National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: Five Reasons The Triangle Offense Still Works

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:01 p.m. ET

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The New York Knicks will continue to utilize elements of the triangle offense in 2016-17. Here are five reasons why Phil Jackson is right to continue pushing the system.

Jan 28, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks president Phil Jackson watches a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For better or worse, Phil Jackson is the team president of the New York Knicks. Many have maintained the stance that his status is detrimental to team success, but there are multiple facts that point in the opposite direction.

Rather than beating the dead horse that is the way he’s helping the Knicks build for the future, it’s time to address the misconceptions about the triangle offense.

Hiring Jeff Hornacek as head coach effectively pushed the Knicks away from the traditional use of the triangle offense. Hornacek runs a multifaceted system that doesn’t rely on any one form of offense as the exclusive manner of execution.

Hornacek will, however, utilize elements of the triangle offense in New York—just as he did as head coach of the Phoenix Suns.

Thus, while many Knicks fans have soured on the system, there are merits to its presence in New York. It’s not weak or incomprehensible; it simply needed a few modern tweaks to return to its former form of prominence and dominance.

Here are five reasons to believe that the triangle offense can still work for the New York Knicks.

May 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gives direction to his team against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

5. It’s Alive And Well

If you believe the folk tales, then the triangle offense is an outdated system that has no place in the NBA. If you believe the film, then the triangle offense is a useful system that’s being incorporated in systems around the Association.

As Coach Nick of Basketball Breakdown so beautifully proved, the triangle offense is alive and well in the modern NBA.

The Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers can all be seen running triangle offense plays and schematics.

That’s a high number of teams, including the past three NBA champions and 11 squads that made the 2016 NBA Playoffs, running a supposedly defunct and outdated system.

The triangle offense may not be something to live and die by, but suggesting it should be eradicated is ignorant to the facts. The system is all about creating space and providing the offense with multiple options and alternatives.

If the 11 2016 postseason teams that have implemented plays and aspects of the triangle offense have proven anything, it’s that it’s alive and well.

Jan 11, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) reacts to a foul call against the Washington Wizards during the second half at the United Center. The Wizards defeat the Bulls 114-100. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

4. Maintaining Morale

The triangle offense relies upon having players who can create their own offense—you know, like every other system ever created. The foundation for the system, however, is ball movement and off-ball motion that enables all five players to be involved on offense.

Though this doesn’t show up in advanced metrics, it’s the reality of the human mind: many players want offensive recognition for their defensive efforts.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that defensive players need to be given 10 shots per game on the other end. It’s not about giving a defensive-minded players a shot attempt or a chance to facilitate.

The triangle offense is all about getting those players involved in the offense to maintain a high level of energy and involvement, avoid sluggishness, and keep morale high.

Said players may not score, but in the triangle offense, every player on the floor has a role to fill. Whether they’re setting a screen, making an entry pass, moving as a decoy, or finishing the play, all five players are required to do something when the system is in motion.

Any offense can merely give their best players the ball and say, “Go,” but the best teams find ways to get all five guys involved on both ends of the floor.

Nov 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots over New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 90-84. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

3. Three Points Of The Triangle

The triangle offense isn’t exactly what everyone has made it out to be. The plays themselves have proven to be effective, but Tex Winter and The Zen Master turned the triangle into something more than a means of offensive execution.

During a recent interview with Marc Berman of The New York Post, three-time NBA champion and Phil Jackson disciple B.J. Armstrong explained what the triangle is really about.

Those are the three points of the triangle: defending, rebounding, and passing the ball.

The system itself has been proven as effective on the offensive end of the floor. The reality is, Jackson’s triangle is about much more than merely running a motion offense and creating space; it’s about doing things the right way.

Teams that defend, control the boards, and are willing to trust their teammates are those that execute at the highest possible level.

If a team plays elite defense and rebounds well, then they’ll control the pace of a game. If a team is willing to move without the ball, selflessly pass, and find the open man, then offensive execution will come easy.

The triangle consists of specific plays and schemes, but the main principle is to contribute in three critical areas: defense, rebounding, and passing.

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

2. 11 Rings

Phil Jackson won 11 NBA championships—all of which were secured while running the triangle offense. He’s won more titles than any other coach in NBA history—and 11 is 11, no matter how much talent he had.

Thus, while it may be easy for New York Knicks fans to dismiss the system after two years, it’s important to contextualize what’s transpired.

Jackson tanked the 2014-15 season—a process that began before he even arrived. Everyone seems to remember the 54-win 2012-13 campaign, but they tend to overlook the fact that the Knicks missed the playoffs in 2013-14 with that same core.

Injuries played a factor, yes, but Jackson gave many of those players an opportunity to prove themselves—an opportunity they failed to cash in on.

His tenure hasn’t been perfect, but Jackson has delivered Kristaps Porzingis to an organization that hadn’t drafted a franchise player since 1985. Thus, it’s fair to believe that the man who won 11 championships as a coach and two as a player deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The triangle offense needs to adapt to modern times, but that’s why Jackson hired Jeff Hornacek as head coach.

Nov 10, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) go for the ball during the third quarter at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons 102-91. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

1. Defining The Knicks’ Problems

The most common misconception about the New York Knicks is that victories weren’t coming because of the triangle offense. One could technically make that case, but the why is far more difficult to define than merely pointing fingers.

The Knicks didn’t struggle because of the triangle offense; the Knicks struggled because they were running the system too slowly.

The key to any motion offense, whether the triangle or otherwise, is to get into your sets at an expedited pace. A system loses all effectiveness if the offense moves too slowly to actually create space or openings.

With all due respect to the guards who ran the show over the past two seasons, they simply weren’t athletic or dynamic enough to run the offense in the proper manner.

In 2016-17, the Knicks will have the likes of Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, and Derrick Rose at the guard spots. Rose is still one of the quickest guards in the NBA, Jennings deserves the same recognition, and Lee is an underrated athlete.

With those three players moving the Knicks quicker into their sets, fans will see what the triangle offense can truly do—for better or worse.

The triangle offense can help the New York Knicks become championship contenders again.

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