The Triangle Offense

I am Coaching a "Pro" team in France and have heard alot about the Triangle offense can you give me some basic set ups/options concerning this offense?
Thanks,
Mike Gonsalves

Coach Gonsalves,

The Triangle Offense has been around since the late 50's fathered by the now famous "Tex" Winter, assistant Coach of 6 time NBA Champions the Chicago Bulls and 3 time NBA Championships Los Angeles Lakers of the past 20 years. The offense has gathered much more support and publicity with the championships and because of the high visibility of the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen era in Chicago. It is in a sense a "passing game" offense but is based on the premise of maintaining proper court spacing and symmetry on the court between all players and making sure all players are versed on what their options are at all times on the court on each cut, pass or screen.

To be honest it is not a simple offense to learn or teach. I also believe that it can and is a very effective offense for teams with two or three exceptional scorer-playmakers, but that it requires a lot of thinking. If you have a team with some players that don't truly understand simpler aspects of offense this might not be the offense for you.

With that said, here are some basics...

The first rules are that each player must understand the important of proper floor spacing. For professional players that is about 20'. On each cut, pass or screen, the players must re-establish these triangles to lead to the next read-and react sequences.

Second, the whole court must be used during the continuous series of options maintaining triangles which when used will further break down the defense.

Last, while this is not a continuity offense in the sense of Bob Knight's passing game, or the Flex or Shuffle, it is none-the-less a continuity motion offense. Each player must be ready to move and keep moving based on the previous action. The Triangle offense also discards the notion that guards play only the perimeter and big men only inside. Spots are filled on the court (forming triangles) and the offense is keyed by there the ball is on the court and what the defense is doing.

In this brief amount of time it would be very difficult to explain all the options, but to give you a taste of it one of the most common and recognizable options is the following: Starting with two guards up top, two posts, and one wing (the 3 man) right side, the point guard passes right side wing to the 3 and cuts through to the ball side corner (forming a triangle with 3 and 5). 2 can take 1's place on that cut as an option. 3 can pass to the post (5) and a) cut through the post for a give and go (what they call the backdoor cut), b) go the the corner replacing 1 (who then cuts backdoor baseline on the post pass), c) can screen for 1 to create a scissors action, off the post, or d) can screen across the top for 2 in a high scissors action off the elbow. If now shots are avaible off of any of these cuts or post passes. 5 can reverse the ball out top to 2 (Michael Jordan remember). Deny the pass to 2 sends 2 on a backdoor cut to the basket. If 2 recieves the ball he can play dribble weave with 3 (remember Scottie Pippen), he can play pick and roll with 4 (remember Dennis Rodman flashing up to the weakside high post), play give and go with 4, play options like the "speed cut" where 2 passes back to 3, 4 flashes ball side (right) high post to receive the pass from 3, and 2 flashes or pins in the paint weakside.

There are so many options that it will take you time to teach. You also must have players that understand spacing and movement options with and without the ball. It is not an offense for youth teams. I realize this is only a little bit of the action, but it might give you a taste of how it works. After each pass or cut, they triangle up and look for the next options.

Well, keep your spacing, be ready to move, and read and react to the pass and defense, that's the Triangle Offense in 500 words or less.

Thanks for Asking the Coach