China's science and technology development has entered a critical stage of tackling key challenges and therefore needs to strengthen original innovation. Basic research is the source of original scientific and technological innovation, yet at present China's basic research faces problems such as oversized research teams, homogenized research directions, a lack of core capabilities, and consequently insufficient capacity for original innovation. At the national level, this manifests as team research that is neither specialized nor distinctive and often duplicative, along with an overall pattern that runs counter to diversity. The resulting "resource−driven" research paradigm leads to inefficient use of research resources. As a result, the research ecosystem is degraded, hindering the cultivation and growth of original innovation. This paper argues that, in the realm of basic research, a "small but excellent" paradigm—characterized by small teams that each play to their unique strengths and researchers who are highly specialized and each bring distinctive expertise—has high value for original innovation. Under resource constraints, it can also preserve the overall diversity of national research and the security of the national science and technology chain. Delivering the core value of basic research through rigorous, specialized exploration and original breakthroughs requires each team to focus on a distinctive direction and cultivate it deeply, while team members build deep expertise and tackle hard problems through years of sustained effort. This approach helps foster diversity in the research ecosystem and enables efficient resource allocation, thereby ensuring the resilience of China's scientific and technological development in international competition.