New York Knicks: Jeff Hornacek rips team’s lackluster effort
New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek ripped his team’s effort after yet another lifeless performance. The message is fair and on point.
The New York Knicks were once known as the team that no one wanted to play. Whether or not the Knicks had the talent to overcome the task ahead of them, they’d outwork and out-hustle every team they encountered.
Unfortunately, those days have passed as the Knicks have instead devolved into a team that simply can’t be trusted to play with a consistent level of energy or intensity.
Over the course of the James Dolan era, a broken culture has been established in which New York has severely overestimated its capabilities. It routinely mails it in for three quarters before attempting to turn it on in the fourth—an approach that has expectedly failed more than it’s succeeded.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, head coach Jeff Hornacek ripped the Knicks’ flawed belief that they’re good enough to simply show up and play when it’s convenient for them.
"“That’s how you’re supposed to play all the time,” Hornacek said of the Knicks’ 24-5 fourth-quarter splurge. “It’s disappointing where they [think] they’re at the point they can just show up and play the game.”"
Hornacek expounded upon the thought by stressing how important it is to play with an internal desperation in the pursuit of victory.
"“Some of the guys think they’re playing hard,” Hornacek said after the Knicks lost for the 12th time in 13 games. “I’m sure the guys are saying, ‘I’m playing as hard as I can.’ There’s playing hard and playing with desperation and doing what it takes to win. That’s an internal thing. If you want to be in this league and be great, that’s what you have to do and not just do it when you’re down 15 points.”"
It’s unclear if Hornacek’s message is getting through to the players, but he’s certainly speaking a truth that Knicks fans should have no trouble agreeing with.
New York has won two championships and reached the NBA Finals on eight separate occasions. During each of those runs, the Knicks prioritized defense and played with a consistent level of tenacity—no matter the venue.
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With the loss of that identity has come the arrival of one of the darkest periods in franchise history, with a grand total of four postseason appearances in 17 seasons.
That lack of team success can be linked to the fact that the Knicks have failed to fix the broken culture that’s overruling its ability to develop talent.
Most continue to pine for improved lottery odds in the hopes of adding a high-quality prospect to the current core. If said prospect is added to an organization that can’t provide it with structure and guidance, however, developing raw talent into something tangible will be an almost impossible task.
Thankfully, general manager Scott Perry and head coach Jeff Hornacek appear to be on the same page as far as changing the culture and establishing a new identity are concerned.
The players, however, haven’t committed quite as firmly.
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The question is: Will the New York Knicks truly process what Jeff Hornacek is saying and accept the need to change the culture?