LAS VEGAS- Writers and team officials called for a running clock or the Mercy rule Monday afternoon at Las Vegas’ Cox Pavilion when the New York Knicks opened up a 73-33 lead over the Charlotte Hornets. The 95-72 final score pushed the Knicks to 3-0.
The team’s play has been an endorsement of the triangle offense Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher are implementing in New York. Players are sharing the ball and fluidly moving the ball to the open man, which is a refreshing departure from the slow, plodding, isolation-based offense mainly employed during the Mike Woodson era.
“What these guys are doing in terms of sharing the basketball with each other and playing as a team, those have been messages we’ve been talking about our entire time here in Las Vegas,” Fisher said. “Everything we do has to be as a team. I think it’s showing at both ends that these guys are really trusting each other.”
As Jackson walked into the elevator from the court after the game, all he said was that the team was having fun. Results are pretty meaningless in Las Vegas, but instilling proper habits and philosophies on both ends is what the team is trying to achieve.
So far, so good.

“I think everybody’s playing for each other and having fun doing it, and it shows on the scoreboard,” said forward Jeremy Tyler. “We’re winning. Everybody’s playing together.”
The players appeared genuinely enthusiastic to play the way they were playing and Tyler and his teammates embraced the team concept on offense.
“The triangle is designed for use to play as a team,” Tyler told SheridanHoops. “It was designed not for bad shots to be taken but for spacing and getting our guys to work with each other.”
That movement and motion is designed to take the onus off Carmelo Anthony, which is something Fisher specifically emphasized.
“What I’ve thought about is how much easier the game will be for him that we won’t just give him the ball and say ‘save the day,’” Fisher said. “We’ll utilize our four [other] men, we’ll utilize our offense, we’ll utilize he and the other guys around him to be successful on the offensive end, build trust, build chemistry, build a fun way to play for guys that our defense is better.”
Fisher said that Anthony wanted a balanced basketball team to be built, and the triangle offense is designed to encourage that ball movement that brings about balance and makes things easier for Anthony.
“They all want to play in that type of format and the type of system that the ball moves, the players move, everybody’s having a chance to play the game, everyone can be effective,” Fisher said. “You don’t just put him there and watch him go, which is easy to do with great players. We’ll have things going on around him wherever he catches the basketball that will allow him to make his play but also make a play for his teammates that will make the game easier for him and also raise the level of his teammates. And that way everyone is at a place of confidence and trust with each other.”
And when everyone is effective, it proves that players bought into a system, which is what Fisher and Jackson hope will happen to the Summer League Knicks and the 15 players who will open the regular season at the end of October.
“And when that happens, you see the culture change,” Fisher said. “You see the environment change. You see guys playing with the energy, the passion, the love.”Tyler talked about those things after the game as well.”It’s fun,” Tyler said. “I’m pretty sure it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to be a part of, too.”
Now all Fisher, Jackson and the rest of the Knicks’ brain trust can hope for is that this success with the triangle can translate a few months, and a few thousand miles, away from the here and now.

Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. You should follow him on Twitter.
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Read more at http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2014/07/14/knicks-embracing-triangle-offense-winning-in-las-vegas/#dJOchQ5E48gkvJec.99

The real test is guys like JR. IF they can get thru to him that will really be a huge change.

Knicks will run the system in the Dleague team and that team will practice in Knicks facility.

Too bad its not a bonafide minor league team. This is how we can incubate some players.

Nalod wrote:One has to wonder why Jordan, whom the triangle elevated the Bulls to greatness never adopted the system for his own team?

Knicks will run the system in the Dleague team and that team will practice in Knicks facility.

Too bad its not a bonafide minor league team. This is how we can incubate some players.

Clean wrote:The best example of the whole team buying in was the end of that close game against Portland. We drew up a play and got Tim a good shot that he missed. We got the rebound and then instantly every single player went to their spots to start the triangle back up without delay. Not one person looked around to figure out what to do next they all knew instantly. We lost 5 to 7 close games last season due to players not knowing what to do.

interesting. i wasn't looking at that, but really good to hear!

fishmike wrote:

Clean wrote:The best example of the whole team buying in was the end of that close game against Portland. We drew up a play and got Tim a good shot that he missed. We got the rebound and then instantly every single player went to their spots to start the triangle back up without delay. Not one person looked around to figure out what to do next they all knew instantly. We lost 5 to 7 close games last season due to players not knowing what to do.

are you talking total games or 5-7 games a month? god last year was abysmal.

If we can get the entire team to really buy into this system and team ball we can exceed expectations rather than underperform. This time it won't be a fluke like 2012-13 when we lucked into 54 wins. There wasn't a real plan for that success. This is a purposeful change of direction to a proven system and philosophy. Phil and Fish want a winning attitude and they'll keep pushing that culture here. Anyone that doesn't buy in will be gone.

EnySpree wrote:

Clean wrote:The best example of the whole team buying in was the end of that close game against Portland. We drew up a play and got Tim a good shot that he missed. We got the rebound and then instantly every single player went to their spots to start the triangle back up without delay. Not one person looked around to figure out what to do next they all knew instantly. We lost 5 to 7 close games last season due to players not knowing what to do.

