Triangle Offense

MisterHibachi · Post #1 » by **MisterHibachi** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 2:31 am

Just a thought, I'm not the first to think this I know, but why doesn't Miami, or any other team really, run the triangle? It's proven more than any other offense, 11 rings. And it can work for anyone, not just superstars (Bulls relied on it when MJ retired and won 55 games). I don't know too much about the system itself or anything, but maybe someone could educate me on why the triangle is not in use in Miami, or around the league. It can't be so tough that our team can't pick it up, we have very high BBIQ on this Heat team. So what's the reason? Is it not suited to our personnel?

Post #2 » by **mopper8** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 2:38 am

We actually use triangle sets now and again. Used it more when we still had Shaq. Both Wade and Lebron are pretty great fits for the triangle, but that doesn't mean the triangle is a great fit for them, if that makes sense. They're two of the most talented pick-n-roll ball handlers around, and pick-n-roll is just as proven as the triangle. With the new zone rules, it's arguably more effective.

Post #3 » by **BFRESH44** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 3:13 am

We have used a mixture of double high post offense, triangle offense, and a series of pick and rolls over the course of Spo's head coaching tenure.

Langdon Alger · Post #4 » by **Langdon Alger** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 5:39 am

Correct me if I'm wrong, but success with the the triangle relies on having good big-man passers. Cartwright, Kukoc with the Bulls. Gasol with the Lakers. I just don't trust our bigs enough. Plus, this past year our motion offense worked great to get shooters open looks. We shot the highest eFG% in NBA history last year. So something's working.

FlashFlare · Post #5 » by **FlashFlare** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 5:47 am

2 rings back to back and shooting for a third. We're fine the way we are offensively.

weouthere · Post #6 » by **weouthere** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:16 pm

All we need is a big who can defend and get rebounds. No bird cant do it, i dont know if Oden will be healthy enough. But dont be fooled by anything else, this is our biggest issue

our other major issue is how we defend, we still give up a bunch of 3s and our interior defense isn't good, we still overplay the ball handler. Our defense only works when everyone is dialed in, desperate and we are down in a series - or the opposition just plain sucks. We might not see the issues with our defense now, but i def see it and it'll rare its head pretty soon...just watch.

offense is fine, except for spacing which wade can't give us, so at times its all looks jumbled

DEEP3CL · Post #7 » by **DEEP3CL** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:54 am

MisterHibachi wrote:Just a thought, I'm not the first to think this I know, but why doesn't Miami, or any other team really, run the triangle? It's proven more than any other offense, 11 rings.

Actually it's more than 11 rings. The triangle offense was first used in the NBA in the early 1960's. Tex Winter is known as the creator of the Triangle but he as a player first played in the offense while in college at USC under coach Sam Barry. Tex did more to innovate the offense as time went on.

MisterHibachi wrote:And it can work for anyone, not just superstars (Bulls relied on it when MJ retired and won 55 games).

Well that's not entirely true. The offense is complicated, it's known to have a 2 year learning curve. And it's not really made for every player, there's a lot of intricacies to the Triangle that takes away from the typical role player that doesn't possess much skill. Now guys like Ray Allen, Wade, Bosh and Lebron would look astonishing in the offense because of their skill and IQ for the game.

MisterHibachi wrote:I don't know too much about the system itself or anything, but maybe someone could educate me on why the triangle is not in use in Miami, or around the league.

Well every team uses some form of the Triangle just not in it's truest form. Tex Winter will tell you the offense was tailor made for centers to be the QB's of the system. Winter even admitted when he came to LA with Phil, that the offense was going to be used in it truest form because of Shaq. And Shaq was a far better post passer than any of the 3 headed center system the Bulls used during their titles runs.

MisterHibachi wrote: It can't be so tough that our team can't pick it up, we have very high BBIQ on this Heat team. So what's the reason? Is it not suited to our personnel?

Like I mentioned a few post above, the four players I mentioned would flourish in it. But for example a guy like Norris Cole or even Mario Chalmers would struggle some with it, because those guys games are predicated on speed and playing fast. The Triangle is a more deliberate offense meant to control tempo more than anything. So for them it would neutralize what they do best. Plus the ball would be in Lebron's hands more because he'd be better suited to run the offense from the out set.

But overall the Triangle has a long long life more than just guys seeing it with the Bulls and Lakers.

Let me give you a little Triangle family tree so to speak, as I said above in the opening Sam Barry who coached USC in the late 1940 is the man who first use the offense. His USC team consist of two players Tex Winter and Alex Hannum who both coach in the NBA, they introduced the offense to the NBA. Coach Alex Hannum first use it with Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1966-67 when they won the NBA championship.

The next team to use the Triangle was the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks, who were coached by Larry Costello. Costello played for Coach Hannum and was on the 66-67 championship 76er team.

Another coach to use parts of it and won a championship was Al Attles who too was on that 66-67 76er team. Attles coach the 74-75 Golden State Warriors who won the title that season.

So the offense kept getting handed down to whatever player who became a coach, they used it because it advocated sharing the ball ( the reason why Jordan once called it " a white mans offense" ), and it could win
championships.

EscapoTHB · Post #8 » by **EscapoTHB** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:16 am

Langdon Alger wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but success with the the triangle relies on having good big-man passers. Cartwright, Kukoc with the Bulls. Gasol with the Lakers. I just don't trust our bigs enough. Plus, this past year our motion offense worked great to get shooters open looks. We shot the highest eFG% in NBA history last year. So something's working.

Jordan was basically the center for the Bulls in the triangle. It doesn't really have anything to do with a center or not. You just need someone who can play out of the post, and is a good passer, decision maker with the ball. Which the Heat have in both Wade and Lebron. Which is why we have triangle sets in our offense.