L.A. Lakers: Can Steve Blake Thrive Outside of the Triangle Offense?

Former Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense must have seemed more like the Bermuda Triangle since Steve Blake seemed lost from his first days as a Laker and never could find his way around the philosophy and the principles of the scheme.

Many people who had applauded the Lakers' decision to sign Blake in the 2010 offseason were shocked at his inability to adapt to the Lakers offense, especially since Blake has been described as a steady, cerebral player who has good basketball instincts.

Instead, Blake struggled through his first season with the Lakers as his 4.0 scoring average was the lowest of his career, and his numbers were down in every single statistical category compared to his career averages.

Blake's main problem in the triangle was he had a tendency to over-think on some possessions instead of reacting to a particular situation.

Sometimes Blake would look for an extra pass instead of taking a wide-open perimeter shot, and other times Blake would rush his perimeter jumper rather than waiting for his teammates to get into good offensive position.

Blake never did manage to get a grasp of Jackson's offense, and in the postseason, he looked as if the Lakers would have been better off if they had left him off the playoff roster considering his ineffectiveness.



But Jackson has departed for different pastures, and new coach Mike Brown brings a new system that Blake is familiar with and caters more to his particular skill set.

Blake will never be considered a particularly quick or athletic player, but he does have good size for a point guard at 6'3", and he has shown the ability to thrive in an uptempo setting.

Brown will likely stress the importance of creating offense through pressure defense, and the transitions from one end of the court to the other are something Blake has excelled at since his days as a Maryland Terrapin.

Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers