do you think the grizzlies could run the triangle similar to the lakers with the Shaq/Gasol days in order to avoid predictability in the low post? randolph and marc gasol would have all the spacing they need.. that has always been memphis' weakness..they would easily be a top 3 or 4 team in the west
I love how your broke it down in a bit shell at the closing of this video. Gave us about 13 mins of footage and options but broke it down perfectly at the closing. You're the best Coach Nick. I watch a ton of coaching videos and yours often stand out from the rest. I'm a coach too and overload on videos, articles, audios, so thanks for providing quality stuff.
You should check out how the Nuggets run this through Nikola Jokic (who is an even better passer than Gasol, by most accounts, and is only in his second year--which is insane). The Nuggets had the #1 rated offense in the league this year (no, not Golden State or Houston), and with no all-stars, purely by way of this kind of motion executed to an extraordinary degree.
if only the cavs run more organized basketball like this, im sure they can dominate the league just like the gsw. and i agree coach, when someone doesnt get a chance to touch the ball, they most likely wouldn hustle back on defense, we can tell from their body languages.
I never knew how similar these modern plays are to the triangle. About 75% of the action is literally triangle offense, especially at the beginning of the play. Most of the difference comes from how they end the play, turning it into a pick and roll or a backscreen three pointer.
Hey Coach! Thanks for this very well documented video. On the Blind Pig action, I do remember that the early 2000 Lakers used to have their 4 set a back screen on the 2 in an alley-oop situation. It was very spectacular. I still have in mind AC Green coming to the top to set a screen (instead of asking for the ball) in the back of Kobe's defender. Kobe cut to the basket all alone for the alley-oop. Loved that play.
Their shows focus on entertainment. it's supposed to show the funny side of sports, i enjoy them, but i do agree that real X&Os knowledge should have some more space at ESPN.
I wonder if it's the coaches. If those in the media really understood the sport really really well, they'd be working for a team. Thus, coaches at press conferences have to be cliche answers to cliche questions that don't have a lot of substance. Or you're Gregg Popovich, and you just troll them. If someone like Coach Nick were to ask the really incisive basketbology (as I call it) questions that might reveal strategy too nakedly, and press them on the point, they probably wouldn't like it much.
I've been watching this channel for such a long time and its only until now that I realized that I wasn't subscribed. my bad coach and thanks for the great content!
Sam 3 pointers and dunks are outcomes of running the triangle. But it's kinda hard for most fans to appreciate it because its too complicated, and hard to "see" cause it's a lot more complicated than a simple pick and roll. A triangle offense may already be happening, and fans won't notice it. All they see is the outcome.
Great breakdown, congrats to BBALLBREAKDOWN's team! When you listen to traditional media like TV, radio or press, especially in NY, you would think the triangle is dead.
Phil Jackson was fired from the Knicks and his "triangle" is most certainly gone. Many analysts in the media see this as a good thing but I don't get it. The top two teams in the NBA known for "good ball movement" are the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. Now you've clarified on this video what I suspected all along: they use elements of the Triangle! Yet analysts everywhere don't consider them "triangle offenses." Can you make a video explaining why they are not and what makes a "true triangle" offense?
Melo killed the triangle... when he receives the ball especially if he's the high post man on the pinch post, he pretends there is no available pass. then, he would also pretend there is no clear pass to the guy coming off the rebound-screen-cut...then he pulls off triple threat on the elbow and isolates himself. Same when he's the 5. Same when he's on top. He wont even give it to the high post. He just killed every option of the triangle. Tex always emphasizes to always hit the first available pass. Triangle is about passing...something Melo isn't willing to do.
Usage rate has nothing to do with it. Westbrook is just a inefficient player all around. There's a reason KD left him in OKC, he was never going to win anything with him at the point
Awesome Offense, that is explained very well. Another corner option that may not be used as much as it should, is the corner hand-off rather than the ball-screen. Pinch post can also lead to an on ball screen
I remember as a kid, watching basketball was just rooting for a team and praying the ball goes in, then praying for the ball not to go in at the other end. As an adult and thanks to people like Coach Nick and some others on YT, I can watch more "actively" and identify things while the play is occurring - or pat myself on the back when a player makes a decision I predicted or when I think something before a commentator mentions it. Haha! Thanks for all the great vids and wisdom, Coach!
Is so important for everybody to touch the ball. Is such a simple way to keep everybody invested into a game specially when it comes to rebounding,playing defense etc..
The best thing you said is about Horace Grant getting touches. So many people don't realize how important it is for everyone to get touches. Even if the lesser shooter missed an open shot he's gonna bust his ass on defense to make up for it.
Nick I think part of the problem with people saying the triangle is dead is we have a lot of folks who are in the media for their entertainment value only.
most people don't even understand the concepts of it. they just say it's outdated because others say so. very few understand team basketball these days.
