Kings to try triangle offense.

[tisbee]

A while back I ran across a site where Tex Winter explained the basics of the Triangle and ran thru numerous plays.(Can't remember what it was and quick searches haven't found it since.)
Anyhow,here's some of what struck me as important.
The 3 things Tex emphasized were
Spacing-at least 15-18 ft for pros
Motion-constant player and ball movement
Offensive rebounding-everybody should be craching the glass when a shot goes up.

The Triange refers to having 3 players on one side of the court(strong side,hence Theus' "strong" offense). The PG should set up at 3pt line above the key where he can provide 3pt shot,reversal of ball and get back on D and break up fast breaks(which is why Jackson prefered converting SG to PGs-they were better at defending break). The weak-side big is usually setting up a few ft away from elbow(FT line extended) where he will have room to move by his man for rebounding,setting backside screens and possib being left for 15'+ jumpers.
On the strong side(Triangle)the C/PF can set up in either low or hi post,and move between them. The SG and SF are interchangeable. One sets up on the wing as the Initiator,the other in the corner. The Initiator has to be able to drive and pass. From the wing he can use the strong big for a screen,and if the corner man's defender drops off to help opens up an open 3,if the big's man helps that leaves an open 15'. If the PG's man drops to cover big,the PG can slide over and be open. That's one simple set of options. The key to the Triangle is it is an offense that is designed to let players play to their strengths. If a player can drive there's open space to make his move and an uncongested lane. If he's a catch-n-shoot type there are numerous screens he can use.(The corner for example can cut baseline,get a screen from strong big,go thru and pop up off screen from weak big or fade to opposite corner. Set shooters can find spots where they will be open. Guys w/limited offensive skills can contribute by setting screens and crashing the boards. For a team w/out a star but that has good,smart players it is ideal.
Increasing numbers of High Schools across the country run it. Control freaks(ie College Coaches) can't accept that the Triangle is run by the players,not coaches calling the plays. It does take time for players to learn how to get on the same page as far as all the options go.
Personally,I think the Kings have better 3pt shooting than the Lakers so they would be better able to shoot the opposition out of a zone.

[SacKingZZZ]

I was watching some games from late in the season last year and all I can say is that Spencer Hawes could be one of the best passing big men ever if he works on it. The vision is already there. Under Brad's tutelage the sky is the limit for Spencer and his passing ability.

[AyyJude]

I was watching some games from late in the season last year and all I can say is that Spencer Hawes could be one of the best passing big men ever if he works on it. The vision is already there. Under Brad's tutelage the sky is the limit for Spencer and his passing ability.

I've been following his career since High School and I have to agree. Spencer has a high BB IQ and he will be a great center in about another 3 yrs. He is only 20yrs old and we can't expect a lot out of him at this stage of his career. Spencer will develop into a better player then Miller or a Chris Kamen of the Clippers. I kind of think Spencer will be as good a Gasol of the Lakers in about 4yrs. Spencer has a very good inside game. He can use both his left and right hand around the basket and can attack from either the left or right side of the block. With Shareef as his coach he will only get better because Shareef also had a very good low post game and he should be able to teach what he knows to Spencer. Also, Spencer has a very nice outside shot for a center. Other BIGS will have to go outside the key to defend him which leaves the middle wide open for other like K-Mart, Salmons, Cisco and Beno to attack. Spencer will be able to draw other centers away from the lane because of his outside shot. Also, since he can pass the ball exceptionaly well for a BIG that makes him even more dangerous. Ofensively he will be good. However, defensively he's going to have to work realy hard to get better. It's no secret that that's he's biggest weakness... so he will need to learn how to block out better and be able to rebound.

[pillwenney]

I was watching some games from late in the season last year and all I can say is that Spencer Hawes could be one of the best passing big men ever if he works on it. The vision is already there. Under Brad's tutelage the sky is the limit for Spencer and his passing ability.

I agree that he has that kind of potential, but I guess I'm just really wary of using that word for really young players. It leads to high expectations that every fan has for their young players, and those expectations are rarely met.

[SacKingZZZ]

I can also see why Petrie was so high on re-signing Garcia, he was really beginning to flourish in the motion offense. He and Spencer worked really well together, in particular that Lakers game where Spencer had that monster jam.

[DEEP3CL]

I know this topic is a little over worked by now but this video may help those who aren't aware of how it really looks this may help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdKQXJySuZw

[OGSactownballer]

The beautiful thing that I see here is that besides a high BB IQ you also really need to have length and athleticism to effectively play the triangle because of the amount of movement that is reqired. I am just extremely happy that we are finally starting to get younger/quicker/longer once again so that we HAVE the option of playing a true princeton or a strong set triangle yet will not get totally toasted by the commitment to post by unchecked fast breaks the other way.