New York Knicks president Phil Jackson blasted NBA commissioner Adam Silver for his comments on the Knicks' triangle offense - the vaunted system that helped the Hall of Fame coach win 11 championship rings during his coaching career.
Silver made a sarcastic comment about the Knicks' triangle offense last week, saying that the team is obviously still learning the system because he can't understand what New York were running during their loss to the Detroit Pistons last Wednesday.
"I watched the Knicks' game last night," the commissioner said with a laugh according to ESPN. "Clearly, they're still learning the triangle. I still don't understand it. But they're learning it."
Reacting on Silver's take on the triangle, Jackson said that he did not appreciate the comments, pointing out that the commissioner should have avoided making the statement.
"I wasn't so humored by the commissioner actually jumping in on top of that, too," Jackson said. "He doesn't need to get in on that. There's enough focus on [the] triangle. It's not anything. It's a system. It's simple basketball. Just play the game. We're over the triangle; let's get to business and play the right way."
The Knicks are still clearly adjusting to the new system implement by new coach Derek Fisher, who said on Tuesday that his players are becoming too passive.
"We have a lot of guys that aren't being aggressive and playing with their instincts, and they're being passive a little bit right now, trying to fit in to the team chemistry," said Fisher, whose team holds a 2-6 record this season.
But as far as Jackson is concerned, he believes the Knicks are making progress every game, which is the most important thing in learning the triangle offense, which is considered by most NBA analysts as one of the most intricate systems.
"I see growth in this team, and I'm optimistic," Jackson said. "It's not always the final score; it's sometimes how you play. I think we're playing the game much better and we're getting some activity that we like to see."
The Knicks will look to snap their five-game losing skid when they take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
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