Just as Lin Qi hung up the hands-free call, there was a knock on the office door.
Head coach Rick Carlisle walked in with a cup of hot black coffee in one hand and several match statistics sheets in the other, and sat down in a chair opposite the desk.
"Guess who I got a call from in the coaching staff office downstairs?" Rick Carlisle took a sip of coffee and shook his head. " Jim Parker from Cleveland. He actually called me directly, indirectly asking if I'd considered adding a 20-point scorer to the perimeter. I could tell from his tone that he wanted Cericy Davis, so I had him talk to you."
"He just hung up," Lin Qi chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Trying to trade Tayshaun or Mehmet right off the bat, they're dreaming. Nike executives called Gordon Gund's house last night; the Cleveland management is desperate for a clean house, grasping at straws. I sent him to Los Angeles to try his luck with Elgin Baylor of the Clippers."
Rick Carlisle chuckled and spread the technical statistics sheet on the table, " Parker must be having a major headache right now. But it wasn't just Cleveland who couldn't sleep last night. At 2:30 this morning, my landline kept ringing, and when I answered, it was none other than Don Nelson from Dallas."
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. " The Mavericks lost to the Lakers at Staples last night, and the old man came to you in the middle of the night to complain?"
"Yes and no," Rick Carlisle shook his head helplessly. "Last night in the Western Conference opener, the Mavericks originally wanted to overwhelm the Lakers, who had just traded Shaq, with their run-and-gun offense. But the Lakers used our usual stretch lineup, pushing Brian Cook to the five to create space, Lamar Odom playing power forward to dribble up the floor, Sean Marion cutting and sweeping everywhere at the three."
Rick Carlisle pointed to the data on the statistics sheet with his finger.
" The Lakers ran faster than the Mavericks throughout the game. Odom grabbed a defensive rebound and immediately launched a fast break, which the Mavericks ' defense couldn't keep up with. Once they settled into a half-court offense, Cook and Quentin Richardson positioned themselves beyond the three-point line, leaving the Mavericks ' already weak paint wide open. Kobe took 31 shots and 16 free throws, scoring 42 points in total. The Mavericks lost by 13 points on the road."
Lin Qi glanced at the score on the stat sheet. Last night 'Lakers game was also broadcast nationally, and Kobe was wearing Converse's newly released signature shoes. The black and white commercial that aired during halftime was also released simultaneously. He single-handedly led the team to a 42-point victory over a strong opponent in his first game.
" Don Nelson couldn't sleep after the loss, so he went back to the hotel, drank beer, and watched the tape of our game against the Cleveland Cavaliers," Rick Carlisle continued. "The old man's been in the league for decades; he has a sharp eye. He only watched the tape once, but he completely figured out the ins and outs of our Boston Pick-and-Roll -and-roll."
"What did he say on the phone?" Lin Qi asked.
"That old fox doesn't hold back at all," Rick Carlisle laughed. "He took a swig of beer on the phone and said straight to me: ' Rick, that cover you guys gave Ilgauskas behind at the top of the key was ruthless, a brilliant idea. Did you come up with that?'"
Before I could even reply, he continued, "I don't care what you guys call this move, I'm having Steve Nash and Dirk practice it when we get back to Dallas tomorrow. We've both played in Boston, so we're practically family. I'm just giving you a heads-up, so don't accuse me of stealing your moves when our teams play each other next month."
Lin Qi couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.
Don Nelson played in Boston for eleven years during his playing career, winning five championships with the Cardinal. His number 19 jersey still hangs in the dome of the New Garden. This old man has spent his whole life figuring out all sorts of bizarre offensive tactics, and he always uses any effective plays directly. Making this phone call in the middle of the night is purely a show-off and a test before the veteran takes advantage of the situation.
"But the old man couldn't resist asking me a question in the end," Rick Carlisle added. "He asked me how the player cutting inside should handle the ball if our back screen gets switched on or if the weak-side corner is left open. I told him to trade Dallas ' draft picks for it, and he just grumbled and hung up."
