The LA Clippers’ offense sputtered down the stretch last season due to a lack of creativity, and new coach Tyronn Lue is now planning to address that.
Lue told reporters Sunday that the team will employ some triangle offense sets this season for Kawhi Leonard, citing his ability to operate in the pinch-post area. Lue added that Leonard has expressed a desire to run the triangle.
“We have put in two or three sets of the triangle and let Kawhi play in those spaces where Kobe [Bryant] and [Michael] Jordan played in those spots as well,” said Lue, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “He loves those two players and he really respects and looks up to those guys. So, we just try to put him in position. I was able to play with both those guys and I also played in the triangle, so just trying to teach him that as well … teach our team as well.”
As Lue alluded to, the coach is very well-acquainted with the triangle offense. He was teammates with Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers under triangle savant Phil Jackson, winning two championships in their three seasons together. Lue was later teammates with Jordan on the Washington Wizards as well.
While the triangle has gone out of style in today’s NBA, it is a good way to mitigate the lack of a true playmaking point guard by initiating actions out of the pinch post with a big wing who can hit the midrange jump shot. The Clippers fit that billing with Leonard as their primary offensive weapon and a lack of true point guards on the roster. Hopefully they do a better job of running the triangle than the last team who tried though.
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