Lin Qi took the faxes and flipped through them page by page.
The wording on the letters was largely the same. Arne Tellem's was relatively polite, but the meaning was very straightforward: Tyson Chandler Chandler was in the third year of his rookie contract, and early contract extension negotiations would begin next summer. If he didn't have stable playing time and impressive statistics this year, the player's commercial value and contract extension offers would be severely affected. The other agencies were all insisting on increasing playing time, putting pressure on management.
Lin Qi folded the faxes together and tossed them casually onto the corner of the table.
"A minimum of twenty minutes per game?" Lin Qi took a sip of his coffee, his tone calm. "Five positions, a full game is only 240 minutes. Kevin and Chris Paul each take 35 minutes, Ben Wallace and Dwyane together take at least 60 minutes, Rasheed and Raja Bell each play 25 minutes. Those guys take 180 minutes, leaving 60 minutes to be distributed among the eight or nine players on the bench. Giving each of them 20 minutes per game? Where did these agents learn their math?"
"Agents don't care whether the team can even afford it," Rick Carlisle leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "They only care about whether their clients' stats can be converted into big contracts next year. This morning, Okur's agent was even challenging me on the phone, saying that if he's only given eight minutes per game next season, they'll publicly request a trade from the media next Monday."
"Trying to manipulate public opinion? They're not qualified." Lin Qi put down his cup and tapped his finger on the table. "Anyone who dares to talk nonsense in front of the media can simply be benched for a year. However, simply using harsh punishment won't solve the locker room problems. If the players harbor resentment, they won't give their all on the court."
Rick Carlisle looked at Lin Qi: "Then what do we do?"
"We can't just break each game into seven or eight minutes like in the conventional way," Lin Qi, pulling over a sticky note and drawing two lines on it. "There are plenty of back-to-back games and long-distance road trips in the 82-game regular season. Giving each game only eight or ten minutes means players are substituted right after they've started to sweat, and they're prone to taking reckless shots out of eagerness to perform. More importantly, if they play all 80 games and only play eight minutes each, their season average will only be four points and three rebounds, and their agents will definitely be furious. Instead of giving them a little time in each game, we should stagger the games."
"Schedule the matches?" Rick Carlisle leaned forward slightly.
"Yes, allocate time according to the number of games." Lin Qi tapped the paper with the tip of his pen. "Let's look at the inside players first. Mehmet and Tyson Chandler have completely opposite skill sets. Tyson Chandler is a rim protector and switch defender in the paint, tough in physical play, and good at high pick-and-rolls. Mehmet is a shooting center who can stretch the floor on offense, but his lateral movement is slower on defense. They'll take turns on the active 12-man roster for the new season."
Rick Carlisle stroked his chin. "Choose players based on the opponent's lineup characteristics?"
"That's right, it depends on the situation," Lin Qi said. "When facing teams with deep interior defense and large rim-protecting centers, like the Pacers, Utah Jazz, or Sacramento Kings, put Mehmet on the active roster and rest Tyson Chandler. Let Mehmet play a full 22 to 25 minutes in that game, specifically stretching the floor to shoot threes and drawing the opposing center out of the paint. When facing fast-paced teams with aggressive guards and frequent pick-and-rolls, activate Tyson Chandler and let Tyson Chandler play 25 minutes to protect the rim and grab offensive rebounds, while resting Mehmet."
Lin Qi wrote two numbers on the paper, "Eighty-two regular season games, each of them will play about forty games, and the other forty will be completely unplayable. As long as they play a full twenty-five minutes in those forty games, their average stats on the stat sheet at the end of the season will be at near-starter level. They'll have impressive highlight reels, their average stats won't drop, and Big Ben and Kevin's physical exertion during the regular season will be reduced by 30%."
Rick Carlisle's eyes lit up, then he asked, "What about Tayshaun and Gerald? Chris Paul and Ron are playing most of the time on the flanks."
