With several new players on the roster and a new coaching staff led by Derek Fisher, the New York Knicks are working through some major changes. One of the biggest has been on offense, where Fisher is implementing the old triangle system he learned as a player under current boss Phil Jackson.
J.R. Smith says learning triangle will ‘take a while’ for Knicks
After an ugly preseason opener, J.R. Smith said it’s “going to take a while” for the Knicks to fully grasp Derek Fisher’s triangle offense.
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That's created something of a learning process for the team, which lost its preseason opener to the Celtics, 106-86, on Wednesday. Shooting guard J.R. Smith said as much after the game.
“It’s going to take a few months. Over the course of the year understanding where everybody is going to be,” Smith told the New York Post of the new system. “It’s going to take a while.”
The triangle is often considered one of the more complicated offensive systems in the league, but Jackson expertly utilized it as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers en route to 11 NBA championships. Players tend to take a while to grasp the nuances of the system, though, and that could mean a serious learning curve for New York in its first year under Fisher.
“Every night, regardless of the score, it’s about finding ways to get better,” Fisher said after the loss.
That will be important for the Knicks after looking so ugly in the preseason debut. The team shot 41 percent from the floor, including an ugly 5-of-24 from beyond the arc, in the loss, and committed the same number of turnovers (28) as made field goals. Preseason rust or not, it was a terrible performance in Fisher’s first game on the sideline.
Still, Smith isn’t discouraged by the coaching staff’s plan yet. “I feel great about it,” Smith said about the triangle offense in general. “There’s a lot that I thought I knew that I really didn’t.”
The Knicks play Boston again in their next preseason contest on Saturday. We’ll have to see if they can put together a stronger performance over the weekend.
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