The Trig Approach: “Collinear” Offense Vs. Man-To-Man Defense

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After detailing Principles & Designs in our 1st discussion on The Trig Approach it’s time to flow into the “Collinear” halfcourt offense versus traditional man-to-man defense.

The break finishes into a 1/4 low until the first triangle is built. After one player hooks to the wing, the rest of the possession looks to establish a 4-out/1-in with an occupying low or high post presence.

Line Of Deployment

“In mathematics, three or more points that all lie on the same line are said to be collinear. The actions we use in our main offense go from a triangle set to a collinear look.” (40)

Don’t say you didn’t learn anything from reading this post, now that you know the definition of collinear.

Keeping it in the math family, The Trig Approach is not completely congruent to the triangle offense; despite the consistent use of triangles and adoption of Tex Winter’s line of deployment. For those unfamiliar, look up any games from the Chicago Bulls or L.A. Lakers during the late 1990’s to early 2000’s under Coach Phil Jackson. You’ll see a largely patterned offense predicated on personnel playing out of triangles on the floor.

OK, so there is quite a bit of overlap. But Coach Andrew Dodd’s definition for the line of deployment is different. Instead of playing with a preferred post position 45° from the ball there is more flexibility involved; whoever is low gets to the pinch post and plays.

Pinch & Play

The Trig Approach is a game of 3v3 + 2v2. Pinch & play is any triangular action with 2 other teammates stretched on the perimeter ready to take advantage of a collapsed defender.

The book identifies 5 of the most commonly used types of plays:

These are just examples of common 3-man actions that all could be incorporated. This is then followed up by certain concepts or guidelines for players in the stretch: when to lift or when to cut based on how the play is unfolding.

After the initial break, the identified post or big tends to be the first involved in the pinch and play. Following that sequence, it could flow into anyone else on the team, which could create some limitations or potentially cater to iso opportunities within the 15-foot range. This is where it can get fun from a coaching standpoint, and even more so for the players.

“This was the beginning of the self-organizing process. Players discovered what they did well within the design, took ownership & began making the offense theirs.” (53)

Putting It All Together

Here’s my own interpretation of F.A.Q. related to the “Collinear” offense with some quotes by Coach Andrew Dodd further explaining the ins & outs of The Trig Approach.

There are wrinkles and rules added in the book to contextualize more methods to the madness. The key takeaway is versatility within the system relentlessly attacking via a variety of 3-man actions. Well, what if the defense zones? That is when The Trig Approach deploys Flo concepts which will be covered in our final edition, along with some bonus material on special situations and form shooting.