February 14, Boston, Celtics training facility.
The video camera in the coach's office is replaying last night's fourth quarter game against the Chicago Bulls.
Most media attention was focused on the near-physical brawl between Kobe and Artest. But in Rick Carlisle's eyes, it was just a pointless farce. He kept rewinding and replaying a corner of the screen.
"Look here." Rick Carlisle pressed the pause button and pointed the laser pointer at the screen.
In the footage, 20-year-old rookie Michael Redd is running along the baseline. On the other side of the fierce battle between Artest and Kobe, Redd cleverly uses Brad Miller's broad body as a screen, quickly circling out to the left at a 45-degree angle.
Billups ' pass was perfect. Redd received the ball and, without hesitation, pulled it to an odd position extremely far back, almost behind his head, with his left hand, then flicked it out like a slingshot.
"Whoosh."
"That was his third three-pointer in the fourth quarter." Rick Carlisle turned to Lin Qi and assistant coach David Blatt. "In last night's chaotic garbage time, this kid played 12 minutes, went 4-for-5, and scored 11 points. He doesn't hold onto the ball, doesn't need complicated tactical setups, he can just get the ball and shoot, and he's very accurate."
"His shooting form is weird," Blatt said, rubbing his nose. "He's left-handed, his release point is a bit far back, but his release speed is extremely fast. It's a shot that's very difficult for a defender to block."
Lin Qi looked at the taciturn young man on the screen and nodded.
Overshadowed by the five-star lineup, the young Michael Redd was almost invisible. He rarely spoke during practice, focusing instead on relentlessly practicing catch-and-shoot.
"With Pierce and Gary Payton's playing time severely limited, the second unit often suffers from offensive stagnation. Chauncey Billups ( Billups ) is more of a playmaker, while Artest and Bowen are pure defensive workhorses." Rick Carlisle tapped the table. "We need a pure scorer in the second unit who can provide immediate firepower."
"Increase his tactical importance," Rick Carlisle decided without hesitation. "Next game against Toronto, put him in the regular rotation."
February 16, Boston, New Garden.
The Celtics will host the Toronto Raptors.
With Vince Carter on the Raptors are an absolute powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Pierce's selection as a starter over Vince Carter at the All-Star Game makes tonight's matchup incredibly intense.
In the first quarter, the starting lineups of both sides played a fierce battle. Vince Carter used his terrifying physical talent to repeatedly attack the paint guarded by Big Ben Wallace, while Pierce responded with his seasoned rhythm.
Eight minutes into the first quarter, with the score tied at 22-22, Rick Carlisle checked his watch and promptly substituted Pierce and Gary Payton.
" Michael," Rick Carlisle turned to the end of the bench, "You're up. Take the shot whenever you get an opening."
Michael Redd took off his warm-up suit and walked onto the court expressionlessly. His heart was pounding, but he tried his best to hide it. For a fringe rookie, every early substitution is a test that determines the fate of his career.
Raptors head coach Lenny Wilkens glanced at Redd, who had entered the game, but made no defensive adjustments. An unknown rookie wasn't worth the Raptors changing their defensive strategy for.
But just two possessions later, the Raptors paid the price for their arrogance.
Billups received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and Redd began an extremely frantic run off the ball. He slid along the byline into the penalty area, and using Rasheed Wallace's off-the-ball screen, suddenly cut back to the right corner.
The Raptors ' backup guard was blocked solidly by Rasheed.
Billups ' ball slammed into Redd's hands like a cannonball. Redd stood firm on his feet and executed a smooth, behind-the-head shot with his left hand.
"Whoosh!"
A three-pointer swished through the net.
25:22.
The Raptors' offense failed, and the Celtics launched a fast break.
This time, Redd sprinted down to the left 45-degree angle. Billups made a pass while on the move, and Redd, without even pausing to adjust, shot directly at Vince Carter who was coming to help defend.
With a swift motion, the basketball arced high through the air.
"Whoosh!"
Another three-pointer.
The New Garden fans were completely ignited by two consecutive long-range shots from this unknown left-hander.
"Defend against that left-hander! Don't let him get the ball!" Lenny Wilkens roared angrily from the sidelines.
But Redd's Stephen Curry contains more than three weapons.
Midway through the second quarter, Vince Carter returned to the court and switched onto Redd. Vince Carter attempted to teach the rookie a lesson with his aggressive defense.
Redd received the pass beyond the three-point line, Vince Carter immediately lunged forward, trying to block his shooting space.
Redd calmly faked a shot, Vince Carter fell for it and jumped. Redd immediately ducked, dribbled past Vince Carter, and drove into the paint. Facing the Raptors ' center's help defense, he executed a deft left-handed high-arcing layup.
"Thump, swish." The ball obediently fell into the net.
After landing, Vince Carter turned and gave the expressionless 20-year-old a deep look.
Throughout the second and third quarters, Redd became a nightmare for the Raptors' defense. He was like an emotionless shooting machine; given even half a second of open time, he could shove the ball into the basket. His off-ball movement tore apart the Raptors ' defense, giving Billups and Rasheed extremely ample space to handle the ball in the paint.
The final buzzer sounded, and the Celtics defeated the Raptors 105-96 at home.
Rick Carlisle kept Michael Redd on the court for a full 28 minutes.
On the scoreboard, Redd's stats were glaringly obvious.
He played 28 minutes, shooting 8-for-15 from the field, 4-for-7 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 22 points, the second-highest score on the team, second only to Pierce's 26 points.
Post-match press conference.
All the cameras and microphones were originally intended for Pierce and Vince Carter, but now the tide has completely turned.
"Coach Rick, Michael Redd scored 22 points tonight. Is that your hidden secret weapon?"
Rick Carlisle looked at the reporters below the stage, his tone extremely calm. "In Boston, there are no secret weapons, only people who are always ready. Michael trains extremely hard, and his shooting touch is the softest on the team. When the starters need to rest, we need someone to step up and make the shots, and he just did what he was supposed to do."
The next morning.
Boston's major sports media outlets, and even basketball publications across the United States, have begun to re-examine this formidable Boston Celtics.
The Boston Globe's sports section headline.
Left-Handed Assassin: Michael Redd's Rise to Fame.
Columnist Jack McCallum's commentary directly addresses the tactical weaknesses.
"While the entire league was figuring out how to wear down the Celtics ' five All-Stars, Rick Carlisle expanded the rotation and found an off-ball shooter who could efficiently score 22 points in 28 minutes."
" Michael Redd's arrival solved Boston's structural problem with their second unit... perimeter firepower. Now, opponents have finally weathered the playing time of Garnett, Pierce, and Gary Payton, and are now facing a second unit comprised of Billups, Rasheed, Brad Miller, and a left-handed shooter with excellent spacing."
"The rest of the league must recognize this reality: what's terrifying about Boston isn't just their starting lineup, but their incredibly luxurious ten-man rotation system with no tactical gaps."
Boston, Celtics General Manager's Office.
Lin Qi sat at his desk, not looking at the praising news in the newspaper, but instead looking down at the advanced data reports of the team's recent games.
The data doesn't lie. With Redd joining the regular rotation, the second unit's offensive efficiency per 100 rounds is visibly improving, and the playing time of Big Ben and Kevin Garnett is being steadily kept within the planned limits.
The painful period of limiting the playing time of key players has finally passed.
With the rotation players gelling well, the team's tolerance for injuries and fatigue has been substantially improved.
After a long and arduous regular season, they now have plenty of leverage.