Phil Jackson has no intention of moving away from the triangle offense at any point in the near future. For proof of that, look no further than the work the New York Knicks have been doing with NBA Draft prospects.
Justin Jackson, a former North Carolina swingman who helped the Tar Heels win the national championship earlier this year, told Marc Berman of the New York Post that the Knicks introduced him to the triangle offense in a pre-draft workout on Tuesday.
“It was more teaching than all the other ones,” Jackson said of the workout. “With the triangle and the other types of offenses they run, I would say it was a little more mental than physical.”
The triangle offense has reportedly been a source of stress for some Knicks players since Phil Jackson took over the team’s basketball operations department. Kristaps Porzingis hinted during the season that the system left players confused, but Justin Jackson doesn’t seem to think it is all that complicated.
“I picked it up pretty easily — everyone picked it up as time went on,” he said. “That helped a lot as far the workout, going into different actions. For me it was just basketball, making plays and reads.
“Phil stepped in a few times to say what he wanted to see, but it was mostly coach [Jeff] Hornacek running the workout.”
Phil Jackson has won numerous NBA championships by utilizing the triangle offense, so you can understand why he remains committed to it. And given some of the reports we heard about how players reacted to the system this past season, it makes sense that Phil is searching for young players who will be receptive to his way of doing things.