9:03 blind pig is a pressure release after crossing halfcourt (moment of truth). when pressure is given to the wingman( also done when pressure is applied to the lag guard), the lag guard dives to the paint and the weakside forward goes high for the direct pinch post with the point guard. The lag guard then receives a double screen to the wing as the pinch post happens, creating another option on the initial strong side. If that pass is hit but the shot is not open, one of the double screener steps back to the corner and boom!... Guess what you have, a triangle with the ball on the wing, which is...what the defense initially tried to break. Backdoor step(Coach Nick personally called this the "forward across" on one of his vids comparing the lakers triangle with the then terrible clippers offense under Coach Dal Negro) is much similar to the pinch post, the only difference is the pass goes directly to the 4 when guard on top gets denied. Same thing happens to the initial strong side...rebound-screen-cut with possible jumpshot off the screen, or hand-off. Another pressure release is the wing reverse which is one of the "UCLA options" where the 5 goes to the strong side high post when wing is denied. The wing then attacks with a hard cut to the basket beating his man who is at a disadvantage after the denial. The point guard follows with a hard cut(pinch post with 5) while the initial wingman, if he did not receive the pass, receives a double screen to the opposite wing.
Every nba teams runs parts of the triangle though but no team ran it as their primary offense under then Pj's teams. Luke Walton was asked if he was gonna run the triangle in L.A and he said no, he was run an offense similar to golden state which means there is clear difference.
Technically no team that wins a ton of games in the NBA runs an entire offensive system like the Triangle on every possession. In modern times you need to diversify your schemes and most teams have a basic knowledge on how to adjust their defense to whatever it is you're doing. I guarantee you Luke Walton is going to diversify his offense and include SOME Triangle plays, but use more motion weak to get his team good looks.
Zaviay Taylor I agree with that like no team specifically runs 1 type of offense. But no team uses as much triangle right now then the knicks. Every team uses parts of the triangle. Hornacek didn't even use the offense in phoenix
+MarcusTv well, if you wanna get technical no teams outside of the Bulls, Lakers, and to a lesser extent the T-Wolves and Knicks have used the Triangle since Phil made it relevant in 1991. The offense, as great as it is, requires the right personnel. And considering so many NBA players today are specialists, wouldn't be prudent to use all of it. And fortunately for my Knicks they won't be running the entire offense on virtually every possession anymore. Take a look at the High Post formation coach Nick discussed. It looks identical to the exact offensive system Hornacek ran in Phoenix except the cuts and screens were slightly different.
+BBALLBREAKDOWN if your telling me it takes players like the Warriors starting 5 to run the triangle offense properly then that isn't so encouraging since curry > Rose klay > Lee durant > melo Zaza > Noah
I wouldn't mind a video comparing the offensive efficiency of the Lakers and Bulls squads under Phil Jackson with the Warriors, the Spurs, and the teams that rely on analytics. That would give a lot of insight on how effective the triangle is.
I never seen a NBA team in my lifetime who didn't win without heavy triangle action in their playbook. I do this a lot on 2k it helps me get open. I try to run around a lot without the ball trying to find an open shot and if that doesn't work I see who has the hot hand and screen for them. It's nice when you get teammates who know what you are doing but painful when they don't. It leads to a lot of late passes or me trying to Iso with like 5 seconds left with bad teammates. But when it works it's always a blowout.
Calderon played for Knicks last year in Triangle. Perfect fit THIS YEAR with 3 coaches on the Lakers bench (Beuchler, Shaw, & Walton) who won Championships in the Triangle. That's just too easy to connect the dots. Calderon with Dribble Entry on the RIGHT side & Lou Williams at Top of Key with his usual dribble & Fade Left while shooting Right off elbow flip pass. GSW stuff is cool, but don't forget your TRUE ROOTS to that coaching tree.
My favorite option is the Back-Door step ... look so deadly if you have you have a decent-shooting 4 because your man have to worry about guard cutting .... or some good pick-and-roll action.
BBALLBREAKDOWN I always the Triangle Offense was mainly when u Post up a SHAQ or Jordan and have 2 options to always swing the ball in a Triangle Motion n repost or kick out for a three or Post player finding the week side Backdoor cutter off a Triangle
I like having the PF at Top of Key instead of a guard. It's easier for Ball reversal. He needs to be a TWEENER (SF/PF combo) for catch & drives off Blind Pig.
Great video coach. Triangle is a great and neccessary foundation. But I can't help but feel it's still too interior dominant, it's most effective with the pinch post options and I think it asks too much decision making by the post players. I know playing inside out makes things easier but I feel most decisions should be in the perimeter with the guards and wing player, lots more pick n' roll and dribble handoffs. What are other more unconventional offensive systems? Motion offense correct...
Is there anyway possible to do a defensive orientated video? I feel like I've become a much better basketball observer of offensive plays while watching games because of these videos, but I'd also love to see how defenses have adapted to offenses and such.
thanks! I'm a huge fan and love the videos. Just wanted to see if there was a possibility in studying more defensive plays since I hear so much about thibbs, vogel, and the like being amazing defense minded coaches, but can't really recognize what they do exactly.
I believe different coaches want to mix systems to throw different teams off,a lot of these players seen these plays some teams like San Antonio could probably predict the movement, so system are combined. Some use triangle &motion,triangle & Princeton,triangle &flex..... well you see what I'm getting at that probably why nobody runs %100 triangle no more unless you're down with Phil Jackson.
problem with running the triangle exclusively is that a) it is a slow offense and b) you require a good passer from the post. Without that passer the action stagnates and just yields a lot of mid range jumpers.
