In late October, as a cold front swept across North America America's East Coast, the 2002-2003 NBA season officially kicked off.
For the Boston Celtics, opening night should have been a grand celebration. They were hosting their opponents at home, and before the game, there was a solemn ceremony: raising the 20th championship banner in franchise history and awarding them their four-time champion rings.
However, Lin Qi, the actual architect of the four-time champion dynasty, did not appear at the scene.
Lin Qi had considered sneaking in to watch the game from a VIP box, but he dismissed the idea. He didn't want to provoke David Stern's bottom line in the spotlight, so he decided to leave the glory of the arena to the management and players.
Lin Qi is now incredibly bored, except for the occasional phone call with David Fincher to discuss some details.
To keep himself occupied, he decided to scout next year's rookies. Frankly, Boston's current roster isn't lacking in players at all.
Lin Qi's decision to scout rookies at this time is more out of professional habit and curiosity about the future evolution of the league's ecosystem.
On the night of the opening game, in Syracuse, upstate New York State.
A few snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Lin Qi, dressed in an inconspicuous black waterproof windbreaker and holding a cup of hot coffee he had bought at a roadside gas station, walked alone into the Carrier Dome, Syracuse University's home arena.
He was without any security personnel or assistants, deliberately avoiding the media's cameras. Holding an ordinary season ticket, he quietly sat down in a high spot on the stands.
On the court, the Syracuse University Orangemen were playing a preseason scrimmage. Lin Qi's gaze pierced through the halogen lights overhead and locked onto a young black forward wearing the number 15 jersey.
Carmelo Anthony.
Lin Qi had already read through the background information of this 18-year-old countless times. Anthony was born in the harsh environment of Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn, and moved to Western Conference Baltimore with his family when he was eight years old. In those street courts filled with gangs and violence, he honed his ability to ignore confrontation.
To secure an NCAA scholarship, he transferred to the Oak Hill Academy, a basketball powerhouse, where he gained weight to a solid 220 pounds. He not only led his team to a nationally top-ranked 32-1 record, but also scored 34 points against LeBron James in a high school matchup, becoming the undisputed "best small forward" of the 2002 class.
His tough, street-smart demeanor, honed through hardship, made him far more mature than his peers even in his freshman year, making him the "crown jewel" of Coach Jim Boeheim's recruitment team.
The game began. Lin Qi intently observed every detail of Anthony's movements on the court.
"Outstanding lower body strength, and a very stable core."
Lin Qi watched as Anthony received the ball in the low post. Facing the shoving of the defender, the young Anthony remained calm and composed. Instead, he used the opponent's shift in center of gravity to make a clean probing step, followed by a smooth mid-range jump shot.
Swish.
Hollow core into the net.
Lin Qi quickly scribbled a line in his black notebook. "Offensive skills have reached NBA starting level. Possesses top-tier ball-handling and scoring ability, capable of finishing without lengthy tactical setups."
This is what makes Anthony so special. He doesn't rely on explosive speed to overpower opponents, but rather uses rhythm, footwork, and the physical advantage gained from building muscle to force out shooting space.
"This style of play..." Lin Qi bit the tip of his pen, and the image of his team's key wing player naturally came to mind.
Chris Paul Pierce.
Lin Qi began to mentally analyze the two people side-by-side.
In terms of offensive versatility, Anthony and Pierce are similar. Neither of them are the kind of "beasts" who rely on explosive first-step speed to get past opponents. Instead, they rely on solid lower body strength, a variety of jab steps, and accurate mid-range shots.
However, there are significant differences between the two in the details.
Pierce has a more seasoned sense of rhythm and a more cunning technique for drawing fouls. Moreover, after years of honing his skills in the Boston system, Pierce's passing vision and playmaking ability have reached a very high level. On the other hand, Anthony a purer offensive desire and better explosiveness than Pierce, but in terms of ball-sharing awareness, he is still completely like a college star accustomed to unlimited shooting opportunities.
The more obvious difference lies in the defensive end.
Syracuse University's head coach Jim Boeheim, is a nationally renowned zone defense master. Throughout the game, the Orangemen maintained their signature 2-3 zone defense.
Lin Qi followed the defensive rotations, carefully observing Anthony's defensive positioning.
Boeheim's 2-3 zone defense largely masked Anthony's weakness in lateral movement during man-to-man defense and also concealed his tendency to lose focus when defending off the ball. If Anthony were placed directly into the NBA's defensive system, which emphasizes strong-side movement and isolation plays, he would face significant trouble when targeted by pick-and-rolls.
Under Boston's high-pressure defensive system over the past few years, Pierce has long since developed into a competent, even tough, perimeter defender.
"Their offensive capabilities are impressive, but their defensive habits need to be rebuilt."
Lin Qi wrote his final comments in his notebook.
This isn't to belittle Anthony. To be able to touch Pierce's offensive game as a freshman, Anthony's scoring talent is absolutely historic. If it were a struggling team that needed to rebuild, sell tickets immediately, and establish a core player, drafting him as the cornerstone of the team would be no problem.
But Boston doesn't need that.
Boston already has Pierce and Artest on the wings. Drafting Anthony would not only prevent him from securing a stable starting position, but his style of play, which requires a lot of isolation plays, would also disrupt the team's current chemistry.
As the final buzzer sounded, Syracuse University secured a resounding victory over their opponents. Anthony, in less than thirty minutes of playing time, effortlessly racked up 24 points and 8 rebounds.
Lin Qi threw his slightly chilled coffee into the trash can, stood up, and walked out of the stadium with the flow of people.
Stepping out of Carrier Dome, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on Syracuse University's campus. Lin Qi wrapped his trench coat tighter and walked towards his rented Chevrolet SUV.
Once inside the car, Lin Qi turned on the radio, which was broadcasting the results of the NBA season opener. The Boston Celtics had easily defeated their opponents on the night they raised their twentieth championship banner.
Listening to the radio, Lin Qi stepped on the gas and drove towards the local airport in Syracuse.
Let's move on to the next target.
In the 2003 draft pool, there were still many candidates whose "ecological suitability" was worth a personal trip for him to assess.
"Next stop, Atlanta."
Lin Qi looked out the car window at the snowstorm. There, in the Georgia Tech Institute arena, was a lanky center Chris Bosh.