New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek likes the idea of starting Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee, but knows it’s all about matchups.
The New York Knicks have crafted a roster that’s flush with talented players at all five positions. That’s something of a luxury for head coach Jeff Hornacek, but it’s also a burden that he and the coaching staff must carry as they build their rotations.
Although most eyes have turned to the center position, one of the more understated stories is the struggle to create the ideal perimeter situation.
New York has two shooting guards who project to be of great value in 2017-18: Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee. Hardaway was signed in 2017 to be a featured scoring option, and Lee is entering the second season of a four-year deal that asks him to provide two-way contributions.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, coach Hornacek likes the idea of playing Hardaway and Lee together, but knows there are limitations to when that can work.
"“Yeah I think defensively they’re able to scramble and help each other out and they can switch. There’s going to be teams that that can be rough to do. A big guy at the three spot, Tim and Courtney are only 6-5, 6-4 something like that. They got a 3 man like Gordon Hayward’s size, or something, it can be awfully tough. We might have to do something different. We don’t have to go with the same starting group every single night. There might be nights where we have to change it a little bit. But hopefully the top 10 guys that stick out are in the rotation somehow.”"
Although it may be ideal on paper to have a concrete starting lineup, it’s a testament to Hornacek’s adaptability that he’s mindful of matchups.
It stands to reason that starting Hardaway at shooting guard and Lee at small forward could work out on both ends of the floor. Offensively, both are skilled three-point shooters, quality athletes who can attack closeouts, and underrated passers who can find the open man.
Defensively, both have the physical attributes to contest shots and keep players in front of them with relative consistency.
The hurdle, of course, is that both Lee and Hardaway are undersized for a small forward—an issue that could be encountered in today’s NBA.
While the narrative may be that the NBA is a point guard driven league, it’s small forwards who are taking over. Players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Gordon Hayward, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard can simply be overwhelming at the position.
When the Knicks play teams that either go small or don’t have a distinct size advantage, however, Hardaway and Lee could conceivably start together.
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All coaches prefer to have a consistent top 10 players in the rotation, but Jeff Hornacek would rather be flexible than stuck in his ways with the Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and the New York Knicks.