You're doing a great work!! (Specially adding euro 2017. Please, try to put subtitles in spanish please, I learn a lot details here but can't share your vids.)
+BBALLBREAKDOWN coach, I also realized the blind pig action you are showing is part of the loop play, right? The griz ran it well when they hit Gasol on the high post then opens up an easy back door layup for Conley.
Darude - Sandstorm Celtics have 17 rings>Lakers 16. Lakers will most likely be a lottery team this year, while celtics complete for top spot in EC and most likely a top 2 defense. I will sleep like a baby at night. Lakers fans always in denial.
Warriors run alot of triangle elements, especially the split action. Kerr played under Tex Winter, so it's no surprise that certain elements of the triangle would seep into the offense
Hey coach nick can you do a video on why playoff offenses are so different then regular season offenses? I feel like there is a lot more isolation in playoffs
In overly simplified terms I suspect it's because offenses with a lot of off ball motion and ball movement rely on "default" defensive principles (such as avoiding switching and help defense) to create advantages. In a 7-game series, defenses have much more time to prepare for a matchup and experience from past games to figure out how to counter the best options; any play or scheme has a number of options, but due to personnel or execution ability some options are more successful than others. Defenses might start switching certain actions or increasing/decreasing off ball help if the offense can't consistently punish them for cheating - for example, the Cavs switching Warriors screens to take away the preferred option, or overhelping off of worse shooters. Offenses can then go to isos intentionally to punish switches or exploit mismatches (which can then generate better looks if it forces the defense to readjust), or they might just get stuck in isos if the defense disrupts the normal flow well enough.
what are some things players should think about while running pinch post against a zone? Sometimes it seems to work against a 2-3 if players have court awareness and can keep defenders occupied while staying away from the guy with the ball. Can it even work against a 3-2?
I love this channel imma young and upcoming coach and this channel is so informative and pure basketball knowledge great job i would love to chat with u someday coach and discuss some interesting stuff
i want to see demarcus cousins play in the triangle offense. he's the perfect guy to do it. i would also like someone like rondo to play in it oneday. the blue print is a talented bigman, a point forward (or someone like rondo), and an offensive threat like carmelo or kevin durant.
This is all I do on 2k is improvising with ball handlers, shooters, mid range shots and screens with easy looks in the paint. I have never successfully ran a smart play so far
Hi coach Nick. Great video as usual. I would like to see a video of the history of basketball terms. How did the UCLA cut get its name? Where does the term "pinch" in "pinch post" come from? hammer action?
+timbobimbo2 great idea. I'm getting on the court with John Wooden's first assistant coach to demonstrate the triangle offense soon! I'll see what I can do about the others...
I love incorporating blind pig elements into pinch post. Wait for the guard's man to turn his head towards the ball, and then cut to the basket. It's dizzying to defend. Coupled with a rescreen of the ball as the defender is recovering, it's enough to send a defender back to their bench
The Heat's clip was messed up bc Whiteside didn't set a good screen. He stood there and made no contact so there was no spacing created from the screen.
+Austin Dubose I don't know. I suppose another year would help Kawhi and LMA get on the same page... But I hope they get back to superior ball movement...
BBALLBREAKDOWN I'm hoping Gasol's ball movement helps bring that back. Hopefully Mills and Green get back to hitting 3s at a higher rate too. Coach, keep an eyes on this Davis Bertans guy they are bring over.
So, passing it to the post to start the offense is always a triangle move, even when a triangle isn’t set up? Like the sequence of post passes starting at 3:22 with the warriors. There aren’t three players there, it’s a pass from the top to the post with no corner man. That’s still a triangle action?
Also current defense rules allow defenses to load up on the strong side so unless you have good spacing on the weak side, there just isn't a lot of room for the interior passing and cutting. Without that, this offense again turns into endless midrange shots
but this isn't exactly news because triangle motion on it's own, on the side is actually basic motion in offense. You give the ball up and provide a screen, and then other players do so.
im also a basketball coach for a local college here in the philippines. we use fiba rules so the zone gets used a lot. id love to use the triangle against our opponents.
hey coach, i noticed you said good iso shots a few times. How do you determine when an iso shot is good or not? i was under the impression that coaches generally dont like iso ball, ofc its inevitable now and then. Why is it ok for a team to run a set and settle for an iso shot but not an iso shot without a set?
Iso without a set: your star is guarded by the best defender on the opposite team, and has to face good help defense and rim protection, because the defense is set. With an offensive set: ball & player movement, screens, handoffs, etc... allows you to shake the defense, get some defenders lost, create mismatches, that allow your isolating player to be much more efficient. For example: James isolating on Green with Thompson and Livingston as help defenders and Bogut as a rim protector is not efficient, but with a set offence preceding the iso, you can have James isolating on Curry with no help and no one at the rim => money.
Moreover, when the offense is moving the defense has a hard time keeping track of all those moving pieces. So, if the ISO play doesn't lead to points, your teammates have a better chance at getting the offensive rebound - and everyone knows that the toughest three point shot to guard is one off of 2nd shot opportunities.
