Phil Jackson Quotes

Running the triangle offense, you have pretty much set rotations where you are going to be at.

Our centers spread the floor, shoot the three and block shots. We can play pick and pop.

I've always been a high-percentage shooter, obviously because I'm dunking and laying the ball up.

Everyone sees me as a defensive-minded guy, but both sides of the court are important. If you want to win, you have to be good on both sides.

The value of a Bismack Biyombo is the speed and agility that he has at the center position.

It used to be every single time you got the rebound, you handed it to the point guard, or you outlet it to the point guard, or everyone cleared, and you waited until the point guard brought the ball up the floor.

Passing the basketball - I feel like I've gotten better with that.

When we're able to get stops, get the ball off the glass and run, you never know who's going to get the ball. Everyone takes off, runs to their spots, and the ball just finds the open man.

Be tough. As a big guy, it's what your teammates expect from you, to be strong. Set good screens offensively and box out at the other end. It's a simple technique. I learned it when I was little.

Small ball, spacing, shooting 3s, is something that everybody's trying to do.

We need to play tough defense and have a sound offense. But mostly, we have to outrebound the other team.

It's hard to play basketball without a point guard - it's an important position.

Basketball is basketball, so from a strategic standpoint, having a players' perspective is valuable.

Back when I played, basketball was all about fundamentals, about hustling, getting those loose balls, all those rebounds under the basket. That equals up to 12, 14, 16 points. You can lose a game with that much. It's different watching basketball now. People don't play the same way. It doesn't matter if you score, if you can't stop the other team from scoring. Our coach used to kick our ass if we didn't. I was told if you saw more of the other team color under the basket than your own team color, you ain't doing your job. Everybody should be under the board, trying to get that ball.

Offense is spacing and spacing is offense.

I always laugh when people ask me about rebounding techniques. I've got a technique. It's called just go get the damn ball.

Players have to buy into your system and be willing to accept the role, you, as the coach, have assigned to them

I think [Otto Porter Junior] just took a couple tough shots so far - a couple tough jump shots - but I think he has a great mid-range game, he's very tall and can create his shot. So, I think with more spacing he'll get easier shots, I think he'll be fine.

Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships.

You need your best players to play their best when their best is needed

I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.

I dribbled by the hour with my left hand when I was young. I didn't have full control, but I got so I could move the ball back and forth from one hand to the other without breaking the cadence of my dribble. I wasn't dribbling behind my back or setting up any trick stuff, but I was laying the groundwork for it.

You should sub a player out when you see a player not going full-speed or playing selfish basketball.

Most lay-ups and two foot jump shots around the goal are missed by not putting the ball up high enough on the backboard

I was taught to play the game from a total team concept-to be able to do everything reasonably well and some things extraordinarily well. If I'm not shooting well, I'll try to be an asset in other ways-like defense, passing, rebounding, and hustle.