Sacramento Kings to Run the Triangle Offense


The Sacramento Kings will begin trying out the offense that was used by the Los Angeles Lakers against them in so many painful Playoff battles. Kings head coach Keith Smart explains his thinking to the Sac Bee: “I was looking at a video from 1943,’ Smart said. ‘The Harlem Globetrotters were playing over in Europe, and I got a chance to see – when you get beyond all the theatrics the Globetrotters did – they were technically in a situation where they were in a low-post triangle action.’ Smart won’t schedule the Washington Generals or ask any of his players to dump confetti on an official, but that triangle action will be a part of what he adds to the Kings this season. Smart introduced the triangle offense during training camp last week in Colorado Springs and will run it tonight at home during the team’s first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. The triangle – or triple post – is best known in the NBA as the offense used by Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson to win 11 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Smart is looking for a system to space the floor and cut down on the excessive dribbling that bogged down the Kings last season. ‘I’ve been trying to give these guys some freedom to still get the ball and do your thing whenever you need to do it, but you’ll have space,’ Smart said. ‘So we’ll see how it goes.’ Besides the triple post, the triangle relies on players cutting away from the ball, reading the defense and good passing. It’s a contrast from how the Kings have played offense in recent seasons, often with four players staring at whoever had the ball.”