Chauncey Billups: Top PGs Don’t Want to Play in the Triangle

Chauncey Billups isn’t the biggest fan of what the Triangle Offense offers point guards. Are the New York Knicks in danger of alienating top free agents?

Chauncey Billups traveled the long journey from being a virtual afterthought during his first six seasons to becoming of the best point guards of the 2000s. His accolades include an NBA championship, the 2004 Finals MVP award, and five All-Star Game appearances.

Billups was also a long-time teammate of Carmelo Anthony, who’s currently attempting to recruit top talent to play alongside him with the New York Knicks.

Billups has publicly supported Anthony in his pursuit of a championship, but doesn’t seem to believe ‘Melo’s efforts to recruit a point guard will pay off. That’s not necessarily an indictment of the player Anthony has become, but more so the system in which he plays.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Billups doesn’t think that star point guards will want to play in the Knicks’ Triangle Offense.

"“I will tell you this about that triangle,’’ Billups said. “If I’m a top point guard and a free agent, I’m not going to want to be playing in that triangle. A point guard needs more pick-and-roll, more freedom. It’s going to be restrictive to my play. I think that would be a good thing — if they are opening it up a little. It’s the only way to get a point guard.’’"

The Triangle Offense has never tailored to the needs of a point guard, which makes these comments less somewhat accurate.

The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s relied upon shooting guard Michael Jordan and small forward Scottie Pippen to tackle the facilitating duties. The Los Angeles Lakers of the early and late 2000s did the same with players such as shooting guard Kobe Bryant and hybrid forward Lamar Odom.

Thus, it stands to reason that Phil Jackson will move forward with the same minimal emphasis on point guard play with the Knicks of 2016 and beyond.

The crux of Billups’ argument isn’t necessarily that point guards are irrelevant in the Triangle Offense, although it can seem that way. Instead, he’s pointing out the objective reality that the freedom a point guard experiences with the ball in their hands is greater in virtually all other systems.

As proven by the Golden State Warriors’ loose interpretation and adaptation of the Triangle Offense, it isn’t such a bad thing for point guards to play off-ball if their jump shot is strong enough.

Clearly, Stephen Curry is the type of X-Factor who makes a split—and it’s far less of a split than the Triangle Offense traditionally entails—between on and off-ball duties both practical and beneficial. A player who struggles to shoot, or is merely solid with their jumper, may experience otherwise avoided limitations.

Nevertheless, Anthony doesn’t believe the Triangle Offense would limit the effectiveness of free agency target Rajon Rondo.

Rondo told Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York that the Triangle Offense, “Isn’t a good look for me,” in February of 2016.

There’s no question that the Triangle Offense can be polarizing and alienating, but adjustments for the modern era may create opportunities for point guards to thrive. It’s unclear whether or not Jackson is willing to make those concessions, but he may need to in order for New York escape the bottom half of the NBA.

Billups believes that the Triangle Offense will scare the top point guards in the Association away from joining the Knicks.

Here’s hoping Anthony’s opinion is closer to the truth.