New York Knicks big man Kyle O’Quinn recently spoke to reporters at Summer League. He explained what Jeff Hornacek is asking of his players on offense.
One of the more intriguing repercussions of the Phil Jackson firing is that head coach Jeff Hornacek will be able to run his own offense. Whether or not you condemned the triangle offense, Hornacek can give the New York Knicks a look on offense that complies with modern standards.
During a recent appearance at the Orlando Summer League, Knicks big man Kyle O’Quinn provided insight into what changes fans can expect.
Prior to taking the job in New York, Hornacek became one of the more respected coaches in the NBA while with the Phoenix Suns. He was the runner-up for Coach of the Year in 2013-14 after leading Phoenix to a 48-34 season—success that was the result of his dynamic schematics.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, O’Quinn outlined what it is that Hornacek expects of his players on the offensive end of the floor.
"“[Jeff] Hornacek, he has some things he would like to see us do more of,’’ said O’Quinn, a former Magic forward who still has a place in Orlando. “He’ll start Day 1 in training camp to get us to play the way he wants us to play. It will be a good thing. We can’t slow down at this point. Us slowing down will work against us. Some things will be a little faster, more ball screens, more movement will be the best advantage.”"
Those are all welcome revelations for a Knicks team that often looked stagnant and out of rhythm on the offensive end of the floor.
New York finished the 2016-17 season at No. 18 in both points per game and points per 100 possessions. It ranked No. 23 in field goal percentage, No. 21 in 3-point field goal percentage, No. 24 in fast break points, and No. 25 in points in the paint.
Despite ranking No. 12 in points per isolation play, it ran isolation possessions with the fourth-highest frequency in the NBA.
In 2017-18, New York will attempt to utilize speed and precision to its advantage.
There’s no guaranteeing that Hornacek will run the same system with the Knicks as he did with the Suns. While playing for the Suns and Utah Jazz, however, he was often utilized in duel-playmaker sets alongside the likes of Kevin Johnson and John Stockton.
Considering that translated to his first career head coaching job, and the Knicks are looking for a point guard to pair with Frank Ntilikina, it’s safe to assume such sets will resurface in New York.
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Regardless of which system Jeff Hornacek chooses to run, the New York Knicks will aim to be faster and more precise on offense in 2017-18.