"Even if we taught Dallas every step of the way, they wouldn't be able to replicate our success," Lin Qi said calmly, taking a sip of his tea. " Nash and Nowitzki are indeed formidable in pick-and-roll situations, and with back screens, the Mavericks ' offense will be even more potent. But Don Nelson doesn't have Big Ben or Kevin."
"We run double screens at the high post. Even if we miss from the outside, Big Ben and Kevin can quickly get back on defense to protect the rim. The Mavericks have Antoine Kemba Walker and Nowitzki in the paint. Once their offense misses, the opponent pushes the fast break directly. The Mavericks have no one protecting the rim. Focusing only on offense and neglecting defense won't get them far in the playoffs in May."
Rick Carlisle nodded. "That's right, their inside game is too weak. Learning from them might not raise their ceiling, but it's a way of playing to their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses."
Just then, Sam Presti handed him the morning sports newsletter he had just compiled.
"Boss, Rick, last night Pistons played the Magic on the road, Larry Bird Brown and this year's second overall pick, Carmelo Anthony, had a falling out in the fourth quarter."
Lin Qi took the clipping and glanced at it.
In this year's draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers used the first overall pick to select LeBron James, the Detroit Pistons used the second overall pick to select Carmelo Anthony, and the Denver Nuggets used the third overall pick to select Chris Bosh.
Bosh had Anthony solid 14 points and 8 rebounds in his Denver debut last night, while Detroit played his first official game in Orlando.
In the first three quarters, Anthony showcased his excellent individual offensive skills, frequently scoring in the mid-range using jab steps and pull-up jumpers, reaching 20 points by the end of the third quarter.
But in the decisive fourth quarter, the Pistons and Magic were neck and neck. After receiving the ball on the left side, Anthony habitually adopted a triple-threat stance to run down the clock with a one-on-one attack, using up the ten-second shot clock in two consecutive possessions. On his last forced drive, he was stripped of the ball by Magic star Jermaine O'Neal. After losing the ball, Anthony stood there gesturing and complaining to the referee, failing to retreat on defense in time. This allowed the Magic's Michael Redd to get open and sink a go-ahead three-pointer.
Larry Bird Brown, standing on the sidelines, immediately lost his temper and called a timeout.
Under the watchful eyes of national television cameras, Brown pointed his finger at Anthony and berated him for a full minute. After the timeout, Brown immediately benched the second overall pick who had scored 20 points, not letting him play for the remaining eight and a half minutes. Ultimately, the Pistons lost their opening game 78-86 on the road.
The newspaper reported that Anthony kicked over a chair in the locker room after the game and refused to be interviewed, along with Larry Bird Brown's original words at the press conference.
" Brown didn't give Anthony any face at the press conference," Presti said, pointing to the text. "He said: 'Some young guys think that just because they won a college championship and entered the league as the second overall pick, they can just focus on shooting. In my teams, anyone who doesn't play defense, doesn't get back on defense, and whose ball-handling disrupts the offense, even if they score forty points, will have to sit on the bench and watch the game.'"
"And the old man even used us as an example. He said all the rookies in the league should watch the Boston game tapes, see how Ben Wallace played to win a championship, and see how Dwyane Wade defended and passed the ball on the court."
Rick Carlisle looked at the newspaper, chuckled, and shook his head. " Larry Bird's temper hasn't changed in decades. Anthony has been the core of the team since he was a kid, used to the whole team spreading out to watch him play one-on-one. With an old-school coach like Larry Bird who will blow the whistle and stop the game if a pass is missed even once, these two are going to have a lot of arguments this season."
Lin Qi closed the newspaper and casually placed it on the corner of the table.
"Everyone has their own troubles, we just need to focus on our own schedules," Lin Qi stood up and walked to the clipboard by the wall. "Tomorrow we're playing the Nets in New Jersey, that's the real test."