Back in Boston on January 7, the Celtics had a one-one record in their two games in New York and Orlando, beating New York at Madison Square Gardens only to lose to the Magic in Orlando. The worst part of the road trip was that the team simply didn't have time to train properly, which led to the Celtics quickly reverting to their old style of play – the collegiate style of play that emphasized half-court play-and-match and full-court pressing.

This led to the team's offensive fire in the Orlando game, and they were pressed by the Magic in the first quarter, and then the team did not turn over in the whole game, and was avenged by the Magic. Leon certainly knows that building the team's offensive system will not happen overnight, and it may take an entire season and a summer to see results. But now, he urgently needs to solve a small technical problem, that is, the problem of positioning, running and tactical follow-up of the inside line in the second fast attack.

The problem was completely exposed in the game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 9. When Tim Duncan and David Robinson were in the three-second zone, Leon found that the so-called low post was no different from a stake, and whether it was Tony Barty, Chris Anderson or Portapenco, they could not play a role in the team's quick counter-attack. Aside from a symbolic handover and a cover substitution, their role in the offense was completely marginalized.

Tim Duncan's precise positioning on the defensive end and just the right amount of interference made Leon understand why Auerbach wanted the player so badly, and even willing to return to half the team. One of the major drawbacks of the second fast break is that it basically gives up the rush of offensive rebounds, and as a compensatory, the second fast break has a high offensive success rate and a relatively easy tactical finish.

As a result, the Celtics did not play a second fast break under the blockade of the twin towers, and also lost the rebounds in the frontcourt, which directly led to the team falling behind by nine points in the first half - a point difference that may not seem high, but the game has completely fallen into the rhythm of the Spurs.

In the second half, Carroll and Leon decisively decided to change their style of play, reducing a shooting point on the outside and increasing the rush of rebounds in the frontcourt, while Chris Anderson and Dennis Rodman took turns to disrupt the game, relying on active scrambling and leading the Celtics to a wave of offensive climax in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to two points at one point.

Then Tim Duncan appeared, and in the fourth quarter, the Spurs relied on his offense in the low post to score consecutive points, and the Celtics tried to use a wheel battle to block Duncan, but they still couldn't resist Shi Fo scoring 10 points in a row and blocked the Celtics' hopes of a comeback with two blocks. At 91:88, Celtic lost to Spurs by 3 points at home, but Leon knew in his heart that the gap between the two teams was not just 3 points.

"It's not a good feeling to sprint with all your strength and still not be able to outrun your opponent at a casual and even speed." A reporter interviewed León after the game, and León left only this sentence.

All night, Leon pondered that if the current tactical details were changed, the training methods and the general direction of progress would be fine, but such small tactical problems would often plague Leon, even if his brain was a hundred times better than others, it did not mean that he would be free of troubles. Now he was in dire need of someone who could share his worries and offer advice, and the person Carroll said he could discuss tactically with arrived in Boston a day later.

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On the night of the 10th, Leon received an invitation from Danny Angie to eat lobster at the famous "nameless restaurant" in the North End. The restaurant has a history of almost 100 years, and its name comes from the fact that the first manager often said to people, "No name, let's eat", and got the name of "nameless restaurant".

Because there will be a game on the night of the 11th, the whole team has been training at high intensity all day on the 10th, and Leon is also a little hungry, and after receiving a call from Angie on the way back to Boston, he changed direction and went directly to the nameless restaurant.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he found that head coach Carroll, assistant coach Hart and head of team development operations Kenny Carr had all arrived to visit and drink dark beer in a small private room. In addition to these Celtic management people, Leon also noticed a special guest, a handsome white man sitting in the innermost position, wearing a gray tweed shirt and hair that was not messed up at all.

Leon instantly recognized him as the current head coach of the Detroit Pistons, Rick Carlisle, a former Celtic.

"You're here Leon, sit here! Sitting next to Rick, Dick says you two can discuss tactics until dawn. Danny Ainge beckoned Leon to sit next to Carlisle, which made Leon feel a little strange because tomorrow the Celtics will face the Detroit Pistons at home.

