In Boston 'Back Bay, December snow kept pounding against the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lin Qi sat on the large sofa, a glass of neat whiskey in his hand. The television on the wall was broadcasting the Boston Celtics' away game against the Indiana Pacers.
Lin Qi clearly saw that, in his absence, those problems that had been forcibly suppressed were inevitably surfacing.
Pat Riley once called this phenomenon "The Disease of More".
For the past four years, Lin Qi used his skill and authority to forcefully suppress the greed that inevitably breeds in championship teams. But now, David Stern has removed the lid from the "pressure cooker," and the ego inflated ego hidden in human nature has begun to erode tactical discipline.
On the television screen, the game was in the middle of the third quarter, with the Celtics trailing by four points.
Billups made a tactical hand signal at the top of the key, calling for a classic horns play. The ball traveled along the predetermined path to Ron Artest on the left wing. According to Rick Carlisle's play, Artest should have made a playmaking move and passed the ball to Chris Paul Pierce, who had cut out after Garnett's screen.
But Artest didn't pass the ball.
This ambitious young wing was clearly no longer content with simply being a "defensive anchor." Facing the Pacers ' defender, he awkwardly executed a crossover dribble, then, like a bull with its head down, he forced his way into the paint against two defenders, ultimately throwing up an absurd bank shot amidst a flurry of movement.
The basketball slammed into the rim, and the Pacers launched a fast break.
This marks the fourth time in this game that Artest has forced himself to go it alone without any tactical instructions.
The camera cuts to the sidelines, where head coach Rick Carlisle's face is ashen, his brows furrowed tightly. This academic coach, known for his meticulous tactical approach and even obsessive-compulsive tendencies, is barely suppressing the urge to slam his tactical board onto the scorer's table.
Lin Qi took a sip of whiskey, his eyes fixed coldly on the screen.
He knew perfectly well why Rick Carlisle hadn't immediately substituted Artest, and he also knew exactly where the team's problems lay.
The problem isn't Artest's misbehavior, but rather the locker room's tacit approval of it.
Right after Artest missed that absurd shot, Chris Paul Pierce, who was retreating on defense, didn't complain; instead, he patted Artest on the back. Pierce has a typical street gang mentality, extremely protective of his own. Artest was willing to fight and do dirty work for Pierce on the court, and in return, Pierce was willing to indulge his "little brother's" ridiculous offensive desires on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett, another iconic figure in the team, also chose to turn a blind eye.
In Garnett's value system, as long as you can bite your opponent like a mad dog on the defensive end and desperately save the ball on the floor, then even if you take a few unreasonable shots on offense, it can be forgiven. Just in the last possession, Artest had fiercely knocked the Pacers ' big man out of bounds. Garnett admires this kind of swagger.
With the tacit approval of the two star players, Artest's offensive role became increasingly unrestrained.
But for Rick Carlisle, this was nothing short of tactical torture.
Rick Carlisle is a coach who prioritizes efficiency and spacing; he doesn't care about loyalty or camaraderie. Artest's forced shots that disrupted the offensive rhythm not only disrupted Billups's control of the game but also desecrated the entire tactical system.
Especially in the last two weeks, due to this extreme arrogance and lack of discipline, the Celtics have lost several games in the regular season that they should have won easily.
Lin Qi looked at Rick Carlisle's pained face and tapped his fingers lightly on the leather armrest of the sofa.
If Lin Qi were there, he would have kept Artest in check and also kept Pierce and Garnett in check, Rick Carlisle only to handle the tactics.
But now, Lin Qi is gone. Rick Carlisle must face this group of talented, four-time champions alone. If he forcibly benches Artest, he will be offending both Pierce and Garnett. If he continues to indulge them, the team's record and tactical discipline will continue to deteriorate like a frog being slowly boiled in water.
On television, the Pacers hit another three-pointer, extending their lead to seven points.
The Indiana home crowd erupted in cheers.
"Drop!!!"
A sharp whistle blew, and Rick Carlisle finally lost his temper and called a pause.
Lin Qi leaned forward slightly, staring at the screen. This was a moment to test the skills of a championship coach.
The camera panned across the Celtics ' bench during the timeout. Rick Carlisle slammed his clipboard onto his chair. Though his voice was inaudible, the bulging veins on his neck and the harsh words emanating from his mouth indicated that he was unleashing a rare outburst of rage.
Rick Carlisle pointed his finger directly at Artest, then turned sharply to Pierce was trying to smooth things over.
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.
Lin Qi laughed.
Ron Artest was benched, looking utterly frustrated. He was replaced by the composed yet tenacious Raja Bell.
Rick Carlisle finally made a decision. He was willing to risk locker room friction to re-establish the head coach's tactical authority through substitutions. After returning to the court, Billups immediately took control of the ball and stabilized the situation with two extremely patient pick-and-rolls. Although Pierce and Garnett looked unhappy, they eventually obediently returned to the tactical framework in the face of Rick Carlisle's thunderous tactics.
"Go for it, Rick."
Lin Qi leaned back on the sofa, picked up his wine glass, and offered a distant toast to the television screen.
This is the price of growing pains, and an inevitable part of growth. Without his micromanagement, conflicts inevitably erupted in the Boston locker room, but it also forced Rick Carlisle to establish the authority of a head coach and forced the team to develop a self-purifying immune system.
As long as Rick Carlisle dares to take drastic measures, Boston's foundation will not crumble.
Lin Qi downed his whiskey in one gulp. Seeing that Rick Carlisle had extinguished the fire himself, he finally felt relieved.