Knicks Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Hiring Jeff Hornacek

New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson reportedly interviewed Jeff Hornacek for the coaching vacancy. What would be the pros and cons of potentially hiring Hornacek?

Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks are expanding their horizons. In the face of persistent rumors that the coaching search was limited to David Blatt, Kurt Rambis, and Frank Vogel, a fourth name was thrown into the mix.

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Jackson interviewed former Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek about the Knicks’ coaching vacancy.

"The New York Knicks have interviewed former Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek for their coaching vacancy, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that Knicks president Phil Jackson recently met with Hornacek, bringing the total of known candidates for the New York job to four."

Carmelo Anthony is likely happy to know that New York is expanding its options.

The favorites remain Blatt, Rambis, and Vogel, but Hornacek is an interesting addition to the coaching search. He’s one of the more respected minds in the NBA, and while his Suns tenure didn’t end on great terms, he effectively established his potential as a coach while in Phoenix.

According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, Hornacek’s upside as a coach has landed him the position as the Knicks’ next head coach.

The question is, what are the pros and cons of New York hiring Hornacek to be the next head coach of the Knicks?

Next: Pro

Pro: Respected Leader

During his tenure as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Jeff Hornacek earned the respect of his players. For as strenuous as many players’ relationship was with the front office, Hornacek appeared to have a strong connection with his guys.

Per Matt Moore of CBS Sports, star point guard Goran Dragic spoke at length about his admiration of Hornacek.

"“The best thing is all the players have a great relationship with the coaching staff. We really believe in Jeff. Jeff is unbelievable, he played in this league for many years and was one of the best shooting guards. He knows how to play this game.”"

Dragic eventually requested a trade, but even then, his issues were with the front office—not Hornacek.

Hornacek does a great job of connecting with players and building strong relationships. That’s an important trait for whomever is hired as the next head coach of the New York Knicks.

New York’s media will relentlessly make a story out of nothing, which makes having a strong relationship between coach and player quite important.

In the case of Carmelo Anthony, Hornacek checks the boxes on what the nine-time All-Star described as his ideal coach. Anthony stated that he wants a coach who, “[Holds] guys accountable, but also [has] a relationship with the player,” and that’s exactly who Hornacek is.

Hornacek comes off as the type of unflappable, but approachable coach whom Anthony would like to play for, and the media couldn’t get to.

Next: Con

Con: Inexperience

Jeff Hornacek spent three eventful seasons as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. He hit the highest of early-career highs and the lowest of overall lows, which has made him a difficult coach to project.

The reality is, New York is attempting to win sooner than later, and Hornacek’s relative inexperience doesn’t promise immediate results.

Clearly, Hornacek’s 48-34 2013-14 campaign should be taken into account—especially since teh team was 25-57 in 2012-13. The same should be said for 2014-15, as 39-43 was a much better record than Phoenix should’ve recorded due to the disarray created by the front office.

Carmelo Anthony is a 32-year-old star who’s looking to contend, however, and merely getting back to the playoffs may not be enough to appease him.

For Kristaps Porzingis, having a young coach who’s proven adept at using stretch 4s could be rewarding. Due to the sense of urgency, however, the strengths of the other coaches will be weighed against Hornacek’s relative inexperience.

Fortunately, Hornacek knows a thing or two about immediate turnarounds.

Next: Pro

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

Con: Coaching Style

This is a question mark, and not necessarily a con. The troubling reality is, during Jeff Hornacek’s only three seasons as a head coach, the Phoenix Suns played through the strengths of their guards.

The New York Knicks, of course, can’t accurately call their guard play a strength.

Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten have potential, and Jose Calderon is a decent player, but none provide immediate value. Even if the Knicks were to sign a big-name free agent at one of the two guard spots, the elephant would remain in the room.

In the Triangle Offense, point guards are generally limited in their freedom to roam and make plays.

The New York Knicks have the foundation for a genuinely elite defense with Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez. Those two excellent rim protectors led New York to a ranking of No. 1 in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage at the rim.

Even with Carmelo Anthony expanding his game into the role of a facilitator, however, one can’t help but wonder if Hornacek’s style fits—or if he was simply making due with what was given to him in Phoenix.

The silver lining: Phoenix utilized multiple ball-handlers, and that does translate to the Triangle Offense.

Next: Pro

Pro: Balance

Jeff Hornacek was handed a trio of Phoenix Suns teams hindered by youth and the absence of a defensive anchor. Despite those realities, Hornacek had Phoenix looking like a well-oiled machine.

With an emphasis on ball movement and trust, Hornacek proved that his system can work when committed to.

In 2013-14, Phoenix ranked No. 8 in offensive efficiency and No. 13 in defensive efficiency. The latter number is quite impressive considering Phoenix’s defense was, “Anchored,” by the likes of Channing Frye, Markieff Morris, and Miles Plumlee.

One can’t help but feel intrigued by what Hornacek would be able to do with Robin Lopez and Kristaps Porzingis as his starting interior tandem.

Offensively, Hornacek’s emphasis on ball movement and motion suggests he can add a new element to the Knicks’ offense. The Triangle Offense may be the foundation, but that doesn’t mean it’s the exclusively utilized system.

If Hornacek were to convince his players to work without the ball and play competitive team defense, he could get the New York Knicks back to the postseason.

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He’ll receive that opportunity as the next head coach of the New York Knicks.