I want to mention something that may not make much sense to (or be welcome by) non-Triangle people.

Triangle Culture has different sides to it.

There's the Xs and Os of the Triangle . . . and there's the psychology/spirituality of the Triangle.

It's certainly not easy to see what is happening on the Xs and Os side, because we don't usually know what Jackson/Fisher are trying to achieve at any point. They're definitely NOT just trying to win games.

But on the psychology/spirituality side . . . it's virtually impossible to see what is happening from the outside

Take this nice win against Detroit.

Everyone seemed to be in the flow: alert, responsive, sensitive. "In the Zone" . . . if you like.

But when people talk about being "in the Zone" . . . they just sort of take it for granted as something that comes and goes.
Some players and teams seem to have it . . . more or less of the time . . . and others don't.

No one seems to wonder where it comes from and how you could have it more consistently.

Except in Triangle Culture.

Jackson and Fisher are trying to cultivate that Zone -- both at the individual level and at the team level.

The two are inter-connected . . . and in turn inter-connnected with the Xs and Os.

It's what I'm most interested in watching unfold on the Knicks . . .

TIME. That and constant repetition and teaching of the Fundamentals of Triangle footwork, spacing, timing and change of speed etc. It's more than just getting in a shape of a Triangle that makes it all work. Most people aren't really digging into the deeper aspects of the system and are not aware of how important all the little things are.

As for the mental aspects of the Phil Jackson Culture and way of doing things it's also something that takes time to nurture. The impatient nature of the New York fan base is at odds with the gradual development that is needed to truly inculcate a full change of culture. People seem to think it's just about the X's and O's of it when it's more about the unselfishness and full commitment to playing as one unit and sharing the ball. This involves a change of nature for many players and it takes time to fully transform how players think. I've always said that the longer they stay in this system the better they will get and it will become 2nd nature to think only in terms of how things are done in the Triangle System. 33 games seems like a long time to some, but it's really nothing in the overall scheme of things.

If you have overwhelming talent you can get by with less of a full commitment but in order to have sustained success and win back to back Titles you have to eventually submit fully to the culture and that's what Phil wants for this team ultimately. Imagine how good KP will be after years of being nurtured in this way of thinking? He's already showing great signs of unselfishness and commitment to team play.

Look it's always about the Talent 1st and foremost but after that when you're looking for every possible edge you can give your team that's where stuff like this comes in. As out there as it sounds to some, there's no way to quantify what the impact of this stuff can be on a team. It might be nothing and it might help some players a lot. We haven't won in so long I wouldn't poo poo any effort to try and bring this team to a higher level and finally win.