The triangle offense is forever in New York.
What, you didn’t think the Knicks would just stop running it because the system’s biggest advocate, Phil Jackson, is no longer in charge, did you? Because they haven’t. Kristaps Porzingis made that much clear after Tuesday’s practice, per Newsday‘s Al Iannazzone:
Uh oh. Porzingis said they ran elements of the triangle in practice today.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) September 26, 2017
This obviously sounds bad, because the Knicks were not very good when they were running the full-blown triangle. But incorporating elements of it isn’t the end of the world. Plenty of teams do it, with the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.
Balance is the key. The triangle offense should not be the primary crutch on which any offense in the league rests—particularly for the Knicks, who have a 7’3″ wingamabob skyscraper in Porzingis. Though advancing his post game will help the team in the long run, he is at his most dynamic when positioned beyond the arc, attacking off the dribble or coming downhill out of pick-and-rolls. Shoving the entire triangle down the Knicks’ throat slows things down and deemphasizes his best attributes.
So here, Knicks fans, is to hoping that when Porzingis says “elements of the triangle,” he really means “teensy-tiny bits and pieces of the triangle.”
