The Chicago Bulls dynasties of the 1990’s and the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2000’s are arguably two of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. When you think about these two historical NBA teams, the names Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal probably come to mind, but there is another name that connects the two of them, Phil Jackson. Phil Jackson, along with his offense, helped the two franchises win a combined 11 NBA championships between 1990 and 2011.1 The name of offense that proved to be a key to their success is known as, the triangle offense.
The triangle offense originated at the University of Southern California under Sam Berry many years ago but evolved to its more familiar state under Tex Winters at Kansas State, who played under Berry while at USC. Winters later went on to coach on Jackson’s staff while with the Chicago Bulls.2
The offense is complex and detailed;it requires the players to read and react according to the defense. The offense allows for many different ways of initiation which makes it difficult for the defense to defend. Spacing is a key aspect of the triangle offense because it demands players to be between 15 and 18 feet apart. The offense involves two main structures throughout the half court, a “sideline triangle” and a “two-man game.” The sideline triangle is made up of two perimeter players, one in the corner and another on the wing, and a post player located on the block. The spacing of the players creates problems for the defense, limiting its ability to trap and putting pressure on the weakside. The two-man game is made up of a guard at the top and and another player, preferably another post, located at the weakside elbow extended area. Players make cuts and passes based on how the defense is positioned but will look to fill the five spots as mentioned above. The complexity of the offense is a part of its strength; it has a counter for nearly everything an opposing defense can do, with each cut and pass looking to establish the ball on the wing along with the sideline triangle.
Allowing for success of both the dominant post player such as Shaquille O’Neal and the skilled guards such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, the triangle offense has seen a rise in popularity over the years. Although there are different variations to the offense that programs around the country have adopted, most of the concepts remain the same. The formation of the sideline triangle along with the weakside spacing of the two-man game stretches the defense out and creates problems covering the weakside. The read and react aspect of it also allows for counters to anything the defense might present as a challenge to it. These are some of the strengths that have kept the offense around for many year and will keep it around for many years to come.
References
Retrieved on January 31, 2016
Retrieved on January 31, 2016
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