First off I would appreciate any feedback from anyone on this. I just found this forum even though I have been receiving the newsletter for a while, and I am pumped to have the ability to be a part of a forum like this with other coaches.

I am wondering if the Triangle offense, and specifically the Pinch Post option, would work against zone defense. For some background info, I coach high school boys. Our team would be in the top 10 or 15 in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. (if that provides some sort of relative idea of our skill level)

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/triangle-offense2.html

From what I have seen of it, I know that a pinch post against a zone is important, and you can do a lot of things to attack a zone from the high post. It would require defensive adjustments and would allow you greater freedom of movement.

I believe good zone offenses require spacing, ball movement, and attacking cuts. (I know I'm not breaking any new ground with that statement.)

What I see from the Triangle, is that many of the cuts will attack the defense in ways that will force it to constrict towards the basket and create greater freedom on the perimeter.

However, some of the screens are going to be a lot less effective against zones. (Shuffle, baseline corner ball-screen, back screen weakside).

Additionally, the spacing seems to be in line with a lot of zones, and would require some reading and adjustments from the players. They would need to drift to where the defense isn't and maybe get either higher or wider based on their cuts and where they end up.

I KNOW the Triangle can attack a zone and has adjustments for any kind of defensive scheme it faces. I'll admit my own knowledge is severely limited. I use a high post triangle offense, but it is a much more simplified version. We have had success against zones and failures against zones. Our successes have been when we've been able to hit the high-post/pinch-post early in our attack. Our failures have come from over-dribbling, lack of ball movement, and poor passing. In that regard, you can say that is consistent of offensive failings any time you struggle.

Just my thoughts. If you have answers for these points, then I think you'd be in good shape running it.

First of all, I really appreciate the reply, Coach Sass.

I was leaning towards having a few sets with basically one action that has a scoring look or two, and then progress to the triangle alignment, with the ball on the wing. I was wanting to get these sets to be workable against man and zone defenses.

From there I was thinking of having three options:
1) post entry into the low block
2) reverse to point and into pinch post
3) pass to corner and into the baseline screen and roll

What would be your main concern when it comes to using the corner screen and roll against the zone? I feel the getting a two on one with whatever defender comes out to guard the corner could create an advantage. It may not get us anything great, but even to come off the ball screen and have a quick ball reversal open up for us to swing it from one corner to the other seems like it could create some good ball and player movement. There is the issue of getting trapped in the corner, but I'm okay with that being a teaching point and something we work at reading and reacting on.

What do you think of that specifically? Again, I really appreciate you taking the time here.
Thanks

I believe getting trapped in the corner, when running it against zone or man, is always a concern. If you have good spacing, it will be easier to get out of, but getting trapped in the corner is a very difficult situation. It cuts down your passing angles and options to essentially two and makes it very difficult to throw the skip pass out if they are good at bodying you up.

The rest of what you said sounds correct to me. As long as your players know where to move to back side, where to rotate to, and as long as your passer knows where his options are and hits them quickly. Everything else sounds solid.

Hope that helps.

That makes sense. Would it work to maybe toss it to the big after he sets the back screen and do a dribble pitch type action on the pass to the corner option? Maybe that could combat some of the problems that could arise out of the corner PnR.

Have you considered a dribble handoff? It works the same as a pick and roll, but a zone will normally just keep a defender on the dribbler without bringing a second defender.

I shouldn't probably make that statement so all inclusive. Teams will do whatever they feel will give them an advantage. I should say they won't normally go after a post high up on the wing extended. He should have enough time to execute the two dribbles necessary to execute a handoff.

I like that. We will definitely give it a try. Thanks again for the help, Coach.

Point of emphasis on that: Take a hard dribble at the man guarding HIM in this case; not the man guarding the person he will be handing off to, as he would vs Man to man.

Then it's a reverse pivot and hand-off soft-toss to the man he is giving the ball to, who will be running behind him (on the path of where he was).

Okay that is a great tip. I have never coached or been coached in the specifics so I appreciate the clarification. We will work it in a practice here soon, and it should be rolling by after Christmas. I will be sure to post an update on how it has worked out.