The excitement and hustle of All-Star Weekend have come to an end.
As the league's superstars don their respective team jerseys again, February in the NBA officially enters its final sprint.
Boston, New Garden, second-floor general manager's office.
Lin Qi stood in front of the tactics board, looking at the newly updated league standings.
The Boston Celtics hold a commanding lead in the league, a full four and a half games ahead of the second-place team. But below them, the entire league landscape has become a fiercely competitive battleground.
The Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs rank second through fifth in the league, respectively. Except for the Sacramento Kings, who are slightly ahead by half a step, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Spurs are almost identical in terms of wins. Every night after the games, the rankings of these three teams change hands frequently, shifting from third to fourth, constantly vying for position.
"These teams in the Western Conference... they're really treating the regular season like the playoffs." Rick Carlisle walked in, holding a briefing. " Phil Jackson even played O'Neal for 42 minutes last night against the Mavericks. To secure home-court advantage in the playoffs, they're not even daring to rest players."
"It's not just the Western Conference," Lin Qi turned around and pointed to the Eastern Conference's record board, "The landscape in the Eastern Conference has changed too."
Rick Carlisle looked in the direction Lin Qi was pointing. The team ranked second in the Eastern Conference (sixth in the entire league) was none other than the Orlando Magic Team.
Jermaine O'Neal had a breakout season, averaging a whopping 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, becoming a monster in the paint on both ends of the court. What truly made him thrive was the lineup the Magic had assembled for him...
On the wing, Mike Miller and O'Neal Jr. formed a formidable inside-outside partnership. At guard, veteran Darrell B. J. Armstrong controlled the tempo, while Michael Redd provided precise offensive support. The frontcourt was anchored by a sharpshooter and playmaker Brad Miller. Even more formidable was their bench, featuring Türkoğlu and Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Arenas, a second-round draft pick who consistently racked up points.
Looking at the list, Rick Carlisle couldn't help but pinch his temples, then looked up at Lin Qi, his tone tinged with a hint of helpless mockery. "Seriously, Lin Qi, I'm starting to wonder why you sent them to Orlando in the first place. Michael Redd, Hedo Türkoğlu, Brad Miller —these are all players who came from our Celtics. Even Gilbert Arenas was traded on draft night... I'm starting to suspect you were deliberately helping the enemy, feeling the Eastern Conference wasn't challenging enough? Did you intentionally create your biggest rival in the Eastern Conference?"
Lin Qi smiled upon hearing this, "I made the trade that best served the team's interests, Doc ( Doc Rivers ) got what he wanted."
Rick Carlisle shook his head, not dwelling on the topic, and his gaze fell on another scouting report tucked away at the bottom of his desk.
This report comes from Marquette University in the NCAA.
The name on the report is: Dwyane Wade Wade.
"That college guard you had the scouting department focusing on?" Rick Carlisle glanced at him. "I looked at his stats. He's been playing on and off this season. Marquette University's record isn't great either, they're even struggling to get into the top four in their conference. Although I haven't heard any news about any serious injuries, with this kind of attendance, his draft stock will definitely drop next year."
Lin Qi turned to the last page of the report, the medical assessment appendix.
The statement clearly states. "The player's limited attendance is primarily due to the extremely stringent load management advice from his personal medical advisor. No structural damage to the knee has been found, and there are currently no known injury risks."
Lin Qi smiled with relief. To save Wade's meniscus, which had been removed by a quack doctor in the original timeline, he risked violating league rules by contacting Wade. Now it seemed to have worked extremely well. As long as the meniscus was intact, Wade's career would be healthier, and his explosiveness would be even more terrifying.
"Put the college league aside for now." Lin Qi locked Wade's report in the drawer, looked up at Rick Carlisle, and asked, "How's the tactical drills downstairs to integrate Grant into the team going?"
Rick Carlisle's eyes lit up instantly, and an barely suppressed excitement appeared on his perpetually tense face. "You really should see it for yourself. That lineup you had me try... it's very interesting."
Ten minutes later, in the training hall on the first floor.
Starting center Ben Wallace was doing strength training in the weight room. On the bench, players like Billups and Artest were practicing shooting on court number two.
Meanwhile, on the main court, a bizarre yet captivating half-court offensive and defensive drill is underway.
The five players on the field were: Gary Payton, Chris Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace, who had just returned from fishing in Florida.
They were defended by a "frontline squad" consisting of players like Jackson, Gerald Wallace, and Kirilenko.
Since the main purpose was to help Grant Hill get to know his teammates, this drill didn't involve any intense physical contact; it focused more on positioning, passing, and building tactical understanding.
Gary Payton held the ball at the top of the key, facing Stephen Jackson's token defense. Instead of forcing a drive, Gary Payton flicked his wrist and smoothly passed the ball to Hill, who had moved to the free-throw line to facilitate.
Hill caught the ball with both hands. His body was extremely relaxed. He glanced to his left at Pierce, who was cutting to the basket, and slightly lowered his shoulders. But in the instant Kirilenko shifted his weight, he passed the ball to the corner.
Rasheed Wallace was standing there.
Rasheed received the ball in the corner, with no one in front of him. He even had time to catch his breath before taking a straight-arm jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Great run!" Gary Payton clapped his hands.
From behind the glass window on the second floor, Lin Qi looked down at the lineup, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
"To be honest, I was a little worried at first." Rick Carlisle stood next to Lin Qi, looking at Hill on the court. "We're playing a dynamic offensive system. The biggest drawback of this system is that it has a very high barrier to entry for newcomers. It doesn't have fixed runs and tactics from A to B to C; it relies entirely on the players' real-time reading and on-the-spot reactions, making it extremely difficult for many new signings to integrate."
Rick Carlisle paused, a hint of amazement in his voice. "But Grant's basketball IQ is too high. And during his nearly two-year recovery period, he wasn't idle on the bench, he understood his teammates' habits and the team's system perfectly. As soon as he stepped onto the court, he immediately became the lubricant of this lineup."
Lin Qi shifted his gaze from Hill to Rasheed Wallace, who had just made a three-pointer.
"How is Rasheed doing?" Lin Qi asked.
"Don't let his regular season habits of floating around on the perimeter shooting threes and avoiding the paint fool you," Rick Carlisle chuckled, a hint of confidence in his smile, "He's never missed a single lower body and core strength workout in the weight room. With his current lower body and core strength, he could easily hold his own against most of the league's starting centers in the low post."
Lin Qi nodded in satisfaction.
This lineup lacks a traditional hard-working center. The tallest players Garnett and Rasheed, are both 2.11 meters tall, while the shortest, Gary Payton, is 1.93 meters tall.
All five players possess three-point shooting range. All five players can initiate offense with the ball. All five players have extremely high basketball IQ and passing vision. On the defensive end, once Rasheed goes to guard the opponent's heavy interior players, Garnett sweeps and helps on defense, with Gary Payton, Pierce, and Hill providing support on the perimeter. This means they can execute an unassailable "switch-everything" defense.
There were no misalignments, no gaps. Five tall, long-armed, and fast-moving guys wove an impenetrable net in the half of the court.
Lin Qi watched Grant Hill on the court, slightly sweating but with a smile on his face. This prodigy, once predicted by the entire league to be confined to a wheelchair, was rediscovering the joy of basketball within this system.
"Keep this lineup hidden, Rick." Lin Qi turned around, a cold, sharp glint in his eyes. "For the rest of the regular season, continue with the standard lineup. This lineup..."
"It's reserved for the playoffs, a guillotine to crush Los Angeles."