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New York Knicks: Busting Myths About Jeff Hornacek

By Maxwell Ogden

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 /
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Apr 14, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Gerald Green (14) against the Los Angeles Clippers at US Airways Center. The Clippers beat the Suns 112-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 14, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Gerald Green (14) against the Los Angeles Clippers at US Airways Center. The Clippers beat the Suns 112-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Gerald Green Situation

As previously established, Jeff Hornacek will help players shine offensively if they offer something in return: defensive intensity. That’s the reason he and Gerald Green had a falling out; Green was shining as a scorer, but Hornacek wanted more from him on defense.

While many will simply look at the fact that he and a player had a difference of opinion, Hornacek wasn’t in the wrong for benching one of his go-to scorers.

Green averaged 10.4 points on 41.9 percent shooting in 2006-07, but he wasn’t even in the NBA in 2009-10 and 2010-11. He shined in limited action in 2011-12 and struggled in 2012-13 before Hornacek tapped into his upside in 2013-14.

One year after averaging 7.0 points on a slash line of .366/.314/.800 in Indiana, Green averaged a career-high 15.8 points on a slash line of .448/.400/.848 with Hornacek.

Green was publicly upset with his decline in playing time in 2014-15, but Jeff Hornacek cited his defensive inconsistency as the reason why. Per Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic:

"“The next guy is going, ‘I needed help here and the guy wasn’t here.’ We’re trying to develop something for the future, not just being out here for everybody to play in the game. We want to get to a top-notch winning level and you’ve got to do it on both sides.”"

Let’s check the numbers.

In 2013-14, Green held opponents to 41.4 percent shooting from the field—2.9 percent below their average field goal percentage. In 2014-15, however, opponents shot 45.7 percent against Green—2.7 percent higher than their average field goal percentage.

Green is a talented offensive player, Hornacek’s reason for lowering Green’s minutes is corroborated by the numbers: he stopped trying on defense.

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