Phil Jackson has shuffled through two disciples, but his beloved triangle offense will continue to be a part of the New York Knicks' offense.
That was the message delivered by newly minted head coach Jeff Hornacek, who was introduced to the Big Apple hopeful on Friday after signing a reported three-year deal.
"There must be something about the word triangle," Hornacek told reporters when asked about his offense. "Maybe we'll call it the circle offense. To me, it's just a way to space the floor."
Hornacek famously ran an up-tempo, pick-and-roll-heavy attack in his years with the Phoenix Suns. His style stands in stark contrast to how the Knicks operated under Kurt Rambis and Derek Fisher last season, when the team ranked in the bottom 10 in both pace and pick-and-roll possessions.
But as Hornacek explains, the triangle is more of a guiding philosophy, rather than a strict set. There's elements of the triangle in every offense.
"In Utah when I played, we had the 1-4 set," Hornacek said. "It was just a way to space the floor. It's the same reads, a lot of the same reads that we did then. In today's game, with a lot of the pick-and-rolls, it's just reading basketball."
And as for how all that will translate to the Knicks, he offered a compromise that would satisfy both fans and Jackson alike.
"It's something that we can run a lot of plays out of. It'll be a part of our offense. It's something that has worked, it's won championships," Hornacek said.