New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is being asked to turn water to wine on defense. The former All-Star is up to the challenge.
The New York Knicks were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA during the 2016-17 regular season. During the 2017 offseason, the Knicks parted ways with some of the biggest culprits of defensive inconsistency, only to acquire more offensive-minded players.
Despite the fact that New York’s roster is catered more to execution on the offensive end of the floor, head coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t going to stop preaching defense.
New York finished the 2016-17 season at No. 23 in scoring defense and No. 25 in defensive efficiency. It ranked in the top half of the league in opponent field goal percentage and opponent three-point field goal percentage, but placed dead last in second chance points allowed.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, coach Hornacek understands that building a consistent defensive team will take time—and he’s willing to see the process through.
"“We’ve just got to work with these guys. We’re not going to be the greatest defensive team to start out. Our makeup is a lot of offensive players. That’s something we need to get them to work every day. We’re doing it every single day. Progressively through the season we’ll get better at it. Do we want to become a team that gives up 95 points a game? Sure. If we can just improve – even if it’s one or two baskets. That was one of the talks today. If we can just improve on a couple things where we shave off two baskets, that’s four points. That’s what we’re looking at.”"
Turning an offensive-minded team into a defensive juggernaut won’t be easy, but Hornacek has been in a similar position before and experienced modest success.
When Hornacek was in Phoenix, the Suns had a roster that was flush with offensive-minded players who struggled on defense. Despite losing one of his most trusted defenders, Eric Bledsoe, for 39 games, Hornacek coached Phoenix to a ranking of No. 13 in defensive efficiency in 2013-14.
The hope in New York is that Hornacek can work similar magic with the current roster, which specializes in offense, but has the size and athleticism to defend.
With veterans such as Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah teaching the proper work habits on defense, Hornacek and the Knicks could change the culture as soon as 2017-18.
New York has two promising young defensive players in point guard Frank Ntilikina and power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Both have elite physical gifts for their respective positions, and both are viewed as mismatches who can lock an opponent down and eliminate a portion of the opposing team’s gameplan.
Beyond that dynamic duo, however, is an admittedly questionable cast of players who haven’t exactly prioritized defense in the past.
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The question is: Will Jeff Hornacek be the head coach who teaches the New York Knicks to defend at the level required of them?
Optimism exists, and the track record