Jeff Hornacek has signed a three-year deal to become head coach of the New York Knicks. What are the fundamental aspects of Hornacek’s offense?
The New York Knicks are embracing the modern era of NBA basketball. The selection of Kristaps Porzingis and acquisition of Jerian Grant at the 2015 NBA Draft set the wheels in motion, but it wasn’t until 2016 that the movement was fully embraced.
In an extreme deviation from his reported commitment to exclusively running the Triangle Offense, Phil Jackson has hired Jeff Hornacek to become the next head coach of the Knicks.
The negotiations were reported on May 18 by Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Two weeks later, confirmation has come in the form of a reported contract signing.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Hornacek has signed a three-year deal to become the head coach of the Knicks.
Sources on @TheVertical: Jeff Hornacek signing three-year deal as New York Knicks coach. News conference this week. https://t.co/7yo9DtT2rn
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2016
After two ambivalent weeks, wait is over.
Hornacek played in the NBA from 1986 to 2000, earning a reputation as one of the smartest players in the league. He made the All-Star Game in 1992, played both guard positions, and made two NBA Finals and five Conference Finals appearances.
Hornacek earned his stripes playing for the legendary Jerry Sloan, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and John MacLeod.
As a coach, Hornacek took over a Suns team that went 25-57 the season before his arrival, and made a limited number of moves in the offseason. Despite losing key acquisition Eric Bledsoe for 39 games, Hornacek helped the Suns achieve a record of 48-34 in 2015-16.
The rest of his tenure wasn’t quite as fruitful, but Hornacek maintained a high level of respect across the Association. The question is, what makes Hornacek so special as a head coach?
It all starts on offense.
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