NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors Assistant Luke Walton Not Running Triangle Offense With Los Angeles Lakers
NBA rumors are swirling around Luke Walton. He is set to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in a couple of weeks. Many are intrigued to see how Walton is going to do because there are those who believe that he can become the next great head coach in the National Basketball Association. According to the Los Angeles Times, one thing that we do know is that Walton will not be utilizing the Triangle Offense when he takes over the Lakers.
When it comes to the Triangle Offense, very few people associated with the NBA understand the scheme as well as Luke Walton. He obviously paid attention whenever Phil Jackson and Tex Winter taught him the scheme. Walton was an average player in the National Basketball Association, but he was able to make himself quite valuable because he understood how to make the most of the offensive system.
Initially, the Triangle Offense was designed because a team needed something to help them score because they didn’t have any gifted offensive players. That’s why it’s ironic that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have been able to find success using it. The true nature of the offensive scheme made it difficult on defenses because all five players were threats to get the ball and possibly even score with it. The Triangle Offense also featured heavy movement as well.
Offensive isn’t an issue for the Los Angeles Lakers. Guys like Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle focus more on that side of the ball than on the defensive side. They each have skills that enable them to beat their defender one on one. The Triangle Offense doesn’t seem like it would be suited to these younger players because it requires them to sacrifice for the good of the team.
With the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr and Luke Walton do not use the full version of the Triangle Offense. They use elements of the offensive scheme. The plan works out pretty well because the Warriors are one of the best offenses in the history of the NBA. If anything, Walton is going to use a system that is much more similar to the one used by Kerr than he is to use the one preferred by Phil Jackson.
The refusal to commit fully to the Triangle Offense might be a reason why Luke Walton was not hired by the New York Knicks. Phil Jackson is really adamant about hiring a new head coach who will completely implement his offensive system. That is the reason why Kurt Rambis is considered the favorite to take over as the permanent head coach. Jackson reportedly has passed over bigger names in the NBA because they are not familiar with the Triangle Offense.
Even if the young Los Angeles Lakers’ building blocks are not mature enough to run an unselfish offensive system like the Triangle Offense, Luke Walton is still going to need to teach them to learn how to share the ball with one another. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are pretty dominant on offense, but they’re willing to share the ball with the role players because they know that it makes the Golden State Warriors that much harder to defend.
Aside from Phil Jackson and Kurt Rambis, it appears that the Triangle Offense is on the verge of becoming extinct in the NBA. Guys like Steve Kerr and Luke Walton have won championships with it, but they refuse to fully commit. There are fewer and fewer head coaching candidates in the National Basketball Association who are tied to the scheme and are willing to utilize it.
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