The air in the Celtics' training facility was already thick with tension before the NBA Finals began.
In the video editing room, Rick Carlisle was repeatedly replaying the Western Conference Finals game between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. On the screen, Michael Jordan received the ball with his back to the basket near the free-throw line, faked several shots, and then made a turnaround jump shot that swished through the net.
"This is the Lakers' most difficult strength to deal with in half-court offense." Rick Carlisle pressed the pause button and drew a circle at Jordan's feet with a red laser pointer. " Jordan's explosiveness isn't what it was during his Chicago Bulls days, but his control of the game's tempo is much more sophisticated. He doesn't need to force a drive; as long as he gets the ball on either side of the free-throw line, whether it's a turnaround jumper or drawing a foul, his efficiency is still very high. He's an experienced killer, specializing in precisely targeting the weaknesses in the opponent's defensive formation."
The coaching staff in the video room all looked serious. Defending a 39-year-old Jordan requires completely different strategies than defending a 28-year-old Jordan.
" Chris Paul needs to balance offense and can't exhaust all his energy defending Michael," assistant coach Casey advised, reviewing player data. " Ron ( Artest ) is currently the best option besides Chris Paul; his physicality is sufficient. However, Michael too experienced, and Ron sometimes gets carried away and gets drawn into fouls by various fakes. We can use Ron as a secondary option for defending Michael, but who should be the primary defender?"
Just then, the door to the video recording room was pushed open.
Gary Payton swaggered in and pulled out a chair to sit down next to Rick Carlisle.
"I've been listening outside for a while. Are you guys racking your brains trying to figure out how to deal with that old guy who's almost forty?" Gary Payton put his water bottle on the table, his usual playful and casual demeanor gone, his eyes turning serious. " Rick, Lin. For the NBA Finals, I'm going to guard Michael."
There was a moment of silence in the video recording room.
Rick Carlisle looked at the veteran who had been in the league for twelve years and bluntly pointed out the reality. " Gary, your defense against Michael was most effective in 1996. You were in your prime then. How old were you then? How old are you now?"
Gary Payton, far from being angry, laughed. He spread his hands and retorted confidently, "How old was Michael Jordan back then, and how old is he now?! I haven't retired several times like him; my competitive state has been maintained better than his."
This somewhat sarcastic remark made Casey, who was standing next to her, burst out laughing.
Gary Payton's smile faded, his eyes fixed on the tactical board, his voice revealing the most proud yet most bittersweet period of his career.
"In the 1996 NBA Finals, that stubborn guy George Carl wouldn't let me guard him for the first three games, and we ended up down 0-3. Michael averaged 31 points in those three games with a 46% field goal percentage," Gary Payton said through gritted teeth, reciting the stats like a familiar string of pearls. "Then I clung to him like glue for the last three games, and his average dropped to 23.7 points with less than 37% field goal percentage. Although we still lost in the end, I proved that I could contain Michael Jordan."
Gary Payton took a deep breath. "If I had started guarding him from the first game that year, the outcome might have been completely different. Now, he's older, his first step is slower, and I don't need to run the whole court chasing him like I used to. I know how he likes to box out before receiving the ball, I know his shoulder movements when he turns, whether he's faking it or really wants to shoot. Ron can be the primary defender when I'm off the court, but I have to be the primary defender against him."
Rick Carlisle pondered for a moment. Gary Payton's logic was entirely sound. Jordan's stamina and explosiveness had indeed declined with age, and Gary Payton's rich defensive experience was more than enough to compensate for his own decline in lateral speed.
More importantly, Boston now has far more defensive resources than the Seattle SuperSonics did back then.
"You're right, Gary." Rick Carlisle stood up, walked to the tactical board, and picked up Mark. "And this time, your allies will be even stronger than Seattle's back then."
"Back in the Seattle SuperSonics days, it was you who primarily defended him, and with the frequent help defense from the Seattle SuperSonics' forwards, that we managed to keep Jordan's shooting percentage down." Rick Carlisle drew two circles on the baseline and weak side of the whiteboard, writing down the names of Garnett and Ben Wallace. " Gary, the help defense from the forwards behind you now will only be stronger than it was back then."
Rick Carlisle pointed to the whiteboard. "When you're guarding Michael tightly on the perimeter, whenever he tries to post up or dribble, we'll always have a top-notch help defender on the court. Kevin is responsible for double-teaming from the weak side. When Kevin is resting, Ben must stay on the court."
With his exceptional wingspan and shot-blocking awareness, he could cover Jordan's passing and shooting vision. Garnett's mobility and defensive coverage were also among the best of all time for a power forward.
"As long as you don't let him easily shake you off, every time Michael tries to shoot, he'll find four long arms waiting for him," Rick Carlisle said.
" Gary, if you let that old guy get past you so easily," Garnett's voice suddenly came from outside the door. He was leaning against the doorframe, grinning and teasing, "I promise I'll block you before he even jumps."
"Shut up, Kevin." Gary Payton turned and glared at him. "Mind your own business with that big ass of Charles. If Barkley gets a bunch of rebounds over your head, I'll be laughing at you all summer."
The atmosphere in the video studio lightened a bit as the two bickered. Rick Carlisle reviewed the rotation. "That's settled. Gary will start to defend Michael, with Ron as the second option in the rotation. Always keep Kevin and Big Ben on the court for help defense. We're going to recreate 1996... no, we'll surpass that."
Lin Qi sat in his chair, listening to their tactical arrangements and banter.
"The tactical logic is perfect, I have no objections." Lin Qi stood up and looked at Gary Payton. " Gary, I heard... he performs even worse if someone keeps praising him in his ear."
"Don't worry, Lin," Gary Payton patted his chest, "I know that old guy too well. I can handle it."
With the final strategy for defending Jordan finalized, Rick Carlisle's rotation system has also been fine-tuned to its best.
"Alright, gentlemen," Lin Qi glanced at his watch, his tone exuding calm confidence, "Now, go back and get some rest."
He turned to look out the window; night had fallen in Boston.
The final battle, which we've been waiting for all season, is finally here.