When the New York Knicks fired Derek Fisher mid-way through last season, there was a lot of speculation on who the next coach would be. Most New York fans wanted former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. But President of basketball operations, Phil Jackson, didn’t even give the man they call “Tibs” an interview. Jackson, aka, “The Zen Master” totally thought outside the box and went with Jeff Hornacek.
The former Utah Jazz shooting guard coached 3 seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2013-2016) and compiled a 101-112 record. Hornaceck is the eleventh coach the Knicks have had since 2001, so the pressure is on both him and Jackson to deliver right away. Below are three potential problems the new coach must overcome if he wants to lead the Knicks back into the post-season.
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Don’t stop the progress of Kristaps Porzingis: Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings and Carmelo Anthony all love to score off the dribble and create their own shots. Each of these players can dominate a game by themselves, but this usually comes at the expense of not getting other players involved. Coach Hornaceck must implement what he learned playing for Coach Jerry Sloan in Utah: Pass up a good shot for a great shot. The Knicks have to play selflessly and can’t let the ball “stick” to one player. The coaching staff needs to take a page out of the Spurs blueprint, and Porzingis should be in the top two for the team in shot attempts.
Anthony and Rose have to be “All-In” on defense: When you look at the best players in the NBA, they play both ends of the court. For instance, Point Guard Chris Paul and Small Forward LeBron James know the value of playing good defense. Both Anthony and Rose have shown flashes of playing quality defense, but they have to lead by example and go hard every night. Porzingis averaged 1.9 blocks per game last year, and Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee are both very good at limiting offensive players. The Knicks need all five starters playing “D” at a high level.
Get off to a fast start in the first 20 games: As a player, Hornaceck built his reputation as a hard-nosed grinder who never backed down from a challenge. During his time coaching in Phoenix, though, he lost the locker room. The Knicks have very strong personalities in Noah, Rose and Anthony. In order for him to succeed as their head coach, he must get the team winning early so they can all rally around him. If not, the veterans may start to criticize him publicly and privately.
Phil Jackson has always had an arrogance about him when it comes to basketball. He has that “I am always the smartest person in the room” aura. Winning 13 championships as a player and coach will do that to anyone. But in two years running the Knicks, New York has a combined record of 49-115. If the team doesn’t make the playoffs this year, his legacy will take a huge hit.
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