"Wait a minute, Rick," Ben Wallace put his fork back on the edge of the plate, draped his thick arm over the back of his chair, and frowned, "So, you guys are going to copy Dallas Don Nelson's run-and-gun style for the new season?"
Big Ben Affleck said this, Raja Bell, who had been nodding in agreement, paused for a moment.
Garnett put down his water glass and continued, " Dallas had a great run in the Western Conference last year, scoring 110 points per game. But then in May they faced the Spurs, and Tim Duncan single-handedly dominated their interior. During the offseason, Cuban even traded Antawn Jamison for them, not even putting up a proper center. We won four championships with our defense, and now we're going to learn their kind of basketball that doesn't involve defense?"
Veteran players who've been in the league for a long time know this: the Dallas Mavericks' style of play may be visually appealing, but it often doesn't go far in the physical playoffs. Big Ben and Garnett believe that abandoning half-court defense in pursuit of speed is tantamount to throwing away their core strengths.
Lin Qi picked up a napkin, wiped his hands, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Big Ben and Garnett.
" Dallas doesn't need interior defense; they take out their big men and purely gamble on their outside shooting. We have Big Ben Wallace protecting the rim and Kevin protecting the defensive rebounds. To ignore one of the best interior players in the league and try to copy Dallas's approach is foolish."
Lin Qi looked at the two and continued, "Every day you train in the gym, you can see the championship banners from the Beal Russell and the Cardinal era. Think about it, how did Russell win eleven championships in the 1960s? How did Magic's Lakers win five championships in the 1980s? Russell would grab a defensive rebound and never wait for the guards to slowly come over to ask for the ball; he would throw the ball across half-court while still in mid-air. What we're going to play this season is a transition offense built on defense and rebounding."
Garnett and Pierce paused for a moment, a thoughtful look in their eyes.
Lin Qi tapped his fingers lightly on the table, carefully explaining to them the concepts that no one in the alliance had yet clearly grasped.
"Think about it carefully. Why have scores been getting lower and lower, and games becoming less and less entertaining, all these years since the league allowed zone defense? It's because teams are still clinging to outdated ideas from the 1990s."
"Every time they grab a rebound, the point guard leisurely dribbles the ball across half-court, gesturing tactical moves, waiting for all five players to slowly get into position. By the time you're all set up, eight seconds of the shot clock have already passed. By then, the opposing team has already retreated and formed a defensive line in the paint. Kevin goes to the midfield to get the ball, only to be surrounded by two players. Chris Paul tries to drive in, but is blocked by the opposing center. Every two points he scores requires a lot of physical exertion and struggle."
Pierce nodded in agreement. "That's true. If the ball is passed two seconds late, the weak-side help defense will immediately close in, leaving no room to jump."
Lin Qi looked at the key players on the main table, his tone calm.
"Old-school coaches always taught you that a fast break only occurs when there's a 2-on-1 or 1-on-0 opportunity. Once the opponent retreats and has players on defense, you have to pull the ball out to control the tempo and play a set offense. You need to completely change that habit starting today."
"In the new season, the Celtics need to become a team that can play fast or slow. Even if there isn't a direct layup opportunity, as long as they grab the rebound, the whole team must push across half-court within three seconds to create chaos in the first eight seconds of the shot clock."
"In those few seconds just past half-court, even though all five opponents had retreated, their defense was still disorganized. Their center forward couldn't maintain his defensive position at all, and the defenders were only focused on finding the ball while retreating, completely unable to identify who they were guarding."
"If Chris Paul gets the ball on the wing and your defender is a small guard who can't get back in time, you don't need to wait for the play; just back down and drive in for a one-on-one. If you're switched onto by a clumsy center, or if the opponent is huddled inside to protect the rim, even if there are only 18 seconds left on the 24-second shot clock, as long as there's an open shot in front of you, just pull up and shoot a three-pointer."
