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New York Knicks: Five Reasons To Like The Jeff Hornacek Hiring

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 31, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek reacts to a call against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek reacts to a call against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 21, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson watches during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. The Magic defeated the Knicks 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson watches during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. The Magic defeated the Knicks 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

5b. Important Connections, Part II

With his likability amongst players established, the next task is determining whether or not his relationship is strong with the front office. One positive sign is that Phil Jackson outright told the media that he wouldn’t hire someone without first developing a personal relationship.

Per Marc Berman of The New York Post, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes that Hornacek and Jackson are a perfect match for each other.

"“Jeff would have been a great player with the Bulls,” Kerr said. “He would have fit in exactly with the style we played. Utah’s system was very similar in terms of post feeding and split cuts. I know Phil always had tremendous respect for [former Jazz coach] Jerry Sloan, and I’m sure that factors in. On a personal level, I think they’ll get along really well.”"

Kerr, of course, won three championships as a key player for Jackson’s Chicago Bulls.

There’s no guaranteeing that the marriage between Hornacek and Jackson will last. There are very promising signs, including the fact that Jackson implored the Bulls’ front office to trade for Hornacek during the 1990s, but nothing is guaranteed in the NBA.

The fact that Jackson actually pulled the trigger on the Hornacek hiring, when close friend and Triangle disciple Kurt Rambis was a viable candidate, should be enough to inspire faith.

Jackson is known as The Zen Master for a reason; he’s as much about mental, “Simpatico,” as he is physical execution. He wouldn’t have hired Hornacek without the belief that the two could work in unison.

With an unsuccessful coaching marriage behind him, and perspective subsequently gained, Jackson hiring Hornacek is a move that suggests a successful bond has been forged.

More knicks: Which point guards are attainable in the 2016 NBA Draft?

More applicably, it’s a move that Knicks fans should be excited about.

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