I've been mind blown with how fast and fluid these kids picked it up.... These guys have no insensitive to buy in this well. Especially the guys you know that have no shot at making the team. It's great to see.

I'm just trying to imagine Melo in this offense. He's gonna score the easiest points of his career. Bargs should be awakened this year too. It's tailor made for these guys.

The backdoor play is aways available in the triangle. Galloway scored a few without even dribbling. I can see shump in that position. Is just amazing the possibilities of they buy in

Nalod wrote:One has to wonder why Jordan, whom the triangle elevated the Bulls to greatness never adopted the system for his own team?

Knicks will run the system in the Dleague team and that team will practice in Knicks facility.

Too bad its not a bonafide minor league team. This is how we can incubate some players.

this is a fair point on why almost no nba team has been able to execute it. imho, it's a system that requires at least one top 5 talent player in the league with a sidekick just as good. similar to the spurs - that system requires 12 unselfish smart high iq players.

those rosters are hard to assemble. phil wants a sidekick to melo.

djsunyc wrote:

Nalod wrote:One has to wonder why Jordan, whom the triangle elevated the Bulls to greatness never adopted the system for his own team?

Knicks will run the system in the Dleague team and that team will practice in Knicks facility.

Too bad its not a bonafide minor league team. This is how we can incubate some players.

this is a fair point on why almost no nba team has been able to execute it. imho, it's a system that requires at least one top 5 talent player in the league with a sidekick just as good. similar to the spurs - that system requires 12 unselfish smart high iq players.

those rosters are hard to assemble. phil wants a sidekick to melo.

Heck when Tex was in Chicago, he was not respected until Phil got the job and agreed to give Tex's offense a shot. Collins wanted no part of the Triangle. Phil was already a guy who believed in team concept and saw the beauty of the Triangle for that purpose. It's been around for a long time but few coaches want to fully commit to it when it's so much easier to run PnR and other sets. Also once you get your team committed to the Triangle as a coach you aren't calling plays. This is why Phil would sit there for the most part and just let his team play. The players know what to do and the variations are based on what the defense does. It's a read and react offense and as such you don't have to slow down to get constant direction.

mreinman wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:

Clean wrote:The best example of the whole team buying in was the end of that close game against Portland. We drew up a play and got Tim a good shot that he missed. We got the rebound and then instantly every single player went to their spots to start the triangle back up without delay. Not one person looked around to figure out what to do next they all knew instantly. We lost 5 to 7 close games last season due to players not knowing what to do.

5 to 7 games, are you kidding me, more like 15 to 20, we lost 3 against the wizards alone in similar fashion, what about the Bucks game (bargiani), the rockets game (JR) those are 5 off the top of my head.

I think we also won all our games with our players not having an effin clue what to do.

And were still sniffing the playoffs right to the end.

No mention of how the Triangle is affecting the defensive end. Other than some off hand Fisherism about "both ends".
The small cadre of Melohaters have to hate lines like this:

Fisher said that Anthony wanted a balanced basketball team to be built, and the triangle offense is designed to encourage that ball movement that brings about balance and makes things easier for Anthony.

Phil's an idiot, and Fish is a systematic liar and a moron!

WaltLongmire wrote:

nixluva wrote:Man this is really encouraging. Gotta hope the vets will follow suit and be just as unselfish. I'm a big believer in system BB for the sake of team BB and to finally have this team with everyone on the same page from top to bottom is simply great to see. Phil sets the tone for the entire franchise and he has his protege in Fisher to translate that to the players. I bet Rambis is getting that feeling in his spine just watching the kids play like a team. Nothing better than to have players actually applying what you teach them.

The real test is guys like JR (and Anthony). IF they can get thru to himthem that will really be a huge change.

Does Anthony put his entire effort into playing like we've seen our SL players play the Triangle?

Karl had some issues with how Anthony played, and we know how Anthony played for MDA. Both these guys played non-ISO offensive schemes.

Is it hard to come up with an answer as to why he got along well with Woodson, who basically allowed Melo to do what he wanted? You can say that Anthony did not feel comfortable giving the ball up to teammates at crucial moments because he did not trust them, but when you have an offense that freezes out players, causes them to stand and watch, and doesn't reward them if they are open, how do you expect them to be prepared to take the big shot.

It will be fascinating to see how Fisher and Phil sell the Triangle to Melo in training camp, and how Anthony reacts when he finds that he has to move around a lot without the ball.

Should be an interesting camp.

I'll just say this. When MDA left the Knicks STILL used MDA's plays. The only difference was a few more ISO plays for Melo. The offense was the same. The offense we used to win 54 games was basically MDA's half court offense. Spread the floor, PnR and some Melo ISO. The problem was that Woody kept moving more and more towards ISO and in the playoffs we set records for the highest % of ISO plays. That was on Woody as the Coach. You can't allow your team to devolve into such a predictable style of play.

Now we have a system that is very regimented in terms of the ball and player movement. You won't see the same amount of ISO as long as Melo follows the plays. It will be obvious to everyone on the team if Melo breaks the plays. The players will all know if he's not buying into the offense.

Here's the thing. Why would Melo not buy in? He has no reason not to give it a try. It's basically what he has done with the Olympic teams. Everyone LOVES Olympic Melo and I think that's who we're gonna see this year with the Knicks.