"The same method, divide the players in half according to their style," Lin Qi said. " Tayshaun is tall, has a long wingspan, and clean footwork, so he'll be used to deal with shooters who rely on perimeter screens. Gerald is physically strong and has great impact, so he'll be used against physical teams with a rough playing style. Whoever makes the active roster in that game will get a stable 20 minutes of playing time."
Rick Carlisle for a few seconds and nodded. "This approach is tactically and statistically acceptable. However, what about the days when they're not on the active roster? According to the league's current rules, an injured player must be on the injured list for at least five games at a time. If a young player in his early twenties is left sitting on the sidelines in a suit for several games in a row, his competitive form can easily cool down, and his agent will still use it as an excuse."
"This leads to the second matter."
Lin Qi opened a drawer, took out a document stamped with the Alliance's official seal, and pushed it in front of Rick Carlisle.
" David Stern just passed a reform bill for the G League (NBDL) at the board meeting last month, allowing teams to send players on rookie contracts. Now that the league has opened this door, Boston doesn't need to be like other teams, with several teams sharing a single affiliate."
Rick Carlisle glanced down at the "NBDL" markings on the document, then looked up at Lin Qi: "You want to build a separate branch?"
"It's already in the works," Lin Qi said. "We've bought an affiliate team directly in Portland, Maine, and renamed it the 'Maine Celtics.' The arena and training facility are all agreed upon; it's only a two-hour drive from Boston."
Lin Qi pressed his finger on the document and continued.
"I plan to send our lead video analyst, Frank Vogel, to be the head coach, with Tim Grgurich and David Blatt helping him implement your tactics and defensive system exactly as they are. During the regular season, any young players who are resting or not on the active roster should be sent to Maine for a game or two instead of sitting on the back of the bench in a suit."
"Go to Maine to play a match?" Rick Carlisle was taken aback.
"Yes, treat that place as a training camp for Boston," Lin Qi said. "In Boston, they have to strictly adhere to your tactical discipline and do the dirty work. But in Maine, give them over 35 minutes of absolute core status every game. Let Chandler practice high-post playmaking and low-post isolation, let Prince practice pick-and-rolls, and let Gerald freely practice perimeter ball-handling offense. The strength and conditioning team will be recording data throughout to maintain their game-ready cardiovascular intensity. When Gary Payton's knee has healed, he can play a couple of games in Maine before returning to find his competitive rhythm."
Rick Carlisle looked at the plan on the table, and his brow completely relaxed.
In the past, sending players to the minor leagues often meant abandoning or marginalizing them. But by building an affiliate team in Maine, a two-hour drive away, and having the same coaching staff run the same tactics, Boston essentially created a readily available reserve of players.
"That leaves Arne Tellum and his crew completely without fault," Rick Carlisle sighed. "They've given them a full 25 minutes of regular NBA starting rotation time to maintain their average stats, and during their rest periods, they even have their own teams to help them hone their ball-handling skills. If they're still not satisfied, then they're just nitpicking."
"Tomorrow I'll have Sam Presti call those four agencies, and I'll also speak with Arne Tellem personally." Lin Qi gathered up the faxes on the table, his tone indifferent. "Use both carrot and stick. Show them the rotation plan and the stats, and tell Tellem that Boston has the best medical and legend resources in the league to develop his client. If he insists on forcing us to disrupt the rotation for the sake of padding stats during a championship season, then he can ask the entire league which championship contender dares to promise a 21-year-old center the absolute core of the team."
Lin Qi glanced at Rick Carlisle: "Leave the agents to Presti and me to handle. As for those four lads in the locker room, you talk to them personally. Just make your future and playing time clear. These agents are shrewd; they know very well that staying in Boston and winning games is the only way to get the biggest commercial premium."
Rick Carlisle put away the folder and stood up, his annoyance vanishing. "Alright, you deal with those vampires. Before training tomorrow, I'll call those four lads into my office for a chat one by one."
"Go ahead," Lin Qi waved his hand, "And tell Gary Payton downstairs not to push Dwyane too hard. I'll treat them to dinner tonight."