Longtime NBA player Harvey Grant believes that Jeff Hornacek is the perfect coach for New York Knicks point guard Jerian Grant. Scott McGuire believes the same about Hornacek for Tony Wroten.
The New York Knicks have received mixed reviews about the reported decision to hire Jeff Hornacek as head coach. A fair portion of fans are excited, while others toe the line between skeptical and pessimistic.
Regardless of which side of the tracks one falls on, one belief is mutual: Hornacek knows how to maximize the value of his point guards.
For the Knicks, that’s both promising and underwhelming news. Phil Jackson has the cap space to pursue a big-name free agent, but the current roster consists of two point guards who are generally unproven: Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten.
Per Brian Lewis of The New York Post, longtime NBA player Harvey Grant believes that his son, Jerian, will thrive under coach Hornacek.
"“No question,” Grant’s father, Harvey, told The Post. “Jeff played in the league for years, coached in Phoenix. His system was mostly pick-and-roll. Jerian, once he learns the system, he can flourish in that system. And Jeff can tell him the ins and outs of being a guard in this league.”"
Hornacek knows as well as anyone what it takes to be a successful guard in the NBA.
Hornacek played both point guard and shooting guard during his 14-year NBA career. He made the All-Star Game in 1992, and seamlessly alternated between the role of productive scorer and gifted facilitator without interruption.
Thus, while a father’s support is to be expected, Harvey Grant isn’t just a biased spectator; he’s a knowledgable individual who’s been around the NBA block.
For those unfamiliar, Grant spent 11 productive seasons in the NBA between 1988 and 1999. He averaged upwards of 18 points per game in three consecutive seasons during the early 1990s, and made five postseason appearances.
Bias may exist, but Grant knows basketball.
Per Lewis, Grant isn’t the only one expressing faith in Hornacek’s abilities as a coach. Former Knicks scout Scott McGuire, son of Knicks legend Dick McGuire, is just as intrigued.
McGuire believes that Hornacek’s versatility as a player will help him connect with Grant and Wroten.
"“I’m pro-Hornacek. He’ll help all those guys if they listen,” said ex-Knicks scout Scott McGuire, son of team legend Dick McGuire. “Grant from Notre Dame is a terrific ballplayer. What they did with the Hardaway trade was a great trade. He didn’t play that much for a while, but he had more chances to learn and make mistakes, and as the season went on, he got better.“He’s going to be a good player no matter whose system it is. I don’t know if he’s a point guard or a shooting guard, but I know he has a nose for the ball, and has a nice way about him.”"
Landing a coach who can manage positional ambiguity is one of the keys to success in the modern NBA.
Hornacek is known more for his day as a shooting guard, but he was the prototype for a modern NBA point guard. He was a 6’3″ sharpshooter who could just as easily pour in 25 points as he could dish out 10 assists.
If either Grant or Wroten were to develop into half the player that Hornacek was, the Knicks would be a significantly better team because of it.
The key to Hornacek’s system is the presence of crafty and decisive ball-handlers. Beyond the transition playmaking is a need for said players to come off of screens and make the right decision.
Whether that be pulling up for a jump shot, driving to the hole, hitting the dive man, or kicking it out to a shooter, the pick-and-roll is a fundamental aspect of Hornacek’s system.
The question is: can Grant and Wroten thrive as facilitators? Both are elite physically—Grant a 6’4″ point guard and Wroten 6’6″—but neither has shown the consistent ability to create for others.
More knicks: Five reasons to like the Jeff Hornacek hire
If you ask Harvey Grant and Scott McGuire, Hornacek’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.