Knicks News & Rumors: Will Triangle Offense Work With Carmelo Anthony, New York?
The New York Knicks are entering a 2014-15 NBA season with little expectations.
The team finished 37-45 last year, good enough for ninth place in the mediocre Eastern Conference. Because of so many disappointments, the Knicks decided to rebuild much of their management and staff.
Phil Jackson is the team's new president and Derek Fisher is the head coach. Owner James Dolan has been under a lot of scrutiny from fans in recent years.
With Jackson and Fisher now with the Knicks, the famous triangle offense is expected to be implemented into the system. Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships using that scheme in the '90s and the Los Angeles Lakers to five more in the 2000s. Knicks assistant coach Tex Winter was the assistant coach with those teams, and he is notable for creating the triangle offense.
There's no denying Jackson has run the triangle more successful than any coach has. Eleven rings speaks for itself. But can it work with the Knicks?
A breakdown of the Triangle offense on "Sports Science" is shown above.
The triangle offense puts a lot of emphasis on running, ball movement and corner shots. It also puts a lot of pressure and shots on the shooting guard. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, under Jackson, were used as the final shot taker under the triangle offense most frequently. Carmelo Anthony may have to be used more as a shooting guard as opposed to a small forward.
Using the triangle offense with this Knicks roster poses a few pros and cons.
The good things are experience. New head coach Derek Fisher played for Jackson with the Lakers, so he is very familiar with how the system is run. Carmelo Anthony may not be Bryant or Jordan, but his shot is still very effective. Creating the double-corner pick for J.R. Smith, who made a career-high 189 three point shots last season, will also be effective.
In contrast, the triangle offense isn't the easiest system to run. Phil Jackson might be the team president, but he's not coaching anymore. Fisher knows the system having played in it for years, but we still don't know if he can coach it yet.
As previously stated, the triangle offense requires a lot of motion to get that perfect shot. Nobody is accusing this Knicks team of being lazy, but they haven't exactly shown they can run complex plays consistently. Another thing to keep in mind is Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol. With the Lakers, Jackson was very successful with a great big man down low. Part of the reason outside shots were so open was because Gasol and former league MVP O'Neal were being heavily guarded by defenses.
Power forward Amar'e Stoudemire might be the key. Without him playing well in the paint area, the triangle will have a tough time setting up.
Ball movement is crucial for the triangle to succeed. No matter how fast a defensive player is, he can't run as fast as the ball can travel. Anthony is going to have to improve his passing skills, as Michael Jordan did in the early '90s when Jackson came aboard.
Newly-acquired point guard Jose Calderon is the most underrated passer in the NBA. He will thrive with Anthony as his go-to guy. Calderon has passed for more than 300 assists every season except his rookie year. Calderon can also hit mid-range shots, another focal point of the triangle offense.
For up-to-date sports news, scores, and more, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter
FOR MORE NBA NEWS, TRADE AND FREE AGENCY UPDATES, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!