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As we enter the NBA finals, this article is directed at the basketball nerds who would love to study that famed triangle offense of Phil Jackson that has won him 10 championships.History has it that only two players in the NBA have been able to successfully implement this offensive style-Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
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The offense starts when the guard passes the ball to the wing and cuts to the strong side corner.These three players, the strong side post,guard and wing, make the offensive triangle.From there, the 1st option is to pass to the post player who can then be in a good scoring position and can also pass to the perimeter player who cuts or screens.He can also make the ‘pinch post’ when the other player comes beneath the key.
The 2nd option is to pass to the weak side perimeter who flashes to the elbow to receive the pass.The options then are a backdoor cut by the strong side guard, a jump shot if found open or pass to the weak side post using a pick and pop.
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The third option is for the weak-side forward to flash to the strong-side elbow, take the pass, and cut to the basket on the backdoor play of the offense. The wing and corner guard exchange on a down screen in the meantime. The forward with the ball can pass to the cutting guard or to the corner guard coming off the wing’s screen. Else he can shoot the basketball himself.
The flexibility comes from the fact that the triangle can be shifted at will and easily at any point of the offense if the defense is too tight.This frees up many options for the perimeter players and forwards to either take a jump shot or cut to the basket.
Phil Jackson,with assistance from Tex Winter, has successfully styled this offensive style to suit the Lakers,and in the past,the Chicago Bulls.Using this style, he has never failed to make the NBA playoffs during his tenure with the Bulls and Lakers. He is also the head coach with maximum number of championships under his belt(10) in any of the 4 professional sports(NBA,NHL,NFL and Major league Baseball).
