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New York Knicks: The Buzz Surrounding Jeff Hornacek

By Maxwell Ogden

Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek applauds from the sidelines during the game against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeat the Jazz 101-85. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek applauds from the sidelines during the game against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeat the Jazz 101-85. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 15, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek reacts from the sideline as they take not the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns 117-103. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek reacts from the sideline as they take not the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns 117-103. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

The Phoenix Suns Executive

As previously alluded to, the Phoenix Suns’ front office is a mess. It overloaded the roster in ways that failed to take chemistry and player morale into account, and dealt Jeff Hornacek an unplayable hand.

A member of the Suns’ front office went as far as admitting that to the New York media.

It may be classy to speak highly of someone after they’ve departed, but it’s far from a guaranteed course of action. Phoenix could’ve maintained the stance of its front office’s innocence in the obliteration of Hornacek’s tenure.

Instead, Mark West, the Suns’ Director of Player Relations, told Marc Berman of The New York Post that Hornacek wasn’t the man responsible for Phoenix’s implosion.

"“There were circumstances around him that caused us to not meet expectations more than his style of coaching or ability to coach,’’ West told The Post. “If you look at a thin slice of the pie and not the whole body of work, Phil Jackson is smarter than that,’’ West added. “I’m sure he didn’t judge it over Jeff’s career in basketball. He was in a tough spot. It unraveled. We won 48 games his first year, lost some of those players that helped achieve those goals, and it went the other way.”"

He’s right.

Let’s revisit what happened in Phoenix. Goran Dragic led the Suns to 48 wins and made the All-NBA Third Team, so the front office responded by signing two star-caliber players at his position to significant long-term deals.

Phoenix then traded Dragic and Thomas, thus hitting the reset button instead of dealing one and keeping a strong core together.

The following season, Markieff Morris all but publicly expressed his desire to leave Phoenix, and the Suns refused to trade him. Once again, the locker room had an embattled player who negatively impacted team morale, and the front office let him fester.

This isn’t a list of excuses—or a poorly written movie script—but an actual account of events.

must read: What are Carmelo Anthony's Top 5 moments in New York thus far?

If this collection of quotes has established anything, it’s that no one really holds what happened in Phoenix against Hornacek—and neither should you.

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