In early April, there was only one week left in the regular season.
Inside the head coach's office at the New Garden, the tactics board is covered with fifteen magnetic stickers bearing the players' names.
Lin Qi and head coach Rick Carlisle stood in front of the tactical board, both looking worried.
Although the teams have maintained their lead and essentially secured the top spot in the league, it's far too early for the leaders of these two teams to celebrate.
The NBA playoffs only allow 12 players to be activated, meaning that from the existing 15-man roster, 3 players must be placed on the "inactive list".
This has been the most complicated year.
"These eight players are undoubtedly the core rotation, and there's no way they'll be moved."
Rick Carlisle swiftly pushed eight names to the top of the tactical board: Gary Payton, Chauncey Billups Billups, Raja Bell, Chris Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace.
He then added Wang Zhizhi's name to the list, " Wang Zhizhi's spacing ability and three-point shooting are our secret weapons for breaking zone defenses or executing special tactics in the playoffs, so he must be on the active list."
With this, nine of the twelve spots on the roster have been secured.
"Of the remaining six, we must eliminate three." Rick Carlisle looked at the remaining names, reached out without hesitation, and moved two tiles to the bottom "inactive" area.
Brian Scalabrine, and Tyson Chandler Chandler.
" Brian is a great locker room presence, but he's not yet capable of making a reliable contribution in the high-intensity competition of the playoffs," Rick Carlisle explained. "As for Tyson Chandler, he's a promising prospect, but he's still too green and inexperienced against the ruthless veteran centers of the playoffs."
Lin Qi nodded, having no objection to either of the two options.
Now, the most troublesome problem has arrived.
In the middle of the tactical board, the names of four forwards remain: Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, Andrei Kirilenko, and Gerald Wallace.
Of the four forwards, one must be eliminated.
"This is a complete waste," Rick Carlisle said, rubbing his temples in anguish. "Any one of those four would be a starter on any other team. And now they're fighting us for the last three substitute spots."
"That's the trouble of happiness, Rick. Let's analyze it." Lin Qi pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Let's start with Stephen Jackson," Rick Carlisle tapped his name on his pen. "His defensive versatility is outstanding, and his off-ball movement is excellent. His cuts fit perfectly into our current dynamic offensive system. His biggest weakness is that his three-point shooting is still not consistent enough."
"Regarding three-pointers, I just asked Chip ( Engelland ) yesterday," Lin Qi interjected. " Chip said that Stephen's shooting form is actually quite good, he has a solid foundation, and his shooting percentage has improved recently. But he still needs to work on his muscle memory for a whole summer, or even a whole season, before he can truly transform into a top-tier 3-and-D player."
"But his current fighting ability is sufficient." Rick Carlisle pushed Jackson's name to the activation zone.
Where is Gerald Wallace?
" Gerald has to be on the roster," Rick Carlisle said confidently. "Remember that regular season game against the Lakers? His relentless drives in transition were incredibly effective. And his three-point shooting has improved dramatically lately; he's made 33% from three in the last ten games."
Rick Carlisle also put Gerald Wallace's name on the list.
Now, only two of the four candidates remain: Ron Artest and Andrei Kirilenko.
Choose one of the two.
Rick Carlisle looked at the two names, his brow furrowing deeply.
" Andrei's defensive awareness is excellent, second only to KG and Big Ben on the team," Rick Carlisle analyzed. "But Ron's one-on-one defensive pressure is unparalleled. It's a tough choice."
"Let's talk about Ron's problems first." Lin Qi took a sip of his coffee and analyzed the situation with extreme objectivity. "His defensive value is undeniable, but this kid has huge problems on offense. He needs the ball to find his rhythm, but his one-on-one plays and forced three-pointers are extremely inefficient."
" Ron isn't a good off-the-ball player; his off-the-ball movement is a complete mess," Rick Carlisle chimed in.
"I also asked Chip about Ron's shooting improvement." Lin Qi couldn't help but chuckle, recalling the shooting coach's helpless face. " Chip's exact words were... 'Boss, Ron's shooting touch is just too stiff! In our team, his shooting touch is only slightly softer than Ben Wallace '."
Rick Carlisle couldn't help but laugh.
"Since Ron is so inconsistent on offense, shouldn't we pick Andrei instead?" Rick Carlisle asked tentatively.
"No. Quite the opposite." Lin Qi's smile vanished, his eyes sharpening. "I believe Kirilenko should be eliminated."
Rick Carlisle was taken aback.
" Rick, what's the intensity of the playoffs?" Lin Qi stood up and walked to the clipboard. " Kirilenko's problem is that he's too skinny right now. In the regular season, he can rely on his keen instincts to help on defense, but once it gets to the playoffs, facing those muscle-bound guys in the Eastern Conference, or the heavyweight forwards in the NBA Finals against the Western Conference, his defensive value might not be able to hold up under the intense physicality. He needs at least another year or two to work hard on his core strength."
Lin Qi paused, then pointed out the core tactical logic. "Moreover, Kirilenko's defensive value mainly lies in help defense and sweeping. But don't forget, we already have Kevin Garnett and Ben Wallace! Andrei's role overlaps with these two defensive anchors. In the playoffs, KG and Big Ben can play more, covering his role; we don't need that many help defense resources at all."
Rick Carlisle's eyes gradually brightened, and he continued along Lin Qi's train of thought, saying, "What we really need is to be able to engage in physical battles with the opponent's heavy forwards on the perimeter. For example, against Mashburn of the Hornets, or against Jordan of the Lakers."
"That's right!" Lin Qi slammed Artest's magnet on the wing. "In the diverse defensive options on the wing, Artest is a strategic weapon we must preserve! Ron may be a black hole on offense, but his strength is top-tier among wing players! Especially after this season of targeted training, his upper body strength is like a rhinoceros!"
The two exchanged a glance, and after a half-hour debate, they finally reached a consensus.
The playoffs don't need too many homogeneous resources; what they need are "special weapons" to deal with various extreme situations.
Artest's unstoppable top-tier core strength and physical fighting ability are a crucial part of this Celtics' perimeter game.
Rick Carlisle reached out and cruelly dragged Andrei Kirilenko's name to the very bottom of the inactive list.
He then pushed Ron Artest's name into the activation zone.
With this, the Boston Celtics' final twelve-man roster for the 2002 playoffs was finalized.
Ball handlers: Gary Payton, Chauncey Billups Billups. ( Grant Hill can be a secondary ball handler, but his primary role is still on the wing.)
Wings: Chris Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Raja Bell, Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, Gerald Wallace.
Big men: Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Wang Zhizhi.
"Boss," Rick Carlisle turned his head, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in his eyes, "We're ready."
"Ready, Rick?" Lin Qi looked at the tactical board, a smile playing on his lips. "We're going for our fourth consecutive championship."