The Triangle Offense – Early Principles (Pt. 2) by Adam Spinella
The Triangle is not just organized chaos; there is a method to the madness. While in a traditional offense the point guard is the one who will initiate most of the offense, the point guard simply makes a decision at the start of the play on which side of the court to run the offense to. For the point guard, this is known as the “moment of truth”. The moment of truth is essentially a line that can be drawn across the end of the half-court circle. Once the point guard crosses that imaginary line, he must know which side of the court he is going to pass to and where he is going to cut. The man catching the ball will read him and decide what to do based on the actions of the point guard.
The real decision-making power lies in the hands of the person who catches the pass from him on the wing. Below is a list of the options that the wing has with the ball, listed in order of preference within the offense.
So what does 2 do here? The first look is always into the post, as the Triangle values post touches first and foremost. Any time that 2 passes to 3 or 4, they engage in something called a two-man action. While that two-man action takes place, what do the players in the Triangle do? 1, 2 and 5 must make some movement to prepare for the next action.
Whenever a “weak” post entry or isolation occurs, the triangle side engages in a deep exchange, where they exchange spots by engaging in a downscreen the top of 5 – it keeps all three weak-side defenders engaged. This exchange can be a simple exchange and does not have to be a solid screen, but it is designed to keep the weak-side defenders from being able to fall asleep off the ball. The closer 1 and 2 can engage in this action to 5 in the post, the harder it is for the weak-side defenders to defend.
The final option for the wing is to immediately return the ball to the point guard, who is in the strong-side corner. When you teach the Triangle Offense, it is vital that the player catching the ball on the wing follows this progression within the offense. Look into the post, then look opposite, then see if you can return the ball to the corner. Quick decisions are rewarded with better opportunity to score, but the decisions need to be precise.
Coach Adam Spinella is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach at Culver Academies in Culver, IN. Spinella spent the three years prior as a Student Assistant Coach at Division III Dickinson College. The Dickinson Men’s Team advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and accumulated an overall record of 59-26 (.694) during the three-year span, with the 2013-2014 season ending in the Division III Elite Eight. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, Spinella has a keen interest in X’s and O’s, particularly in professional basketball, and skill development.
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