Triangle Offense

I have really taken an interest into the famed Triangle Offense (aka Triple-Post offense or Sideline Triangle offense). The coach who is most widely associated with it is the nine-time NBA champ Phil Jackson of the Lakers, and formerly with the Chicago Bulls. The coach who is labeled to be the most instrumental on getting it into the NBA is Tex Winter. Tex used it in the college ranks when he was the head coach at Kansas State. Jackson picked it up when they were both assisants on the Bulls and fell in love with the unselfishness of the offense. Phil also liked the offense because it lets the defense dictate what the offense will do. Due to the fact that Jackson is usually entitled the Zen Master, it fits perfectly into his coaching philosophy of oneness. I think that the triangle offense is perfectly suited for the NBA and college teams, but I wonder about using it in the high school level. I do like the fact that it really leaves the playmaking up to the players to decide, but at the high school level, can players remember what to do. I do think that the best part of the offense is the fact that it lets kids "play basketball" not "run to a spot, screen for this guy, go here, screen again, move here, watch the best player shoot, go attack to get the rebound, play defense, come back down on offense, and do the same thing again." I think it lets the players actually learn about and how to read the defense to get scoring opportunities. You can also use it versus a zone. It also is very unpredictable which makes it very difficult to scout.

Key Points of the Triangle.

Spacing - All players are be 15-18 feet from each other. This keeps the floor spread to allow for penetration, and makes it hard to double the post.

Formation of the triangle - Typically the triangle is formed by the point guard in the corner, the post man on the block, and a forward on the wing. The point of the triangle is to get it into the post and make the defense adjust and make them decide what they are going to do to combat the post man. Once the ball goes into the post, the options are open as to how the defense is going to play.

Line of Deployment - This is the term that Winter uses for the position of the center and the ballside forward. They should both be on an imaginary line at a 45 degree angle coming from the basket.

Formation of the two-man game - The two man game is formed on the weak side with a guard at the top of the key and the power forward somewhere along the lane lines opposite the ball, typically called the high post. Winter will call it the pinch post. There are a ton of options out of the two-man game.

We could go on and on put here are some links that are extremely good for understanding the triangle. I suggest looking at the diagrams first before looking at the YouTube videos. I think that will help in learning and you will pick up on what Jackson and Winter are talking about.

Fran Fraschilla -
Hoop Tactics
Jes-Soft.com

Youtube videos - these videos are amazing and very, very insightful.

Phil Jackson/Tex Winter explain Triangle Part 1
Phil Jackson/Tex Winter explain Triangle Part 2
Phil Jackson/Tex Winter explain Triangle Part 3
Phil Jackson/Tex Winter explain Triangle Part 4
Phil Jackson/Tex Winter explain Triangle Part 5

Henry Abbott's True Hoop Blog that talks about it.

Tex Winter wrote a book in the 1960 that has been reprinted and is great. I have it and have learned a ton. It's call The Triple-Post Offense (Sideline Triangle).

I would also really really like to have this set of DVDs on the triangle offense. Maybe I should ask for it from my wife for my birthday. The Encyclopedia of the Triangle Offense

That's all for now... Leave a comment for discussion. Later.