Thanks for the insight guys. Got other question. If a team wanted mismatch why Not just pick and roll? Instead of running a whole set, or were some of those iso shots from a set just the result of good defense from other team?
well, the nba's primarily a pick and roll league, despite the inclusion of all these half court motion offenses. really, all that movement often is just to get the help defender in the wrong spot first before the offense runs their pick and roll so it's harder for the roll defender to properly guard the pick and roll. like for instance, the spurs' loop play (where the pg gives up the ball on one wing, cuts through to the opposite wing, and then gets the ball back). spurs often follow this with a pick and roll. they could run it without the loop, but with the loop, it preoccupies the help defender so he can't contest the pnr as well, which means the chance of getting a better shot or drawing a switch is much higher. zach lowe basically pointed out a while back that modern offenses became more motion-heavy after tom thibodeau's defensive work with the kg celtics and drose/joakim noah bulls; thibs packed the paint and overloaded the strong side on defense, and it worked so well, opposing coaches had to have more motion on the weak side and side-to-side action so help defenders couldn't be in the right spot to properly contain pick and rolls.
Ball movement and player movement is key. Get the defense shifting side to side and it's easier to break them down. Simple basketball. Simple, yet good.
Carmelo and teamwork are not words that go together.
I like those Marc Gasol clips. Love ball movement in bball.
He's awesome.
do you think the grizzlies could run the triangle similar to the lakers with the Shaq/Gasol days in order to avoid predictability in the low post? randolph and marc gasol would have all the spacing they need.. that has always been memphis' weakness..they would easily be a top 3 or 4 team in the west
I love how your broke it down in a bit shell at the closing of this video. Gave us about 13 mins of footage and options but broke it down perfectly at the closing. You're the best Coach Nick. I watch a ton of coaching videos and yours often stand out from the rest. I'm a coach too and overload on videos, articles, audios, so thanks for providing quality stuff.
all this ball movement looks wonderful especially the marc gasol ones
You should check out how the Nuggets run this through Nikola Jokic (who is an even better passer than Gasol, by most accounts, and is only in his second year--which is insane). The Nuggets had the #1 rated offense in the league this year (no, not Golden State or Houston), and with no all-stars, purely by way of this kind of motion executed to an extraordinary degree.
Considering footballers do this with their feet there is so much wasted potential for basketball, this sport could be even better than it already is
this is better than most online college courses.
if only the cavs run more organized basketball like this, im sure they can dominate the league just like the gsw. and i agree coach, when someone doesnt get a chance to touch the ball, they most likely wouldn hustle back on defense, we can tell from their body languages.
The type of stuff that needs to be on Sports News... Sports fans care about stuff like this. Thank you for the effort.
This is the kind of commentary we need more of, what a lot of people like most about sports....Discussion and dissection of tactics
I never knew how similar these modern plays are to the triangle. About 75% of the action is literally triangle offense, especially at the beginning of the play. Most of the difference comes from how they end the play, turning it into a pick and roll or a backscreen three pointer.
Hey Coach! Thanks for this very well documented video.
On the Blind Pig action, I do remember that the early 2000 Lakers used to have their 4 set a back screen on the 2 in an alley-oop situation. It was very spectacular. I still have in mind AC Green coming to the top to set a screen (instead of asking for the ball) in the back of Kobe's defender. Kobe cut to the basket all alone for the alley-oop. Loved that play.
put this on espn instead of the other garbage
If only actual knowledge and thorough analysis received better ratings than drama and hot take debates
knowledge isn't as attractive as retarded skip bayless steven a smith debate
Their shows focus on entertainment. it's supposed to show the funny side of sports, i enjoy them, but i do agree that real X&Os knowledge should have some more space at ESPN.
I wonder if it's the coaches. If those in the media really understood the sport really really well, they'd be working for a team. Thus, coaches at press conferences have to be cliche answers to cliche questions that don't have a lot of substance. Or you're Gregg Popovich, and you just troll them. If someone like Coach Nick were to ask the really incisive basketbology (as I call it) questions that might reveal strategy too nakedly, and press them on the point, they probably wouldn't like it much.
Same with True Geordie in football, the real talent is on UA-cam not ya tele
I appreciate you coming back after that 3 week break, your video breakdowns are awesome. Help me a lot. Thank You Coach Nick at BBALLBREAKDOWN!
+Steven Burkett 👊👍🏀
I've been watching this channel for such a long time and its only until now that I realized that I wasn't subscribed. my bad coach and thanks for the great content!
It's a shame that most fans don't appreciate this brand of basketball. All they want to see are 3 pointers and dunks.
Sam 3 pointers and dunks are outcomes of running the triangle.
But it's kinda hard for most fans to appreciate it because its too complicated, and hard to "see" cause it's a lot more complicated than a simple pick and roll.
A triangle offense may already be happening, and fans won't notice it. All they see is the outcome.
Man, this was one of the most outstanding breakdowns I've ever seen. Feel like I know a lot more about the triangle now
+Trey Franks wow, thanks!
