payton during his Seattle days, on the team, the troublemakers won't cause any major problems. Casey, responsible for building the defensive system, possesses the affability and communication skills that Rick Carlisle desperately lacks. They will act as a lubricant between Rick Carlisle and the players, translating the head coach's requirements into language these tough players can understand and accept, buying Rick Carlisle enough time to develop.
As for the catalyst on the offensive end, that's David Blatt's job. Lin Qi brought this assistant coach back from Europe because he valued his dynamic passing and cutting philosophy. This was a shortcut for international players like Türkoğlu and Wang Zhizhi to quickly integrate into the system, and it was also the trigger Lin Qi used to subtly change Rick Carlisle's tactical thinking.
Lin Qi's approach to player development was extremely pragmatic.
Chip Engelland and Mark Price's mission is very clear: to gradually reshape the power generation mechanism of players in the lineup who have weaknesses in shooting and free throws, and to establish reliable outside shooting consistency.
In the paint, Jack Sikma's extensive experience in facing the basket and facilitating from the high post will be used to further refine the technical details of Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, enhancing the tactical level of these two core centers. At the same time, this high-level professional guidance will directly benefit Wang Zhizhi as he adapts to the team's system.
Furthermore, Frank Vogel in the video room, with his extremely meticulous tactical analysis skills, will provide the most solid foundation for the team's defensive system.
Ultimately, the operation of any tactical system depends on the health and physical fitness of the players.
Team doctor Ed Lasset, who has served since the Larry Bird era, is extremely experienced. His presence in Boston ensures Grant Hill, currently recovering from surgery, receives the most reliable medical care. In daily training, Mike Boyle's modern functional system and Brian Du's specialized conditioning program will cover every level of the team. They aim not only to accelerate the adaptation of international players to American-style physicality and scientifically manage the physical exhaustion of veterans, but also to build a solid physical foundation for the team's younger players to support the high-intensity defensive system and the demands of a long season.
In terms of data and scouting, Darrell Daryl Morey's advanced data models and Masai Jerry's international connections are quietly building a talent assessment network covering the entire United States and overseas for the team.
When his gaze swept to the very end of the list, Lin Qi's eyes lingered for a moment.
Dominique Wilkins, known as " The Human Highlight Film," will continue to serve as the team's wing development advisor. He will not only further refine Chris Paul Pierce's offensive details but also improve the team's overall finishing ability and technical finesse under pressure. Robert Parish, the " The Chief," will play an even more significant role. This legendary advisor, who has been with the Celtics since his playing days, will not only provide solid interior technical guidance to the team's big men, but his experience itself is a powerful and unspoken deterrent.
Tactical mastermind, technical mentor, sports medicine expert, data genius, and team cultural icon.
This behind-the-scenes team, which includes the world's top talents, has finally been fully assembled in his hands.
Everything is ready.
Lin Qi closed the file, his eyes revealing an undeniable certainty.
It's time to kick off preparations for the new season in Europe.