L.A. trades triangle for pick-and-roll
Updated: May 14, 2004, 12:55 PM ET
By Terry Brown | ESPN Insider
It was supposed to be the perfect offense for the perfect game, executed by the perfect players -- or as close to perfect as four future Hall of Famers could get.
But it collapsed under the weight of its own requirements.
"The triangle is no longer a valid offense," a Western Conference scout said of Phil Jackson's famous offense. "To run it, you've got to have players who are able to make reads and make passes, and today's players are not intelligent enough to do it. Their basketball IQs are not high enough, and their skills are not developed enough, and you need five guys to do it."
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
-
ESPN The Magazine subscribers
-
Need more information?
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE NBA HEADLINES
- Pacers clutch late, even series against Heat
- Grizzlies' Allen fined $5,000 for flop in Game 2
- Phil Jackson would pick Russell over Jordan
- Report: Nuggets letting Raptors talk to GM Ujiri
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
EDITORS' PICKS

- Change Of Pace
- Indiana's confidence is sky-high after a Game 2 win. Dime »

- Words To Live By
- Game 3 on ESPN

ALSO SEE
- Haberstroh: Jordan wrong about James
- Paine: DNA of a championship team
- Thorpe: LeBron leads for playoff MVP
- Elhassan/Doolittle: Lotto team draft guides
- Ford: Mock Draft 3.0 | NJ workouts