Great breakdown, congrats to BBALLBREAKDOWN's team! When you listen to traditional media like TV, radio or press, especially in NY, you would think the triangle is dead.
Phil Jackson was fired from the Knicks and his "triangle" is most certainly gone. Many analysts in the media see this as a good thing but I don't get it. The top two teams in the NBA known for "good ball movement" are the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. Now you've clarified on this video what I suspected all along: they use elements of the Triangle! Yet analysts everywhere don't consider them "triangle offenses." Can you make a video explaining why they are not and what makes a "true triangle" offense?
Hahah no more triangle.
Melo killed the triangle... when he receives the ball especially if he's the high post man on the pinch post, he pretends there is no available pass. then, he would also pretend there is no clear pass to the guy coming off the rebound-screen-cut...then he pulls off triple threat on the elbow and isolates himself. Same when he's the 5. Same when he's on top. He wont even give it to the high post. He just killed every option of the triangle. Tex always emphasizes to always hit the first available pass. Triangle is about passing...something Melo isn't willing to do.
That’s everything I read in the Tex Winters Triangle Offense book brought to life. Great piece, now I can see it.
Coach shows all teams except the Thunder. Because it requires Westbrook to pass ;)
Westbrook averaged 10 assists last season lol
+Mohammed Al-Diery He also averaged more than 4 turnovers, lol
+Sean Jones I know what you mean but it's just the high usage rate. Look at Harden for example.
Usage rate has nothing to do with it. Westbrook is just a inefficient player all around. There's a reason KD left him in OKC, he was never going to win anything with him at the point
+Garrett Henze the thunder organisation was making moves to strengthen that team. And it was KD that chocked prety hard in the WCF
Awesome Offense, that is explained very well.
Another corner option that may not be used as much as it should, is the corner hand-off rather than the ball-screen.
Pinch post can also lead to an on ball screen
+Ryan Struck yes!!
I remember as a kid, watching basketball was just rooting for a team and praying the ball goes in, then praying for the ball not to go in at the other end. As an adult and thanks to people like Coach Nick and some others on YT, I can watch more "actively" and identify things while the play is occurring - or pat myself on the back when a player makes a decision I predicted or when I think something before a commentator mentions it. Haha! Thanks for all the great vids and wisdom, Coach!
+i8 that is awesome to hear, thanks!!!
THIS IS INCREDIBLE!! Thank god someone finally made this video so people can see the triangle still fills play books all over the league
+Jeremy Leihy thanks so much! #imin
Is so important for everybody to touch the ball. Is such a simple way to keep everybody invested into a game specially when it comes to rebounding,playing defense etc..
The best thing you said is about Horace Grant getting touches. So many people don't realize how important it is for everyone to get touches. Even if the lesser shooter missed an open shot he's gonna bust his ass on defense to make up for it.
Nick I think part of the problem with people saying the triangle is dead is we have a lot of folks who are in the media for their entertainment value only.
most people don't even understand the concepts of it. they just say it's outdated because others say so.
very few understand team basketball these days.
I think the real reason is because all of Phil's disciples have largely failed except Kerr and maybe if you count lue
most bball commentators who werent players dont understand basketball offenses or plays, the only thing they analyze is psychology and star power.
+SniffyPoo coaches too
+SniffyPoo Most formers players don't understand the mechanism behind offenses and plays either -- i.e. Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, etc.
The triangle IS basketball
Just found these videos...they're amazing. I love this stuff. Keep up the great work.
+louderthangod Welcome to the conversation! #imin
This is one of the greatest videos on bballbreakdown i've seen so far
+guillembad wow, thx!!
Coach Nick great video!!! Can you continue making videos like this, highlighting different offenses and defenses
can't wait for the season to start
fuck YEAH
HECK YEAH
BBALLBREAKDOWN lol I love your vids sorry for profanity
Great talk as usual. Look forward to it!
9:03 blind pig is a pressure release after crossing halfcourt (moment of truth). when pressure is given to the wingman( also done when pressure is applied to the lag guard), the lag guard dives to the paint and the weakside forward goes high for the direct pinch post with the point guard. The lag guard then receives a double screen to the wing as the pinch post happens, creating another option on the initial strong side. If that pass is hit but the shot is not open, one of the double screener steps back to the corner and boom!... Guess what you have, a triangle with the ball on the wing, which is...what the defense initially tried to break.
Backdoor step(Coach Nick personally called this the "forward across" on one of his vids comparing the lakers triangle with the then terrible clippers offense under Coach Dal Negro) is much similar to the pinch post, the only difference is the pass goes directly to the 4 when guard on top gets denied. Same thing happens to the initial strong side...rebound-screen-cut with possible jumpshot off the screen, or hand-off.
Another pressure release is the wing reverse which is one of the "UCLA options" where the 5 goes to the strong side high post when wing is denied. The wing then attacks with a hard cut to the basket beating his man who is at a disadvantage after the denial. The point guard follows with a hard cut(pinch post with 5) while the initial wingman, if he did not receive the pass, receives a double screen to the opposite wing.
Love the game and even learning how the game is played, good vid coach!
Exactly. Triangle is everywhere... Illuminati confirmed.
