In the triangle offense 4 and 5 are the only players to play the post position. 1,2 and 3 are interchangeable at the various perimeter positions (point guard, strong-side wing, weak-side wing and corner position). The shape of a triangle is formed on the ball side by the post player, the wing player and the corner man. The triangle can be formed on either the right or left side; it can be initiated by either a pass from the point guard to one of the wing men or by the point guard dribbling over to one of the wing positions . Whichever player ends up with the ball in the strong-side wing position becomes the "trigger man" - what he does with the ball determines the offensive movement.
The offense begins with 4 and 5 located at the elbows and the two wing players on the lower blocks, as shown. When the point guard reaches the bottom of the mid-circle, 4 and 5 then downpick for 2 and 3 to get them open in the wing areas for a pass from 1, as shown in the diagram.

Another way to begin the triangle is to have 1 dribble to either wing position with the wing player then v-cutting down to the corner position and the strong-side post player moving to the high-post elbow position, as shown here.
(We'll be showing only the wing pass entry in our play option examples, but all plays can also be initiated by the point guard dribbling over).

Either of these two ways to begin the offense will result in the triangle being set up. In this example, where 1 has passed to 3 on the wing then cut through to the corner, the triangle is set on the right side with 3 on the wing as the trigger man, 1 in the corner and 5 in the ball-side high post area.
2 moves up to the point area for defensive protection and 4 moves out to the weak side wing area.
(All of the triangle offense options shown in the following pages can be run from either the right side or the left side - it doesn't matter which side the play begins on.)