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NBA: Is The Triangle An Outdated Offensive Scheme?

By Joshua Lea

Dec 16, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson looks on during a stop in play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson looks on during a stop in play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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There’s a debate happening in the NBA concerning the triangle offense. Is this once dominant offense still relevant in today’s game?

Across the league, NBA players are discussing the triangle offense. The talk is whether or not it’s a relevant offense. This is due to the New Yorks Knicks players opting to not run the offense.

Most recently, Celtic guard Isaiah Thomas came out against running the triangle as well. He told Stefan Bondy of nydailynews.com, “If you’re not Kobe or Shaq or Michael Jordan, the triangle offense just doesn’t work.”

Knicks President Phil Jackson has used the triangle throughout his coaching career with Chicago and Los Angeles. The Zen master has 11 championships thanks to the triangle offense. He also can thank the players that operated it beautifully.

Now, it would appear that Jackson has come to terms with the notion that the triangle is outdated. In a podcast called The Big Podcast with Shaquille O’Neal, Jackson spoke out about players lack of fundamentals needed to master the triangle.

Is the triangle outdated? Or is it simply too complex of an offense to run? The triangle was brought to life by two people, Sam Barry and Tex Winter. Barry is a HOF coach from the Univeristy of Southern California, and Winter (who played for Barry) was an assistant to Jackson during his championship runs with the Bulls and Lakers.

NBA
UNITED STATES – JUNE 14: Basketball: NBA finals, Closeup of Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan surrounded by media victorious, hugging after winning game vs Utah Jazz, Salt Lake City, UT 6/14/1998 (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X55799 TK1 R10 F17) /

After reading through a Wikipedia post and watching some old Laker highlights on YouTube, I discovered the basic foundation of the triangle offense is half-court spacing. In order for the triangle to work effectively, players must be chess pieces resulting in strategy based plays.

An important part of the triangle is the sideline setup. In this, the center stands in the low post, while the guard is in the corner and forward holds the wing, thus a triangle shape is formed. The other guards are designated to the top of the key, and the weak side, creating good spacing between all five players.

Players in the triangle are forced to move within the offense to generate an open shot or a high percentage shot. There are no easy buckets or fast-break points within the triangle. It is a half-court attack.

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There are several options in this system, one option is to get the ball to the low post block where the center is located with a high percentage chance of scoring. However, if that option isn’t there, the ball can then move to the weak-side. The other weak-side guard then rotates to the elbow to shoot the mid-range jumper.

Many other options exist within this offense, like the backdoor cut, or the off the ball movement for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. As a result, players move without the ball to generate a shot.

If you recall, Shaq and Pau Gasol ran the league while under the triangle. Gasol has since become mortal due to Jackson’s departure from Los Angeles. Sure, having Kobe Bryant helps, but the center position helps generate the offensive flow by anchoring the low post. Players then rotate within the triangle creating spacing for the center to operate in the post.

Another element to the triangle is the lacking of ball handling by the point guard. Which is also an obsolete feature in today’s modern NBA, players have to have the ball in their hands more than they used to. Knicks point guard Derrick Rose uses screens to penetrate the lane with the ball and get to the rim. If a shot is not there, he simply sucks in the defense, dumping the ball to a wide open Joakim Noah for the lay-up.

Next: Porzingis As A Center Is Key For Knicks Success

Personally, I believe the triangle offense can still work in this league. What’s problematic is there aren’t enough players who are willing to run it without the ball in their hands. As a result, the triangle can’t run due to lack of ball movement. In order for this offense to make a comeback, players will need to sacrifice their personal stats for a game-winning formula. This formula dominated the NBA throughout the 1990’s and the 2000’s.