Jeff Hornacek has outlasted former team president Phil Jackson with the New York Knicks. What can the head coach do to justify his return in 2017-18?
With all eyes on Kurt Rambis, former New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson made a shocking decision during the 2016 NBA offseason. Rather than hiring the fans’ feared favorite, he named Jeff Hornacek to be the Knicks’ 28th head coach.
While Jackson may be out as team president, Hornacek will have a rare opportunity to prove himself to a new front office regime.
Hornacek is one of the most respected individuals in the NBA, due in large part to his successful playing career. He made the All-Star Game in 1992, reached two NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz, and led the Phoenix Suns to two Conference Finals appearances.
As a coach, Hornacek led an overachieving Suns team to 48 wins in 2013-14, and had his team on pace for the playoffs before the front office blew the team up in 2014-15.
Hornacek’s first season in New York was disappointing, but most are forgiving of his 31-51 record due to the extenuating circumstances. The working theory is that he was undermined by Jackson and overpowered by the off-court drama.
As Jeff Hornacek prepares for his second season as head coach of the New York Knicks, what should he realistically aspire to do in 2017-18?
5. Limit Off-Court Drama
This may seem like an unnecessary goal, but with the New York Knicks, that’s far from the case. Unnecessary locker room drama has been as synonymous with the Knicks as lackluster effort on defense and incessant trade rumors.
A year after the off-court drama was more of a story than what transpired on the court, head coach Jeff Hornacek must create a healthier environment in the locker room.
The feud between Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson was both highly publicized and, quite frankly, ugly. It became the top story in New York, as Knicks players and coaches were given a distraction from the highest possible level.
It didn’t help that Anthony is respected by all of his teammates, and Jackson was already viewed as a polarizing figure by the players he signed.
In 2017-18, Hornacek must do everything in his power to ensure that the focus in New York is basketball. Issues will arise, as they do in all locker rooms, but he must be able to control the narrative and keep his players focused.
If Hornacek fails to eliminate the off-court drama that plagued the Knicks in 2016-17, nothing else that he does will mater much in the long-term.
4. Develop A Functioning Offense
Throughout the 2016-17 NBA regular season, the triangle offense became the primary reason for outrage amongst New York Knicks fans. Compounded with the polarizing nature of the team president who was attempting to install the system, the players never seemed to buy in.
With a chance to design his own offense, head coach Jeff Hornacek will face few tasks more important than finding the right system for his players.
The triangle offense may be out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the new offense will work. Jeff Hornacek ran dual point guard sets with the Phoenix Suns to high levels of efficiency, but that was more a sign of his adaptability than anything else.
The Knicks have more of a traditional roster than the Suns gave Hornacek, which will require him to prove himself in a way he’s yet to do.
It’s worth noting that Hornaeck played for some of the greatest offensive minds in NBA history, including Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan. It’s also worth noting that his ability to adapt is something that not all coaches possess.
Regardless of what he does in New York, Hornacek must develop an offensive system that will create a consistent and efficient level of execution.
3. Keep KP In The Paint On Defense
Kristaps Porzingis has an alluring ability to make a defensive impact in a versatile manner. Not only is he already an outstanding shot-blocker, but he has the mobility to flex out to the perimeter and defend stretch 4s.
Appealing as that may be, head coach Jeff Hornacek should make it a point for Porzingis to be stationed in the paint on defense in 2017-18.
Versatility can be a beautiful thing, but Porzingis is a 7’3″ charter bus of a rim protector. While it may be impressive to watch him defending the perimeter and running back down to the paint to block a shot, it’s also what every opponent wants him to do.
If the Knicks’ best rim protector is away from the paint on defense, then the opposition has successfully spaced the floor—and it’s on Hornacek to fix that flaw.
The New York Knicks don’t have the most explosive of athletes at center, but Hornacek must design a scheme that accounts for this need. Porzingis’ presence in the paint is far more valuable than having his hand in the face of a stretch 4.
Three may be more than two, but the Knicks ranked No. 24 in the NBA in points allowed in the paint per game—a product of Porzingis not spending nearly enough time down low.
2. Convince The Players To Commit To Defense
One could fairly argue that this matters more than anything else that transpires in 2017-18. The New York Knicks were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA during the 2016-17 season, and success will be elusive until that changes.
Every great Knicks team has been built on the foundation of a commitment to defense, and even in the modern era, a different approach will most likely prove fruitless.
Between his playing days and his current status as a coach, Jeff Hornacek is anything but lackadaisical on defense. He was an excellent defender as a player, and preached defensive intensity as head coach of the Phoenix Suns.
New York may not have the most alluring personnel for execution on the defensive end of the floor, but Hornacek has enough talent to achieve a reasonable measure of success.
If Hornacek convinces his players to commit to putting forth a concerted effort on defense, the Knicks should be a relevant team. New York may not defend like the San Antonio Spurs, but it could at least make games competitive and worth watching.
If a commitment to playing hard on defense becomes second nature, it’s then that the Knicks can commit their resources to building an ideal offense.
1. Compete For The Playoffs
If the New York Knicks miss the playoffs, it would be easy enough to forgive head coach Jeff Hornacek. Team president Phil Jackson left behind a measure of dysfunction that could be detrimental to team success, and that’s created something of a reason for patience.
True as that may be, the Knicks should at least be a competitive team during the 2017-18 NBA regular season—and thus be relevant in the postseason discussion.
Call it ambitious, but a trio of Carmelo Anthony, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Kristaps Porzingis should lead an effective offense. Coupled with the spacing provided by Courtney Lee, the post presence of Willy Hernangomez, and a decent bench, the Knicks should produce quality numbers.
If Hornacek can convince the players to commit on defense, then the two-way balance should be enough to make New York entertaining—step one.
In a depleted Eastern Conference, the Knicks should have a shot at making the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks lost Paul Millsap, the Chicago Bulls lost Jimmy Butler, the Indiana Pacers lost Paul George, and few postseason outsiders from 2016-17 made noteworthy improvements.
New York doesn’t necessarily need to make the playoffs, but if Carmelo Anthony is still in town, competing for a spot in the postseason should be the top goal for head coach Jeff Hornacek.
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The playoffs and the draft lottery are both alluring prospects. Either way, the 2017-18 NBA season will be about progress for Jeff Hornacek and the New York Knicks.