The Lakers are 17-2 and scoring a league best 108.4 points per game, so whatever they are doing on offense is working. But whatever they have been doing lately, it is not the triangle offense.
"(Triangle offense inventor) Tex (Winter) is foaming at the mouth down there in the coaches' office right now, He wanted his money back at halftime. Now he wants to make sure that we take the triangle offense out of any connection with him,” coach Phil Jackson said after the Lakers latest win.
The second unit likes to get out and run, and Jackson has loosened the reins and said for the first seven seconds of the clock go ahead and freelance. But, if that doesn’t result in an easy bucket, the team is supposed to return to the comforts of the triangle. You know, passing, moving without the ball, that kind of old-school basketball stuff. The second unit seems to prefer some sort of AAU offense, isolation basketball at its worst.
It’s often no better with the starters. Picture the end of the game in Washington, Kobe Bryant dribbling out the clock 35 feet from the basket then trying to break down his man in isolation.
This team can get through the regular season on talent alone, they have so many guys that can score that no team can defend them with one day of prep time. But it’s never too early to start thinking about the playoffs, when the Lakers will face defensive teams that can slow them down and will have the time to focus on them.
Jackson has won nine rings coaching the triangle offense, the thing works. Well. Run it right and even Boston will have trouble defending it. Ditch it for isolation and you’re every other team in the league.
