Here is a nice write up on it...

Hornets First Opponent to See New Offense
By Conrad Brunner


Indianapolis, Oct. 8 - The offensive system Isiah Thomas developed when he first became a head coach two years ago will be implemented when the Pacers open the preseason Wednesday against New Orleans (7 p.m., Conseco Fieldhouse).
Called "Quick," it is a combination of the triangle, passing game and UCLA shuffle-cut schemes. Every NBA team runs some variation of those systems separately, but none run them in a combination like this.

"I've been working on it for a while," Thomas said. "When I first took the job, this is the way I envisioned playing but in order to play this way your players need to be complete. You don't necessarily have to depend on the so-called classic point guard. You're not playing with role-players, you're playing with complete players. When we had role-players, it was a tough way to try to play. You couldn't play this way, so you had to play the way the rest of the league plays.

"If you're talking about winning, and you're really talking about trying to win a championship, you can't beat the Lakers at what they do. Everybody in this league runs a version of what the Lakers do and then they try to go beat them with it. It ain't gonna happen. If you're talking about being champions and really winning it - and to me, winning is putting a ring on your finger - you've got to come up with something to beat the other team."

The central point of the offense is to remove traditional positional roles from the players and to encourage them to use all of their skills. Rather than putting the ball in the point guard's hands and running set plays, the offense begins as soon as possession is obtained and extends the length of the court. There is no traditional point guard; rather there are several players designated as "push men," any of whom can bring the ball upcourt. On one side of the floor, triangle principles are used in conjunction with high-post shuffle cuts, commonly referred to as "UCLA." On the other side, the players run passing game concepts.

It is a marked and intentional departure from the two- and three-man isolation and pick-and-roll games so prevalent in the league. Thomas wants to involve all five players, keeping constant motion and flow and moving the ball from side to side in order to probe the defense. Though the technical aspects are different, it is philosophically similar to the well-woven scheme Argentina used successfully to upset the U.S. in the World Basketball Championship - the first loss for the United States in international competition with NBA players on the roster.

It is common to refer to team defense, meaning the symbiosis of a five-man defensive unit that plays together well, masking weaknesses and enhancing strengths through collective play. This is very much a team offense.

"You want players to read and react," Thomas said. "You're asking them to think and be aware of who has the basketball. If Jermaine (O'Neal) is standing in one spot with the basketball it means something but, if Reggie (Miller) is standing there with the basketball, it means something totally different. You're asking them to read basketball situations and understand them."


Thomas

Thomas was hesitant to use the system prior to this season because his players weren't fully developed either in mind or body. Now, with more experience, maturity and cohesiveness on the roster, he believes the time is right to put his plan into action.

"It's the way I always envisioned," he said. "We've talked about building our players to completion and when you build your players to completion you can move them all over the floor. What I tried to do was take a Bob Knight philosophy, Tex Winter's philosophy and John Wooden and put them all into one and make an offense surrounding this team. Guys have caught onto it pretty quickly. They're getting good looks and good shots out of it, and we're able to move our players all around the floor."

It begins as soon as the defense ends.

"You initiate it on the inbounds pass," he said. "It's a fullcourt offense, not a halfcourt offense. That's been a transition, getting the guys to understand that it's not something you run in the halfcourt. Once the ball goes through the net and you get it, you're on offense. For the most part, players don't start thinking they're on offense until they get across halfcourt. I know it sounds simple, but players haven't been programmed that way."

Thomas will use the new offense against New Orleans, although all of the wrinkles will not be in place. He expects some difficulties early as the players adapt but is convinced, ultimately, it will become a far more efficient and productive system.

"You can move the basketball and have better movement and better passing," he said. "I suspect early there will be some shot-clock violations simply because you're moving the ball from side-to-side so much and you're not necessarily standing there pounding the ball watching the clock making sure you get a shot off.

"Until the players get used to playing at this pace and with this type of quickness you may have a couple of violations - not necessarily because you're not moving the ball but because they are moving, they are moving the ball and they lose track of the clock."

Point guard Jamaal Tinsley has given a thumbs-up to the system because of its flexibility.


Tinsley

"All positions can push the ball and get the ball up to the point guard," he said. "Instead of me coming back to get the ball, I can get it at midcourt and it's an advantage for us. We want to build the rest of our offense from this. We've got big guys who can run the floor and we can get them easier shots than last year.

"It's working real good. We've just got to get used to it."

Reggie Miller has seen variations of just about every offensive theme in his 15-year career, and knows there is one constant in any such implementation: the time it takes to make it work.

