Los Angeles Lakers to Implement Complicated “Princeton Offense”: Will It Work?

   The lineup isn’t the only thing Lakers’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak is shaking up this offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers are set to hire Eddie Jordan as an assistant coach to employ his distinguished Princeton Offense. Think of him as the equivalent of an offensive coordinator in football. The 57-year-old Jordan played in the NBA for 7 years, 4 of which were in a Lakers’ uniform. Jordan coached in the college ranks for a few years before being hired as an assistant for the Sacramento Kings in 1992. During his time in Sacramento, Jordan learned the complex Princeton Offense from fellow assistant Pete Carril, one of the forefathers of the offensive scheme. The Princeton Offense is characterized by constant motion, high-post screens, and cuts towards the basket. Besides the point guard, the center is the most important position if the offense is to be successful. It is his job to read the defense, and clear out space down-low or set a back-screen for a back-door pass to a cutting ...