Pierce raised an eyebrow. "Shoot with 18 seconds left? Back in Kansas, in a sophomore game against Missouri, I hit a three-pointer before the fast break was even set up. After the game, Roy ( Williams ) pointed his finger at me and yelled at me, making me sit on the bench for half the game."
" Chris Paul, you're not stupid. Let me ask you," Lin Qi chuckled, "With 18 seconds left, you're two meters in front of no one, a sure-fire open shot. Instead of shooting from that open space, you lob the ball inside, the whole team wastes 15 seconds, and then you take a difficult fadeaway jumper with two defenders right before the 24-second shot clock expires. Tell me, which shot is more reasonable?"
Upon hearing this, all the players at the table were stunned for a moment, and then several of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Even the usually stern Ben Wallace scratched his head. "Now that you mention it, that old style of play, which insisted on controlling the tempo, was indeed quite rigid."
"Exploiting mismatches and making quick decisions in the first eight seconds of a transition – that's what we need to practice." Lin Qi looked at Garnett. " Kevin, it's the same when you're following up in the middle. Before the opposing big man gets into position, you receive the ball at the free-throw line, and whether you jump shot directly or pass to a teammate following up in the corner, you finish the game within two or three seconds."
Garnett for a moment, then looked up and asked, "What if the opponent retreats extremely quickly, and we don't show any weakness in the first eight seconds, forcing us to retreat?"
"Being forced to retreat is even better!" Lin Qi put down his knife and fork and placed three glasses on the table. "When you find an opportunity, immediately execute the Boston Pick-and-Roll."
Rick Carlisle smiled and nodded in agreement.
The players at the table all focused their attention on the cups that Lin Qi had set out.
"We've practiced this pick-and-roll in training before," Lin Qi explained, pointing to the three cups. "The point guard has the ball, and the center moves up to the top of the key to set a high screen. But the instant the center cuts down after the screen, the shooter on the weak side— Chris Paul, Raja, or Mehmet—comes up from the free-throw line or corner near the top of the key to set a back screen for the opposing center."
Lin Qi pushed the cup representing the shooter upwards, blocking it in front of the cup representing the opposing team's interior defender.
"The current zone defense system is all about preventing strong-side drives and low-post isolation plays. Against this kind of play where the center rolls to the basket and sets a second back screen, they have no defensive plan in mind at all. In the first eight seconds, we go fast as fast as we can. If we can't go fast enough, we go to the half-court set and immediately use the Boston Pick-and-Roll to overwhelm them."
Garnett and Pierce's eyes lit up as they listened.
"However, to unleash the full potential of transition offense and the Boston Pick-and-Roll, you'll need to be much faster each possession to cross half-court."
Rick Carlisle then took over the conversation at this opportune moment, his gaze sweeping over Garnett, Pierce, and Big Ben, his expression serious.
"Sprinting back and forth across the court is extremely taxing. Therefore, the coaching staff has decided to strictly control the playing time of the starting lineup in the new season. In the 82 regular season games, Kevin, Chris Paul, and Big Ben, your average playing time will be strictly limited to 35 to 38 minutes per game. If there are three games in four days or back-to-back long-distance road games, the coaching staff will arrange for you to rest."
Upon hearing this, Garnett paused in his actions.
The entire league knows what kind of temper Garnett has. In the past few seasons, even with a bruised finger or a bruised knee, as long as he could still run, he would wear protective gear and play for a full forty minutes every night. In his mind, a star player should be an iron man, and sitting on the sidelines in a suit when he's not sick or in pain makes him feel uncomfortable.
" Rick, I understand when you guys rest your veterans. But I'm still young, and my stamina is perfectly fine," Garnett looked up, staring intently at Rick Carlisle, his voice low. "My physical measurements this summer are even better than they were two years ago. Every win or loss in the regular season is crucial for home-court advantage in the playoffs, so I don't need to rest."
"I don't need a rest either," Ben Wallace chimed in from the sidelines. "If my playing time is too short, I'll be substituted as soon as I start to break a sweat. My muscles won't even be warmed up, and my body will feel tight."
Pierce didn't say anything, but his brow was slightly furrowed.