Honestly, that's the basic so everything else just started from that.
Thanks coach!
+Paul Joseph 🏀👊👍
Every nba teams runs parts of the triangle though but no team ran it as their primary offense under then Pj's teams. Luke Walton was asked if he was gonna run the triangle in L.A and he said no, he was run an offense similar to golden state which means there is clear difference.
Technically no team that wins a ton of games in the NBA runs an entire offensive system like the Triangle on every possession. In modern times you need to diversify your schemes and most teams have a basic knowledge on how to adjust their defense to whatever it is you're doing. I guarantee you Luke Walton is going to diversify his offense and include SOME Triangle plays, but use more motion weak to get his team good looks.
Zaviay Taylor I agree with that like no team specifically runs 1 type of offense. But no team uses as much triangle right now then the knicks. Every team uses parts of the triangle. Hornacek didn't even use the offense in phoenix
+MarcusTv well, if you wanna get technical no teams outside of the Bulls, Lakers, and to a lesser extent the T-Wolves and Knicks have used the Triangle since Phil made it relevant in 1991. The offense, as great as it is, requires the right personnel. And considering so many NBA players today are specialists, wouldn't be prudent to use all of it. And fortunately for my Knicks they won't be running the entire offense on virtually every possession anymore. Take a look at the High Post formation coach Nick discussed. It looks identical to the exact offensive system Hornacek ran in Phoenix except the cuts and screens were slightly different.
+MarcusTv tons, and I means TONS of triangle influence in what the Warriors are doing.
+BBALLBREAKDOWN if your telling me it takes players like the Warriors starting 5 to run the triangle offense properly then that isn't so encouraging since curry > Rose klay > Lee durant > melo Zaza > Noah
i never leave here without learning something new, great vids keep it up!
coach, this is the best explanation for triangle offence. love it. thanks coach.
Never even noticed that, thanks Coach! Tri offense is just so beautiful to watch - once you're able to identify it!
+AFDBonki yes! Thx!
You nailed with this video, Coach. Great stuff!
+Daniel Valdivia awesome, Thx!
This is a great breakdown coach Nick. thanks for putting this together and sharing.
2:43 is indeed a classic Triangle action, but the Warriors run it super fast and totally catch the defense by surprise.
I wouldn't mind a video comparing the offensive efficiency of the Lakers and Bulls squads under Phil Jackson with the Warriors, the Spurs, and the teams that rely on analytics. That would give a lot of insight on how effective the triangle is.
Legends say that if you're early, Coach Nick will notice you. Lol
👀 👀 👀
I would like to see a basketball breakdown video of the Celtics vs Bulls back in 09. Triple over time was an amazing game
Just awesome video! Love those plays by Marc and Warriors too :D
+Ilija Zivkovic thanks! 👍👊🏀
Brilliant breakdown!
Please make similar analysis for motion offense, princeton and some comparison with fiba int tactics!
I love this channel. You have done an excellent job. Keep it up.
I never seen a NBA team in my lifetime who didn't win without heavy triangle action in their playbook. I do this a lot on 2k it helps me get open. I try to run around a lot without the ball trying to find an open shot and if that doesn't work I see who has the hot hand and screen for them. It's nice when you get teammates who know what you are doing but painful when they don't. It leads to a lot of late passes or me trying to Iso with like 5 seconds left with bad teammates. But when it works it's always a blowout.
Calderon played for Knicks last year in Triangle. Perfect fit THIS YEAR with 3 coaches on the Lakers bench (Beuchler, Shaw, & Walton) who won Championships in the Triangle. That's just too easy to connect the dots. Calderon with Dribble Entry on the RIGHT side & Lou Williams at Top of Key with his usual dribble & Fade Left while shooting Right off elbow flip pass. GSW stuff is cool, but don't forget your TRUE ROOTS to that coaching tree.
My favorite option is the Back-Door step ... look so deadly if you have you have a decent-shooting 4 because your man have to worry about guard cutting .... or some good pick-and-roll action.
+Ductie94 Yeah! My favorite is pinch post, but backdoor step is awesome!
NY media always trying to make a story: "Triangle is old, nobody uses it" Thanks for this.
+DragoNYC my pleasure.
especially the NYDN filth
Fucking Frank Isola..
Awesome video coach! I like it very much, the demonstration was too good. Thanks a lot
+mounider chikku thanks! I really appreciate it. 👍🏀👊
+BBALLBREAKDOWN Hi coach in from India, I really like your videos, son in coming to USA for higher education. May I know where you are from?
this is already in my top 5 bballbreakdown vids . I'm in since Dirk got his Revenge against wade
👊🏀
Coach Nick is BACK baby!!
Hey coach could you do a video on my Celtics and Al Horford's fit?
+Jav Tiss coming up soon!
BBALLBREAKDOWN Thankyou so much, Appreciate the love you'll show my C's. Gonna be one hell of a season for us.
BBALLBREAKDOWN I always the Triangle Offense was mainly when u Post up a SHAQ or Jordan and have 2 options to always swing the ball in a Triangle Motion n repost or kick out for a three or Post player finding the week side Backdoor cutter off a Triangle
Great video from Coach Nick once again
+Chin Ann thanks!!!!
