New York Knicks: Jeff Hornacek Talks Strategy For 2017-18 Season
In taking accountability for his part in the 2016-17 debacle, New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek discussed what he’ll do differently in 2017-18.
The 2016-17 NBA regular season has divided a loyal New York Knicks fan base. Between the legion of fans supporting Carmelo Anthony and the vast number of believers in 13-time NBA champion Phil Jackson, the drama has been ubiquitous.
Throughout the public feud between Anthony, Jackson, and their respective supporters, one individual has been routinely caught in the crosshairs: head coach Jeff Hornacek.
Hornacek was given the unenviable task of modernizing the triangle offense for players who have yet to buy into the original system. During that process, Hornacek ran multiple interpretations of the system—all of which seemed to give the wrong players trouble.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Hornacek acknowledged that attempting to run what was essentially multiple systems proved to the wrong decision.
"“Everybody coming into next year, we got to buy into the one way that we do it,” Hornacek said. “We probably tried to piece too many things together this year and we could never get it together quick enough. So we’ll look at everything next year.”"
If nothing else, Hornacek’s accountability is refreshing to see given the finger-pointing that’s plagued New York throughout 2016-17.
As fans of the stars and executives deflect blame, Hornacek is stepping into the spotlight. He understands that he’s not an innocent party in the 2016-17 debacle, and rather than running from that truth, he’s owning up to it.
That doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the 2017-18 season will be any better than 2016-17, but it’s a sign that Hornacek is willing to change.
Adaptability is a strength that a number of more heralded individuals within the organization could stand to learn from.
Accountable or otherwise, the reality is that Hornacek needs to help his players commit to a specific vision. It would have been ideal for Hornacek to modernize the triangle offense in 2016-17, but he must first help the players to learn the original scheme.
Hornacek believes that the stars may look at the triangle offense differently if they’re surrounded by the right players.
"“Do we have the right fit of guys running the system?” Hornacek said. “If we think that we can somehow — with a fresh start of training camp and go to it right off the bat, if that helps us and Phil [Jackson] and Steve [Mills] — we think maybe the same guys on this team could have a different outlook on it, then we’ll stay the same. If not, they’ll look at other guys.”"
One could also argue that the role players will be more committed to the triangle offense if the stars truly buy in.
Kristaps Porzingis recently stated that he likes playing in the triangle offense. During the interview, he also alluded to what’s plagued the Knicks during his two seasons as a player in New York: the players never truly bought in.
Whether it’s the triangle offense or a different system, one can only hope that the Knicks will commit to an approach before the 2017-18 regular season begins.
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Thankfully, head coach Jeff Hornacek is prepared to commit to a singular vision for the New York Knicks—the first step towards building the foundation for success.