Phil Jackson: I Don't Care About The Triangle Offense

Phil Jackson made his thoughts on the triangle offense perfectly clear: he doesn’t care which system Jeff Hornacek runs as long as it’s sustainable and rewarding.

When the New York Knicks hired Phil Jackson, it was expected that the triangle offense would follow him to The Mecca. In his third season as team president, Jackson has made a comment that went against expectations.

In the face of criticism that he’s forcing the triangle offense onto the Knicks, Jackson made it clear that he isn’t concerned with which system head coach Jeff Hornacek runs.

Jackson ran Tex Winter’s patented system with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. The results were unparalleled as Jackson won a record 11 NBA championships as a head coach.

According to Jackie MacMullen of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, Jackson doesn’t care what system the Knicks run as long as the results are positive and sustainable.

“I don’t care about the triangle. I care about systematically playing basketball. If the spacing isn’t right, if guys are standing on top of each other, if there aren’t lanes to be provided, or rebounders available to offensively rebound the ball, or we don’t have defensive balance when a shot goes up, all of these things are fundamental basketball. I follow it. I’m not railing, ‘This is inadequate’ or ‘This isn’t right.’ Just show me what will work. Are we running around for no reason? Can we hit the first cutter? Do we have the ability to hit the second option or are we just bypassing plays so someone can hit a 3-point shot? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

That’s a massive change of tune from Jackson.

Coach Hornacek has been experimenting with the offense throughout the 2016-17 season. It’s been less by design as it has been by necessity, as starting point guard Derrick Rose missed five preseason games and starting center Joakim Noah was absent for three.

It wasn’t until the regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers that the Knicks’ starting lineup played its first ever game together.

New York is now 3-6 and searching for answers with the dreams of a postseason appearance seeming less realistic by the day. It’s been blown out on three separate occasions: 117-88 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-99 by the Houston Rockets, and 115-87 by the Boston Celtics.

New York has also lost three winnable games in the fourth quarter—a sign that 6-3 was as attainable as 3-6.

For perspective, the Knicks are 3-0 when they dish out at least 20 assists. In contrast, New York is 0-6 when it fails to reach 20 assists, which lends credence to Jackson’s belief that the players are failing to recognizable passing lanes and opportunities.

Fortunately for New York, Jackson isn’t planning to force Hornacek to run the triangle offense.

The question is: can Hornacek take this open opportunity and run with it?