I like having the PF at Top of Key instead of a guard. It's easier for Ball reversal. He needs to be a TWEENER (SF/PF combo) for catch & drives off Blind Pig.
Great video coach. Triangle is a great and neccessary foundation. But I can't help but feel it's still too interior dominant, it's most effective with the pinch post options and I think it asks too much decision making by the post players. I know playing inside out makes things easier but I feel most decisions should be in the perimeter with the guards and wing player, lots more pick n' roll and dribble handoffs. What are other more unconventional offensive systems? Motion offense correct...
Is there anyway possible to do a defensive orientated video? I feel like I've become a much better basketball observer of offensive plays while watching games because of these videos, but I'd also love to see how defenses have adapted to offenses and such.
+Ohudy this is a good idea. Let me see what I can up with...
thanks! I'm a huge fan and love the videos. Just wanted to see if there was a possibility in studying more defensive plays since I hear so much about thibbs, vogel, and the like being amazing defense minded coaches, but can't really recognize what they do exactly.
Great video
Thanks!
I believe different coaches want to mix systems to throw different teams off,a lot of these players seen these plays some teams like San Antonio could probably predict the movement, so system are combined. Some use triangle &motion,triangle & Princeton,triangle &flex..... well you see what I'm getting at that probably why nobody runs %100 triangle no more unless you're down with Phil Jackson.
Yes Coach Nick. Killing it!
Thanks! #imin
problem with running the triangle exclusively is that a) it is a slow offense and b) you require a good passer from the post. Without that passer the action stagnates and just yields a lot of mid range jumpers.
Great vid coach and the trianglr will never die the offence is the best in history.
You're doing a great work!! (Specially adding euro 2017. Please, try to put subtitles in spanish please, I learn a lot details here but can't share your vids.)
thanks for this great work
Love the low post split actions, so easy to confuse the defense, really want to see more teams running it.
Such an easy thing to teach too - helps the low post player as well - he can use a pass fake to then score
+BBALLBREAKDOWN coach, I also realized the blind pig action you are showing is part of the loop play, right? The griz ran it well when they hit Gasol on the high post then opens up an easy back door layup for Conley.
Ay coach great vid!! I want you to break down how greece beat usa in 2006 exploiting their iso heavy offense
Hmm... where is high quality footage of the game?
+BBALLBREAKDOWN type on yt greece vs usa full game i think it is hd footage or at least 480p
Can't wait till the season. Go lakers
40ls
16 Rings. How many your team got?
+Darude - Sandstorm 17 rings. Lakers are aids
+Jav Tiss Ok Jay Tiss. Whatever makes you sleep at night :)
Darude - Sandstorm Celtics have 17 rings>Lakers 16. Lakers will most likely be a lottery team this year, while celtics complete for top spot in EC and most likely a top 2 defense. I will sleep like a baby at night. Lakers fans always in denial.
One of coach nicks best videos yet... You should probably coach the Knicks...
+yvesmassaad 👊👍🏀
Warriors run alot of triangle elements, especially the split action. Kerr played under Tex Winter, so it's no surprise that certain elements of the triangle would seep into the offense
Hey coach nick can you do a video on why playoff offenses are so different then regular season offenses? I feel like there is a lot more isolation in playoffs
In overly simplified terms I suspect it's because offenses with a lot of off ball motion and ball movement rely on "default" defensive principles (such as avoiding switching and help defense) to create advantages. In a 7-game series, defenses have much more time to prepare for a matchup and experience from past games to figure out how to counter the best options; any play or scheme has a number of options, but due to personnel or execution ability some options are more successful than others. Defenses might start switching certain actions or increasing/decreasing off ball help if the offense can't consistently punish them for cheating - for example, the Cavs switching Warriors screens to take away the preferred option, or overhelping off of worse shooters. Offenses can then go to isos intentionally to punish switches or exploit mismatches (which can then generate better looks if it forces the defense to readjust), or they might just get stuck in isos if the defense disrupts the normal flow well enough.
what are some things players should think about while running pinch post against a zone? Sometimes it seems to work against a 2-3 if players have court awareness and can keep defenders occupied while staying away from the guy with the ball. Can it even work against a 3-2?
hi, great video. Can you tell me where i can find some information about the '70ies version of the triangle you mentioned in? thank you
Great video ! Thanks for your work :)
+Owleye21 Thx so much!
I've been subscribed since I was 9. I'm 14 now and I have you and your videos to thank for most of my basketball knowledge. Keep working 👌
Wow - that's amazing. Thanks!! #imin
Nice breakdown, thanks so much for the examples.
My pleasure!
I love this channel imma young and upcoming coach and this channel is so informative and pure basketball knowledge great job i would love to chat with u someday coach and discuss some interesting stuff
+mazen rd3 💪🏀👍
@bballbreakdown thanks a lot coach I will no doubt use some of these sets for my high school team
i want to see demarcus cousins play in the triangle offense. he's the perfect guy to do it. i would also like someone like rondo to play in it oneday. the blue print is a talented bigman, a point forward (or someone like rondo), and an offensive threat like carmelo or kevin durant.
