Post #3, July 21, 2008

PUT A LITTLE TRIANGLE IN YOUR MOTION

Since Phil Jackson began coaching the Chicago Bulls, much has been said about “Triangle Offense.” But what is it and will it work for high school and college basketball?

Tex Winter is said to be the originator of Triangle Offense. Actually, Tex doesn’t refer to the offense as “Triangle.” He called it “Triple-Post Offense.” The signature of triangle offense is that the offense runs through the post—low, high, or mid—and any player can post up. Once the ball is in the post, some of the components of the system are: Strong-side cutting off the post; weak-side action designed to create an immediate score under the basket as well as an outside jump shot; and attacking the weak-side elbow when the ball is reversed, keeping the pressure on.

Many of you use some form of Motion Offense. The strength of Motion is, through the freedom of individual initiative, it can create lay-ups and open jump shots. However, some weaknesses are: When a player receives the ball on the perimeter, he may not be able to make the shot from there; Offensive rebounders are not always in position; and, When the shot is taken, there is often a lack of defensive balance. The weaknesses of Motion Offense are the strengths of Triangle Offense.

Additional strengths of Triangle are: Timing, Offensive pressure (see previous lesson), and Passing Options. Concerning the latter, when the ball enters the post, cuts are made and players, both on strong side and weak side, align to form triangles. The main strengths of triangles are: There are pre-practiced, multiple, sequential, passing options, and Good spacing. 

I want you to consider combining the strengths of Motion and Triangle. Here’s how.

NUMBER ONE: RUN EVERY PLAY THROUGH THE POST—One principle that has been part of championship offense since basketball’s inception, and always will be, is, initiating offense with the ball at the low, mid, or high post. Coach Wooden was a believer in this concept. The main reason is, when the ball is in the post, you have already penetrated the defense. And, with a post player that can pass the ball, combined with good vertical and horizontal cutting action, the defense must concentrate on protecting the basket, opening up the outside. By the way, you don’t need a seven-footer in the post. Any player can occupy it at almost any time, especially if your team swings the ball.

NUMBER TWO: ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE OFFENSE—Many coaches think Triangle Offense is too structured. Nothing could be further from the truth. Within the structure, there is lots of room for individual initiative, especially on the weak side. As weak-side screening occurs, players make cuts to whatever spots are open. One may cut under the basket, looking for the pass from the post. Another may pop out for the jump shot. But players always make cuts to spots they can score from. When you give each player a strict job description, he’ll know what he should and should not do.

I apologize for not being able to provide you with diagrams on this posting. Use your mind’s eye as I explain a typical Triangle Offense play. When the ball goes into the post: Strong side players split or a shooter cuts through to the weak side, off the double screen; a double down screen on the weak side, where one player makes a horizontal basket cut and another pops out for the outside shot. If the ball is passed out to the guard, a weak-side player comes to the weak-side elbow, receives the ball, followed by one player making a basket cut and another double down screen on the new weak side.

Triangle Offense is not limited to what you see the Lakers run. All of you have heard the term, “UCLA Cut,” and many of you use it. That is the first vertical cut of Coach Wooden’s “High-Post Offense” or “High-Low Offense.” But, many don’t know, if the ball is not passed to the high-post screener, but rather back out to the other guard, that guard passes to the weak-side forward at the weak-side elbow and the new weak side performs a double down screen for the first cutting guard. That’s Triangle Offense. As we speak, there are many coaches, across America, using Coach Wooden’s offenses to provide multiple scoring opportunities for their main scorers and to keep the pressure on the defense (see Postings #1 and #2). Come on! Put a little Triangle in your Motion Offense. What you’ll get is structure with individual initiative.

For Question and Answers, please a-mail me at snater@comcast.net. I answer you within a day. If need be, we’ll talk by phone. I’m here to help.