Hornacek believes triangle offense can lure free agents to Knicks

Despite the limited success the New York Knicks have had in running it the past three seasons, head coach Jeff Hornacek believes the triangle offense can be a draw for free agents.

"There might be players that think (the triangle offense is a deterrent), but there are also probably players out there that say 'Oh man, I'd like to run something like that,'" Hornacek told reporters Wednesday, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "There are guys that may not necessarily like to run around and in (screen) staggers and all that stuff. It's still an offense where guys, if they're knowledgeable about the game, should like."

The Knicks have actually been a respectable offensive team this season, ranking 16th in the NBA - which is a considerable step up from last season (26th) and the season before (29th). But the fact remains that the system has produced, at best, an average offense since Phil Jackson installed it three years ago.

True, the Knicks have not been stocked with a plethora of offensive talent over that span, but even the woebegone Brooklyn Nets have embraced modern principles of efficient scoring. The Knicks have ranked in the bottom 10 in 3-point attempts and bottom five in free-throw attempts each of the past three seasons, and they're currently leading the league in mid-range attempts for the second straight year (they finished second in 2014-15).

That's to say nothing of the gripes Knicks players have vocalized over the years about the confusion the system has wrought, including, most recently, incumbent point guard Derrick Rose.

Indiana Pacers point guard Jeff Teague - a player not dissimilar to Rose who, incidentally, will be a free agent this summer - was asked about the triangle before the teams met on Tuesday night. Had he found it difficult to defend against?

"Not really," Teague said, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I'm not saying you can't defend it. I think a player like Rose, it gives you a better chance of containing him."

Hornacek, though, believes it still appeals to the basketball purist.

"It's a strategy that, almost every time down the court if you're a player, you're watching things develop," he said. "When you look at it that way, it's actually fun to run."