This is all I do on 2k is improvising with ball handlers, shooters, mid range shots and screens with easy looks in the paint. I have never successfully ran a smart play so far
Hi coach Nick. Great video as usual. I would like to see a video of the history of basketball terms. How did the UCLA cut get its name? Where does the term "pinch" in "pinch post" come from? hammer action?
+timbobimbo2 great idea. I'm getting on the court with John Wooden's first assistant coach to demonstrate the triangle offense soon! I'll see what I can do about the others...
I love incorporating blind pig elements into pinch post. Wait for the guard's man to turn his head towards the ball, and then cut to the basket. It's dizzying to defend.
Coupled with a rescreen of the ball as the defender is recovering, it's enough to send a defender back to their bench
Iverson Cut is nice for Pinch Post But the opposite wing needs to stop at the rim instead of running to opposite corner.
The Heat's clip was messed up bc Whiteside didn't set a good screen. He stood there and made no contact so there was no spacing created from the screen.
Coach what are you thoughts/projections about the San Antonio Spurs?
+Austin Dubose I don't know. I suppose another year would help Kawhi and LMA get on the same page... But I hope they get back to superior ball movement...
BBALLBREAKDOWN I'm hoping Gasol's ball movement helps bring that back. Hopefully Mills and Green get back to hitting 3s at a higher rate too. Coach, keep an eyes on this Davis Bertans guy they are bring over.
Welcome back from vacation, coach!
+Galactu5 Thx! Lot more coming up
So, passing it to the post to start the offense is always a triangle move, even when a triangle isn’t set up? Like the sequence of post passes starting at 3:22 with the warriors. There aren’t three players there, it’s a pass from the top to the post with no corner man. That’s still a triangle action?
Is there a channel that explains stuff about NHL as good as BBallbreakdown explains NBA stuff ?
So much for calling the triangle a dinosaur offense....nice video coach Nick!
+brian espina 👍🏀👊
Nice video coach!!!
+Kobe Bryant SW 🏀👊👍
Also current defense rules allow defenses to load up on the strong side so unless you have good spacing on the weak side, there just isn't a lot of room for the interior passing and cutting. Without that, this offense again turns into endless midrange shots
You should have a link to your podcast in the description IJS
but this isn't exactly news because triangle motion on it's own, on the side is actually basic motion in offense. You give the ball up and provide a screen, and then other players do so.
+Gule Split bingo
Can you do a video of this but against the zone? as i recall, the triangle was designed primarily against a zone defense
+Sean Fernando it wasn't initially invented for zones, but it's equally effective. No one plays zone in the NBA, really, so that would be hard..
im also a basketball coach for a local college here in the philippines. we use fiba rules so the zone gets used a lot. id love to use the triangle against our opponents.
Good stuff!
hey coach, i noticed you said good iso shots a few times. How do you determine when an iso shot is good or not? i was under the impression that coaches generally dont like iso ball, ofc its inevitable now and then. Why is it ok for a team to run a set and settle for an iso shot but not an iso shot without a set?
Iso without a set: your star is guarded by the best defender on the opposite team, and has to face good help defense and rim protection, because the defense is set. With an offensive set: ball & player movement, screens, handoffs, etc... allows you to shake the defense, get some defenders lost, create mismatches, that allow your isolating player to be much more efficient. For example: James isolating on Green with Thompson and Livingston as help defenders and Bogut as a rim protector is not efficient, but with a set offence preceding the iso, you can have James isolating on Curry with no help and no one at the rim => money.
Moreover, when the offense is moving the defense has a hard time keeping track of all those moving pieces. So, if the ISO play doesn't lead to points, your teammates have a better chance at getting the offensive rebound - and everyone knows that the toughest three point shot to guard is one off of 2nd shot opportunities.
Thanks for the insight guys. Got other question. If a team wanted mismatch why Not just pick and roll? Instead of running a whole set, or were some of those iso shots from a set just the result of good defense from other team?
well, the nba's primarily a pick and roll league, despite the inclusion of all these half court motion offenses. really, all that movement often is just to get the help defender in the wrong spot first before the offense runs their pick and roll so it's harder for the roll defender to properly guard the pick and roll. like for instance, the spurs' loop play (where the pg gives up the ball on one wing, cuts through to the opposite wing, and then gets the ball back). spurs often follow this with a pick and roll. they could run it without the loop, but with the loop, it preoccupies the help defender so he can't contest the pnr as well, which means the chance of getting a better shot or drawing a switch is much higher.
zach lowe basically pointed out a while back that modern offenses became more motion-heavy after tom thibodeau's defensive work with the kg celtics and drose/joakim noah bulls; thibs packed the paint and overloaded the strong side on defense, and it worked so well, opposing coaches had to have more motion on the weak side and side-to-side action so help defenders couldn't be in the right spot to properly contain pick and rolls.
Ball movement and player movement is key. Get the defense shifting side to side and it's easier to break them down. Simple basketball. Simple, yet good.
+Jaired Link yes! #imin
Nice video coach
I didn't appreciate Marc Gasol's pass game until I saw this