The Triangle Offense – Two-Man Side (Pt. 2) by Adam Spinella

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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September 15, 2014

The Triangle Offense – Two-Man Side (Pt. 2) by Adam Spinella

In Part One of the discussion on the two-man side of the Triangle Offense, we talked about options where 3 and 4 score with the ball in their hands, either through a ballscreen or an isolation. These two players, likely through a called play from the sidelines, can get an opportunity to score without having to create it for themselves. Here are a few designed actions to free up the players on the two-man side.

Backscreen:

triangle offense

As 2 holds the ball, 4 raises into the pinch post and seeks out 3’s defender. He sets a backscreen on 3, and 3 curls around it to the rim for the alley oop. If 3 doesn’t get the look at the rim and 2 doesn’t throw the pass, 4 will pop out of the pinch post to the wing, getting the reversal from 2. 3 pops to the corner, 5 follows to the ball-side block, and the triangle is formed between 3, 4 and 5.

If you notice, even if 2 passes to 1 in the corner or 5 in the post, there could be an alley to hit 3 at the rim. 1 could still throw the lob, 5 could hit a bounce pass across the lane. The backscreen option is one of the most rare of the two-man options, but it is impactful when it works, especially against a team that jumps and denies the wing-to-top pass.

Open Flare:

triangle offense

As 2 holds the ball within the strong-side triangle, 4 raises from the pinch post to set the flare screen for 3. 3 comes over the top of 4 and catches the pass from 2, looking for the catch-and-shoot three pointer.

If 3 does not get the chance to shoot, simply he and 4 engage in a side ballscreen just as if 3 had curled over 4 and gotten the ball back after the Pinch action. 2 and 1 exchange just as they always do in the triangle. The great thing about Open Flare is that it translates well into getting back into the Triangle quickly if 3 does not get a shot.

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.

triangle offense