"It's a new offense," he said, "and when you put in a new system it's going to take a while."

where the part where he says

"I foolishly built this team by getting a dozen scorers and just wanted to see what the hell happens. Gotta find them shots somehow!"

"You want players to read and react," Thomas said. "You're asking them to think and be aware of who has the basketball...You're asking them to read basketball situations and understand them."

not for nothing but words like "thinker" & "floor reading" describes which Knicks?

Off top I'd say 5 (since Jackies gone); 4 of them prolly won't spend much time on the floor togther; 2 may see no time at all - Jalen Malik Lee Collins and Balkman.

Funny thing when they are on the court: if they makes the read and the other 4 don't then they end up looking like the A-hole (which happens to so many who play with Steph)

Posted by rvhoss:

I beg to differ, I believe that Jalen, Lee, Collins and balkman will see time this year.

with but only so many minutes how?

break it down once again. 96 backcourt 48 at small forward 96 frontcourt. are spot minutes here and there going to be enough for a Mardy or a Balkman to really leave a stamp on the game.

our defensive squad

are we changing lines like in hockey?

Artest is no genius and he was able to grasp it.

Artest played much better offensively under Carlisle.

also Zeke mentioned Jermaine in the article. After 3 years in the Triangle/UCLA/Bobby Knight offense, he's still not much of a passer.

[Edited by - McK1 on 07-14-2006 09:19 AM]

You know what I am afraid of? Blubbury taking this as a shot at his PG skills by Popcorn man thinking Zeke is saying he is not a PG.

I'd like to trade jrose and moT for al harrington and then the lineup is nicely rounded out. I'd prefer a two man rotation at the 3 a three man rotation down low and at the guard positions.

Balkman gives us a stopper from the 2 to the 4 so he is an important piece to the puzzle and if jrose and qrich are putting in the work to get the minutes I've outlined, then I'm comfortable with balkman seeing on 10 minutes of spot duty. Same goes with Nate aned the other nameless faceless big.

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-14-2006 10:27 AM]

I agree nixluva, it's one thing to get updates on the summer league games and read the stats in the papers and catch wind of out of context statements made by players.

But watching the games, seeing aquire coach, listening to isiah talk about the roster, it's crystal clear to me that there is a plan and it's unfolding before our eyes.

It's not about wins in summer league, it's about how we won, they have been playing offense...in one sequence aguire was calling names, saying do this do that do this do that and voila, they scored, then again on the defensive end, voila turn over.

Then he stopped talking and the quality play continued, and this was with nate, balkman and lee on the bench.

it's a system designed for the players acquired, not the other way around.

It's what we have all been screaming for.

use the players we have.

no, what he is saying that depending on the situation there may be a game when the reserves that he uses are different...the starting rotation is set, this isn't LB.

Starters are starters, role/bench players play a role...they come into the game when the situation dictates that they should come in.

Standard coaching.

To start the other team has to deal with our offense, which will have starters and will be set pretty much in stone.

what's with you today fish, you just in the mood to keep turning everybody's posts inside out with that nanna nanna naaan nah. pig nose attitude.

like the girl in kindergarten that told on everyone?

Posted by McK1:

Posted by rvhoss:



Starters are starters, role/bench players play a role...they come into the game when the situation dictates that they should come in.

Standard coaching.

u play tonight but u might not play for 4 more nights depending on match-ups sounds nothing like a set rotation.

according to you guys all NBA players need defined roles and a set rotation, preferably 8 or 9. if a coach can't do that he must be a senile sabateur

[Edited by - McK1 on 07-14-2006 11:35 AM]

MK, stop being a girl in kindergarden.

Its funny how last year was an aberhation and nothing but Larry's folly, but when the kool-aiders are asked simple questions about how Isiah is going to manage this roster they he will have to do the type of things Larry did last year.

Larry sucked last year, but as currently constructed this roster still sucks and is filled with NBA losers and unproven players who willl remain so until otherwise proven.

Why are we arguing about a not so established and as of yet very hypothetical situation?

Posted by McK1:

Posted by rvhoss:



Starters are starters, role/bench players play a role...they come into the game when the situation dictates that they should come in.

Standard coaching.

u play tonight but u might not play for 4 more nights depending on match-ups sounds nothing like a set rotation.

according to you guys all NBA players need defined roles and a set rotation, preferably 8 or 9. if a coach can't do that he must be a senile sabateur

[Edited by - McK1 on 07-14-2006 11:35 AM]