Tommy Dee

As training camp approaches and the ensuring preseason games commence, all eyes from critics will be on a narrative that depicts an overbearing and obsessive Phil Jackson peering over the shoulder of new coach Jeff Hornacek to make sure he's running The Triangle, something he's already implemented in his own philosophy.

We got the chance to speak to Coach Nick Hauselman of BBallBreakdown.com, who did an amazing breakdown of Hornacek's offense in Phoenix two years ago on The Mid Range Theory Podcast. We talked about the trend in the NBA of the dribble-drive-attack style in spread form and how Hornacek and Portland's Terry Stotts, one of the game's underrated basketball minds, may just be creating the perfect offensive system for today's game (listen at 30:25).

"There is a flow there and there is a lot of triangle-ish stuff already built in and that's the key. It's the same with Coach Stotts in Portland where there's a flow and options to keep moving," Hauselman said. "The thing I'm interested more about with Hornacek is that he dealt with a team (in Phoenix) in the end it became very difficult to manage. He had to treat them like a hight school team."

Hornacek, who blew Jackson away at their first meeting as Jackson inched towards hiring Steve Mills' former teammate David Blatt, comes to New York with a plan in place that fits the system and roster Jackson put together this summer. Jackson's obsession over The Triangle is an idea driven by critics as he has repeatedly referred to a preferred "system of basketball" that Hornacek shared. Hornacek seemingly has the perfect offensive system for today's game.

Their connection is what solidified the job for the ex-Jazz great, who enters his first year in New York following a roller coaster two and a half years in Phoenix. His tenure there was full of some overachieving highs and underachieving lows that ended with a locker room so disconnected that a change had to be made during the season last year.

From a pure basketball standpoint, the Knicks won't run much "traditional" triangle. Considering it's a fixture of most-all solid NBA offenses, which supplants Jackson and more directly Tex Winter's place in NBA history as it is, there will be some characteristics. There will be early entry passes to the high pinch post from guards with an emphasis on cutting, space and movement off the ball. You'll see the occasional quick-hitter.

There will be end of shot clock isolations for Carmelo Anthony and there will be mid range actions to isolate Kristaps Porzingis mid clock so he can expose mismatches. But the reality is that the "Modern Triangle" Hornacek brings is a combination of today's pick-and-roll game with Derrick Rose triggering the offense from the top of the key in a 1-4 spread early in the clock with the safety of Anthony and Porzingis post isolations on the back end of the shot clock if early action is foiled. It will be dribble-drive based at times, especially in transition, with kick-out potential to Courtney Lee, Lance Thomas, Anthony, Porzingis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, something that was literally non-existent last season.

But this will not be the slow, plotting offense that has plagued the Knicks, especially in transition, during the Jackson era. There's a trust factor that's already building as the team currently works out together and it all begins with their new head coach.

Here is the link to the Podcast where Tommy and Coach Nick talks about Hornacek. Skip to the 30:15 mark.

https://soundcloud.com/midrange-theory/ep-6-coach-nick

dk7th wrote:great podcast

Yeah i'm pretty interested to see exactly how Hornacek will impact the team and how he implements his schemes. He's got a LOT of stuff that is simple but effective that can help to speed up execution and make the game easier for everyone. He's fully bought into the modern concepts that I think will enhance the talent on this team.

But this will not be the slow, plodding offense that has plagued the Knicks, especially in transition, during the Jackson era.

But that's not a Triangle or Jackson problem.

That's a learn-the-damn-system problem.

I'm all for a so-called "Modern Triangle" as it is being proposed. But the
players still have to go out and play it, whatever kind of Triangle it is.

Just don't tell me again at mid-season that it's too complicated for their
little multi-million dollar brains to learn.

You can't blame Rambis any more . . .

Malcolm wrote:

But this will not be the slow, plodding offense that has plagued the Knicks, especially in transition, during the Jackson era.

Sure . . . all the Knicks were slow and plodding last year except Vujacic.

But that's not a Triangle or Jackson problem.

That's a learn-the-damn-system problem.

I'm all for a so-called "Modern Triangle" as it is being proposed. But the
players still have to go out and play it, whatever kind of Triangle it is.

Just don't tell me again at mid-season that it's too complicated for their
little multi-million dollar brains to learn.

You can't blame Rambis any more . . .

There isn't just one way to run the Triangle. Many different coaches have run it over the decades. Tex had his version and Phil would tweak things. Other coaches have used Triangle and put their own twist on it.

Malcolm wrote:

nixluva wrote:People blame the Triangle for the pace but most of that was just the Knicks players. Nothing stops any player from pushing the ball on the break. I do think that the Triangle can be simplified in such a way that you can enhance player's ability to play fast and more instinctively.

There isn't just one way to run the Triangle. Many different coaches have run it over the decades. Tex had his version and Phil would tweak things. Other coaches have used Triangle and put their own twist on it.

Can we just commit to DOING this PLEASE (?)

Not half-ass (like last year) . . . but for real (?)

I'm on board with Hornacek and his proposed emphases in the Triangle.

Fine. Great.

We got the people to do it (had the people last year to do it better than
it was actually done . . .).

NOW DO IT, already.

If Rose doesn't buy in 100% from the start . . . go to Jennings or Vujacic.

That's my #1 question for this season: what reason is there to think that
Rose will turn out to be a committed Triangle player (?)

I don't see ANY reason.

Let's hope they find one that I don't see . . .

Rose has already played in Triangle sets under Thibs. It's not going to be a problem for him. Not the way that they will likely use him, which IMO will be in the Shved Role, where he's attacking off Pinch Post Dribble Handoffs or cuts to the basket. Not to mention PnR action. Rose was a top PnR PG and obviously one of the top Drive PG's. He's not going to be used as much as the Corner 3pt shooter. That's where Lee will come in.