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Knicks Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Hiring Jeff Hornacek

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 31, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells to this team during the first half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells to this team during the first half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 29, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells out from the sideline against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells out from the sideline against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro: Overachiever

Jeff Hornacek knows how to turn water into a $10 bottle of wine, and that’s more than most coaches can say. He runs a solid system that, all things considered, took the Phoenix Suns to greater heights than it should’ve reached.

Hornacek was the one punished for Phoenix’s eventual collapse, but you can place the a vast majority of the blame on the front office and ownership.

Despite losing star point guard Eric Bledsoe for 39 games in 2013-14, Hornacek led the Suns to a record of 48-34. Despite trading the alienated Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas in 2014-15, and losing Brandon Knight for all but 11 games, Phoenix again overachieved at 39-43 in a deep conference.

In 2015-16, Hornacek was again faced with overcoming the mistakes of the front office.

Phoenix waged its entire summer on being able to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, which didn’t pan out. Injuries then struck, with Bledsoe playing 31 games and Tyson Chandler being available for four minutes in an early 10-game stretch.

This isn’t a list of excuses; it’s an acknowledgement of how Hornacek got the short end of the stick in Phoenix, and still managed to make the most of a bad situation.

Next: Con

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