An Outlier’s Suggestion, While Bucks Are Playing in a Desperation Mode

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Triangle Offense

Triangle offense

It would appear that the eyes and focus of the professional basketball world is centered on Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The speculation is about the front office regarding his potential trade to another team for some reasonable compensation toward a rebuild or trying to keep him happy. However, let’s keep it right there for now, on the shelf.

He did take part in a recent shootaround, and looked good, although no mention was made about his return. The fear is that they will rush him back, just like last time, only to become injured again. These players have the heart but are no longer spring chickens. Let the man rest.

The Bucks (11-18) have now lost five of their last six games, at 4th place in the NBA Central Division. They are back in 11th place in the NBA Eastern Conference, one slot out of post-season contention, and 2-1/2 games behind the Chicago Bulls. Unless they plan on winning the remaining 53 games of their schedule in a row, we can reasonably deduce an unhappy picture.

Desperation Mode?

How do we know the Bucks are playing in desperation mode? In Thursday’s 111-105 home loss to the Toronto Raptors, Bobby Portis Jr. was great again, off the bench, with 24 points, 9-16 shooting from the field, with 3-6 touches outside the arc. In the Toronto game, Kevin Porter Jr. (22) played 40 minutes with 13 assists, Myles Turner played 31 minutes (21), and Ryan Rollins (17), off the bench, shot 7-15 from the field including 3-7 in three-point tries.

In Sunday’s 103-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portis Jr. (18 points) was a starter playing 39 minutes, and was gassed. Porter Jr. (24) played 37 minutes, and Turner (13) was on court for 38 minutes. A.J. Green (4) played 23 minutes, as did Rollins (16), again a non-starter.

The common denominator in both games was a shuffled starting line-up, as well as a decimated bench with six DNPs against the Raptors, and five DNPs facing the Timberwolves. Sadly, they led 60-48 at the half in Minnesota, before bad defense and long-range shooting by Minnesota’s Donte DiVicenzo and Terence Shannon Jr. helped give the edge.

Assessment, from the stands: Doc Rivers is trying hard to find an on-court mix, the front office is mum, the defense is still a lapse waiting to happen, and the players show heart if not effort. So … give them a plan, let’s experiment, and maybe have some fun.

Triangle Offense?

Is it a far-fetched notion to employ something tailormade like the “triangle offense?” Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry created it, and one of his players, Tex Winter, refined it. With head coach Phil Jackson, and Winter as assistant coach, it was good enough to bring world championships to the Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Basically, it emphasizes teamwork, spacing and player movement for scoring opportunities. The strategy uses a triangle formation on one side of the offensive court, with three players positioned to exploit the other team’s defensive weaknesses. With two players on the weak side of the court, any of the triangle’s three players are a scoring threat.

The ball movement, screening and cutting adds versatility in adapting to defensive schemes. Chiefly, it keeps them guessing with isolation and quick ball-reversal options. The triangle is initiated by the guard, like maybe Rollins, who is averaging 17 points per game, or Porter Jr. at 20 points per game.

Using the attached diagram, positions 1, 2, and 3 are ideal for a three-point shooter like Portis Jr., maybe? “The Big Guy” would be murder to the opposition in such a scheme: will he or won’t he shoot? No more “one man” offense. The diagram also promotes unselfish play. Did Jordan and Pippin, or Kobe and Shaquille, benefit? Just sayin’… we have the guns.

The Bucks come home to play at the Fiserv Forum on New Year’s Eve against the Washington Bullets.