- Oct 20, 2012
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In order to win in 2015 NBA and beyond, you need a PG. I get that the triangle never really focused on PGs in the past but that was a different era of basketball. The triangle never focused on a big man either, doesn't mean that Shaq/Gasol/Bynum couldn't dominate it in LA.
The triangle offense calls for specific skill sets and using those required skill sets, it exploits different positions that the defense gives you. It is a sort of read and react offense that favors particular types of skill sets from various different positions but it is still known as an "equal opportunity offense," meaning that any particular player in the offense could take over and score the most or do whatever all depending on what the defense gives you.
Just because the triangle has never relied heavily on PG does not mean that an elite PG couldn't thrive running the triangle offense. Like I said, the Bulls never had anything resembling a post threat but Shaq still played the best basketball of his career in the triangle in LA.
If you look at the NBA standings of the past 2 seasons you will notice that team success has become far more correlated with PG play than any other position. PG in the NBA has become increasingly like a QB in the NFL and having elite level play from the PG has almost become a requirement to be successful nowadays. I mean I guess some teams have managed to find success without truly elite play from the point, but it makes it a hell of a lot easier to have that advantage. It is why Golden State has been so dominant, it has been why Toronto has won the East the past 2 seasons despite trying to tank and even teams like Houston and the Cavs who don't have elite PG play necessarily have their team's ran through Lebron and Harden who control the offense like a PG.
IMO if the Knicks want the triangle to work in 2015, the most important step is to find a franchise PG. Just like with the Lakers and Shaq, just because a PG has not been elite in the triange before does not man that absolutely can't happen. At the same time, similar to requirements from a center in the triangle, the triangle PG still has a typical prototype that it favors. This prototype is pretty much a taller PG with good court awareness particularly in the half court and the ability to hit open threes. If the Knicks find a franchise PG who fits this prototype, IMO he can be the elite level franchise PG we are looking for to stay afloat in 2015 NBA while still playing through the system.
As I have explained before, THIS is why despite my love for Karl Towns and are very obvious need for a rim protector, I still like D'Angelo Russell in the draft. I see Russell being a key for the Knicks to evolve the more traditional triangle offense into fast paced/PG driven 2015 NBA basketball. Russell possesses all the basic needs of a triangle PG and would be able to bring so much more to the table as a PG, secondary perimeter scorer, and as a leader/extension of Fisher from the floor.
Obviously if we draft Russell we still must find ourselves a rim protector, but that is why I think that the Knicks REALLY need to go after Marc Gasol HARD in free agency. He is the perfect piece for this team. He is the only player available who possesses the skill set to be a prototypical triangle center/post scoring threat and also the rim protector/post defender we need defensively. IMO if the Knicks find a way to start the rebuilding process by drafting Russell (the perfect triangle PG/franchise PG) and signing Gasol (the perfect triangle center/rim protector) we will be good to go from there.
Obviously there are a lot of ways that we could go this summer and there are more than one or two ways for us to be successful, and I will be jimping for joy if we land the hometown #1 pick/franchise center in Towns, trust me I will. But it is hard to throw out every single scenario so if we are talking about ideals, mine is still drafting Towns and signing Gasol. IMO hat gives us the most lee-way moving forward.
It also places a lot of focus on the backcourt (obviously spending our highest draft pick since Ewing would be considered a lot of focus), because IMO it would be a mistake to spend all of our attention/money into trying to piece together a front court before addressing our needs in the backcourt which are just as prudent and potentially more important. That is what we tried to do when assembling the "Broadway Bigs" of Melo/Tyson/Amare and I don't necessarily think it would be a good look to try it again.
Another area of concern for me, and others who have addressed it, is the desire to move Melo back to the 4, or at least pair him with a forward (like Jeff or Draymond Green) who he could split duties with at the 3 and the 4 depending on the situation. This could be very easily done if we signed Marc Gasol with him being amongst the best rim protectors the NBA has had to offer, successfully making Memphis a defensive powerhouse in the difficult Western Conference despite having to cover for Zach Randolph the past couple of years who is a worse defender than Melo is. If we signed Gasol (and drafted Russell) we could move Melo to the 4 and not have to worry. However if we chose to draft Towns, we are more likely to probably go after a 4 in free agnecy like Greg Monroe or Milsap or one of the ones available, which could potentially work like I have said many times, but the only drawback would be that it would essentially lock Melo into playing the 3. We could always not do that and move Melo to the 4 next to Towns at center, but there is always the concern about Towns being too young/raw to cover for Melo defensively and being our sole rim protector just yet considering that Towns led the SEC in fouls per game this past season despite playing just about 20 MPG.
In the NBA, next to Melo on defense, he would most likely be a fouling machine during his first couple of seasons. At the end of the day this could actually have a positive effect in forcing Towns to learn on the spot so to speak and develop into an elite rim protector even faster than initially thought, but there would be sure to be a lot of speed bumps along the way. Not the biggest deal in the world, just nit picking really. Just something extra to think about, and another reason why I see the only draft/free agent combination with as close to 0 flaws as possible to be Russell and Gasol.
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