"Hello, I've heard of you, Fox Leon, the amazing guy who rose from scout to assistant coach the fastest in history." Carlisle raised his glass and said lightly to Leon, then drank the gin from the glass in one gulp.

Carlisle's words made the range slightly awkward, and Dick Hart explained to Leon: "Rick's words are not malicious, he just states things a lot of the time, without emotional preference. Leon just nodded, he had long heard that Carlisle was an unsociable manager and had always had a bad relationship with his players.

It didn't take long for Leon to notice that the Pistons' young head coach was not only outspoken, but also meticulous, such as when pouring himself wine, he always poured it down the third of the glass line, and would only start drinking it once the liquid level had stabilized, and take a big sip.

Carlisle wasn't a drinker, but when he came to Boston, the most important place of his career, he had to toast one glass after another in front of a table full of familiar friends. Needless to say, former teammates and friends like Angie and Carl, Dick Hart once worked with him to assist Larry Bird in Indiana, and the two worked together to help the team reach the Finals.

John Carroll and Carlisle also have the experience of working together, they have both worked under Callesimo in team management and construction, and the two personalities are very compatible, Carlisle is straightforward and easy to offend people, while Carol is gentle and never has a bad relationship with people.

Thinking about the good times he spent here as a player, an all-nighter with Larry Bird on championship night, chewing tobacco with Kenny Carr and nearly fainting, experiencing a tsunami in Boston Garden Square, and spraying champagne on each other at a parade. And, of course, the delicious seafood and the reminiscences between old friends, Carlisle's wine after glass quickly became a little drunk. His alcohol consumption is not too good, and Leon doesn't know how many glasses he has poured in comparison, and it looks like he will be done with a pee.

When everyone was drunk, Dick Hart said to Leon: "Rick is the best offensive tactician I've ever met, maybe he's not very famous in the eyes of the fans, but in coaching circles, Rick's offensive level is well known. If you have any questions, it's totally okay to discuss them with Rick. ”

Leon looked at Carlisle a little drunk, and didn't know how to speak, and tomorrow Carlisle will stand on the opposite bench as the opponent's head coach, and now discuss the details of the Celtics' tactics, so that he has the feeling of leaking secrets.

Carlisle drank another glass of juniper berries, which was still quite strong. His face began to glow red, and when he heard Hart's words, he turned to Leon and said, word for word, "I know...... Do you want to ...... Play fast offense...... And it's a second fast break, but ...... But...... Your formation...... It's kind of weird...... Didn't pull it all the way and it seemed to ...... It seems a bit like a triangular position, but ......"

When Carlisle said that, however, he couldn't help the feeling of churning in his stomach, and he suddenly threw up on the table. It seemed that Carlisle had really drunk a little too much, and Leon hurriedly handed Carlisle a piece of paper and poured a glass of water. The old guys hadn't been like this for a while, and they had drunk as much on beer as they had when they were younger, so not only Carlisle, but everyone else was a little drunk.

"Why don't you keep talking about Rick, keep talking!" Angie picked up a bottle and yelled at Carlisle.

Carlisle looked better after drinking some hot water, and he collapsed in the back chair, his eyes closed, his expression a little pained, and it seemed that the strength of the wine would not go away so quickly. After about a minute, everyone thought Carlisle might be asleep, and then he suddenly said: "Your formation is too flat, a tactical formation that wants to establish a triangle position, it must be plump enough, the frame must be clear, and not distort the opponent's defense with a flat position, your number four or number five...... Want...... To be raised, then incision is required...... You can't move the bottom corner on a large scale, you don't need to pull and twist the opponent's defensive formation to run, squeezing is the fundamental...... Extrusion...... Extrusion ......"

With that, Carlisle spat under the table again. And Leon looked at Carlisle, who was vomiting a mess, and had already decided in his heart that he would try his best to pull him to the Celts in the future and teach him how to drink.