[Starting Lineup]
Point Guard (PG) | Sam Cassell, Height: 1.91 meters, Age: 26, Jersey Number: 28.
Shooting Guard (SG/SF) | Eddie Jones, Height: 1.98 meters, Age: 24, Jersey Number: 7.
Small Forward (SF/PF) | Robert Horry, Height: 2.08 meters, Age: 26. Jersey Number: 8.
Power Forward (PF/SF) | Kevin Garnett, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 20, Jersey Number: 5.
Center (C) | Dikembe Mutombo, Height: 2.18 meters, Age: 30. Jersey: 11.
[Second lineup]
Mark Guard (PG) | Mark Price, Height: 1.83 meters, Age: 32. Jersey Number: 52.
Swingman (SG/SF) | Michael Finley, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 23, Jersey Number: 26.
Small Forward (SF) | Chris Mullin, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 33, Jersey Number: 71
Power Forward (SF/PF) | Bo Outlaw, Height: 2.03 meters, Age: 25, Jersey Number: 45.
Center (PF/C) | P.J. Brown, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 26, Jersey Number: 93.
[Functional rotation]
Point Guard (PG) | Steve Nash, Height: 1.91 meters, Age: 22. Jersey: 13.
Swingman (SF/SG) | Bruce Bowen, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 25, Jersey Number: 27.
Small Forward (SF/PF) | Sam Mitchell, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 33, Jersey Number: 44.
Center (PF/C) | Ben Wallace, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 22. Jersey Number: 12.
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Lin Qi, stood alone in front of a huge whiteboard.
As the sun set, it cast an extremely long shadow that fell perfectly over the center of the whiteboard.
And now, with him securing Bowen's contract with a four-year minimum salary, the roster is finally complete.
[Starting Point Guard: Sam Cassell ]
One of the best clutch young guards in the league. He has proven that he is not afraid of big games at all. His pull-up jumper in the middle of the game, his low-post back-to-the-basket moves, and his tireless trash talk make him a standard playoff-caliber tough point guard.
[Starting Shooting Guard: Eddie Jones ]
On the defensive end, he is quick-witted and adept at cutting off passing lanes; on the offensive end, he is a top-tier fast break finisher and an excellent spot-up shooter in the league. He is the most perfect top-tier 3-and-D player in the entire league. He is tall, has a long wingspan, is extremely quick laterally, and is a top-notch perimeter defender. When the opposing team starts to make mistakes and Eddie gets going, the only thing the defender can do is pray that they don't become the backdrop for a poster dunk.
[Starting Small Forward: Robert Horry ]
He possesses the rare potential of a stretch four (though he's mostly playing small forward now), can shoot threes, and is good at blocking shots and switching on defense. There are plenty of stars padding their stats in the regular season. But Horry is the kind of player who always performs in crucial moments. The dirtier and more physical the playoff games are, the better he performs.
[Starting Power Forward: Kevin Garnett ]
A "high school monster" with enviable talent. He showed amazing versatility in the second half of his rookie season - standing at 2.11 meters tall, he moves like a guard and can guard positions one through five on defense. His skills still need polishing and his physical strength is not yet sufficient, but his passion and potential are immeasurable. He is the Answer to the future of power forwards in the league.
[Starting Center Forward: Dikembe Mutombo ]
He is at the peak of his defensive dominance. He is the most fearsome rim protector and shot-blocking machine in the entire league. As long as he is on the court, the defensive floor of this team is absolutely guaranteed.
[Second Team Point Guard: Mark Price ]
A former All-Star plagued by injuries. During his time in Cleveland, he was the only engine in the league that allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to compete with Jordan. Although his athleticism declined significantly due to injuries, his masterful pick-and-roll passing ability and textbook 180 Club shooting skills still kept the second unit's offense organized.
[Second Team Swingman: Michael Finley ]
With his All-Star caliber athleticism and scoring explosiveness, his high-flying style of play is beloved by fans. He is considered an extremely reliable wing scorer, possessing both explosiveness and outside shooting potential.
[Second Unit Small Forward: Chris Mullin ]
" God's Left Hand " is entering the twilight of his career. He is no longer the sharpshooter who averaged 25 points per game, but his superb cuts, accurate mid-range and long-range shots, and extremely high basketball IQ have transformed him into a perfect offensive playmaker and outside shooter.
[Second Team Power Forward: Bo Outlaw ]
A pure blue-collar worker. He establishes himself through relentless defense, frantic offensive rebounding, and shot-blocking. He has almost no independent offensive ability (and his free throw shooting is even terrible), but his tireless running and energy are the catalysts the bench needs most.
[Second Team Center: P.J. Brown ]
A tough guy on his way to becoming one of the league's top blue-collar players. He has established himself with tenacious low-post defense, solid pick-and-rolls, and a consistent mid-range jump shot. He doesn't hog the ball, has a tough style, and is the perfect interior protector.
[Third Team Point Guard: Steve Nash ]
At that time, the media viewed him as a "pass-first, agile player, but somewhat disadvantaged in physicality and defense" white point guard.
[Third-team swingman: Bruce Bowen ]
A typical fringe journeyman. At this point, no one in the league knew how tough his perimeter defense was; he was fighting tooth and nail for a guaranteed contract.
[Third Unit Small Forward: Sam Mitchell ]
A locker room leader. On the court, he provides a consistent mid-range shot and tough defense, but his more important role is Garnett's "career mentor." With him around, young players won't go astray, either on or off the court.
[Third Team Center: Ben Wallace ]
Standing in front of towering centers, he barely reaches 2.06 meters tall (his actual height is probably just over 2 meters), and his offensive skills are so rudimentary they're almost negligible. Fortunately, he possesses beast-like bench press strength and tireless defensive intensity. In today's league, he's still just a fringe defensive player sitting at the very end of the bench, a player who could be released at any moment.
Lin Qi finally put down his pen.
As Lin Qi looked through the list one by one, he frantically imagined the chemical reactions that would occur when these names were combined.
He no longer saw them as isolated players. He began to piece together these fourteen men in his mind...
Lin Qi closed his eyes and mentally visualized the starting lineup.
On the outermost edge is Eddie Jones. A top-tier 3D wing player with long arms and quick feet, capable of harassing players from position one to position three, specifically targeting the opponent's offensive spearhead.
Next to him was Bruce Bowen... no, Bowen was still on the third unit. But Lin Qi knew that in the playoffs, when it came time to shut down a certain offensive threat, this defensive reaper could step up to the front line at any time. Two top-tier perimeter defenders—that alone would make the opposing backcourt and wings feel suffocated.
One layer inside is Kevin Garnett. A big man who can move laterally like a guard. Switching to defend positions one through five, diving for three-pointers, helping out and covering, he's like an omnipresent net, turning all the opponent's passes and cuts into a mess.
Standing at the deepest point of the penalty area is Dikembe Mutombo.
Lin Qi's lips slowly curled into a smile.
He could almost see the next season unfold... The opposing guard, cornered by Eddie and Bowen, finally managed to break free and drive into the paint, fully expecting a layup, only to bump into that 2.18-meter-tall African Mountain, that wagging finger that always stood up at the last moment.
Even if he manages to get past Mutombo, there's still Garnett's net on the perimeter, along with tough interior players like P.J. Brown and Ben Wallace, rotating to help defend.
This is a three-layered, airtight defensive system that extends from the perimeter to the paint.
Lin Qi walked to the window and took one last look at the western sky.
That Mountain called the Chicago Bulls, with a record of 72 wins and 10 losses.
This time, we have been completely transformed.
"Now I'm finally qualified to go toe-to-toe with you guys."