National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: What Players Are Saying About Jeff Hornacek

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks unexpectedly hired Jeff Hornacek to fill the head coaching vacancy. What have the players been saying about it?

Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells from the sidelines against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks shocked the basketball community during the summer of 2016. One could’ve made that statement about any number of moves made by Phil Jackson, but none were quite as shocking as the hiring of Jeff Hornacek.

As the likes of David Blatt, Kurt Rambis, and Frank Vogel dominated the headlines, it was Hornacek whom Jackson chose to hire as head coach.

Hornacek comes to New York with a career record of 101-112 as a head coach. He accumulated those marks in two-and-a-half seasons as head coach of the Phoenix Suns—a team he led to severe overachievement.

Though the cynics have focused entirely on his dismissal, not enough attention has gone to the circumstances surround it.

During his first season at the helm, Hornacek overcame Eric Bledsoe missing 39 games due to injury to lead the Suns to a record of 48-34. That earned him the second-most votes on the Coach of the Year ballot.

The question is: are Knicks players believing the negative hype? Or do they see the rhyme in Jackson’s reason?

Mar 26, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith (5) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony

In the short-term, the top priority for Jeff Hornacek should be to get the franchise player to buy into his system and basketball philosophies. Without the star of the show on the same page as the head coach, no vision can be properly executed.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, franchise player Carmelo Anthony is a, “Big supporter,” of Hornacek’s.

“My head coach is in there, sitting there waiting to watch me work out. That was good feeling just to see the energy and vibe was a lot different. For him to take that step and want to have that conversation with me, wanting to start off the relationship on the right foot, I accepted that.

“But how we’re going to play, we haven’t discussed basketball. He’s trying to get his situation acclimated living in the city, family. It’s a big adjustment, but I’m a big supporter.’’

You can cross that item off of the agenda.

Anthony is one of the most decorated players in NBA history. He’s won three Olympic gold medals and a scoring title, and has six All-NBA selections and nine All-Star Game appearances.

Anthony is also No. 29 on the all-time scoring list with 22,497 career points.

If there’s any question about who the best player on the New York Knicks is, simply look at Anthony’s resume and you’ll find the answer.

Anthony will give Hornacek a flexibility on offense that he wasn’t fortunate enough to have with the Suns. The goal is to have five player working off of one another, but having an isolation scoring threat like Anthony alleviates a significant amount of pressure.

Anthony has just as much to gain with a coach who plans to make scoring a more efficient endeavor. Thus, the mutual support.

Mar 19, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots over Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley (1) during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Kristaps Porzingis

If finding an understanding with Carmelo Anthony is the top priority, then second on the agenda is developing Kristaps Porzingis. The New York Knicks selected Porzingis at No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and are wagering the future of the organization on his upside.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Porzingis believes that Jeff Hornacek approaches the game in all the right ways.

“I think he’s a very smart coach. He knows how to use his players and that’s exactly what we need,” Porzingis said. “And we’ll see if we can get some more players this offseason. But I think we have enough talent and having [Carmelo Anthony] makes everybody better. So if we know how to go from there, using Melo, myself and involving everybody, using everybody’s strengths and putting it all together, then we’ll be a different team. We’ll be able to succeed.”

That’s a critical cosign—one that’s complemented by poignant facts.

The most common misconception about Hornacek’s offense is that it only helps the guards. The reality is that the big men play just as big of a role, as they constantly set screens, spot up from beyond the arc, go to the post, and dive off the pick and roll.

While most big men only check one or two of those boxes, Porzingis is adept in all four phases—likely a reason Hornacek’s offense was so appealing to Phil Jackson.

If Hornacek does in New York what he did in Phoenix, Porzingis can make Markieff Morris’ breakout years look like just another day at the office.

More important than the offense is the fact that Hornacek understands the importance of highlighting strengths and hiding weaknesses. Rather than putting players on an island, he coaches to their strengths.

New York needed a coach who could help Porzingis become the superstar he’s capable of becoming. Hornacek is that guy.

Willis Reed

One could very easily make the case that Willis Reed is the greatest player in franchise history. He’s the only New York Knicks player to win MVP and was the Finals MVP during the franchise’s only two championship runs.

According to Christian Red of The New York Daily News, the most decorated champion in franchise history is firmly in Jeff Hornacek’s corner.

“I like Hornacek. My wife don’t like him, because we used to play him when I was (coaching) at Creighton and he was playing for Johnny Orr (at Iowa State). He used to beat the hell out of us,” says Reed, laughing. “She never liked him. But those were the old days. I liked the way he played the game. I wish him well.”

Reed may not be an active player, but his opinion is as valued in New York as any man’s.

Reed has seen his fair share of highs and lows as a member and alumni of the Knicks organization. He was one of the few bright spots during a lackluster stretch in the 1960s and led the resurrection of the organization in the 1970s.

Thus, while Reed will always be supportive of the Knicks, he’s not exactly inclined to lie to make the fans feel better.

Reed has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in New York, which gives him unique perspective.

The good news for Hornacek is that, as Reed alluded to, his experience as a player has translated into his coaching. Hornacek played both guard spots during his college and professional careers, and studied under some of the greatest minds in basketball history.

Between Cotton Fitzsimmons, Johnny Orr, and Jerry Sloan, Hornacek comes from one heck of a coaching tree.

Jan 31, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Lance Thomas (42) drives against Golden State Warriors small forward Brandon Rush (4) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Warriors defeated the Knicks 116-95. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Thomas

One of the most important pieces to the New York Knicks’ convoluted puzzle is backup forward Lance Thomas. The starting lineup projects to be of a high caliber when healthy, but the bench needs players like Thomas to step up on a nightly basis.

During a recent interview with Kristian Winfield of Elite Sports NY, Thomas weighed in on the Jeff Hornacek hiring.

“I like him. He wants to win,” he said. “When you’re talking to him, you can tell that he didn’t come here just to get a job. He came here to help us win this season. So I’m on board with that, and I think everyone on the team who has met him already is on board with that. So I’m ready to work.”

That’s all you really want to hear if you’re coach Hornacek.

Thomas is one of the most versatile and valuable players on the Knicks’ roster. Though he’s not a star or a starter, he’ll be an anchor of the second unit and New York’s proverbial glue guy.

An all-out competitor who gives just as much effort on the defensive end as he does on offense, Thomas will likely become one of Hornacek’s favorite players in 2016-17.

The fact that the glue guy is already buying into Hornacek’s philosophies is a great step in the right direction.

Thomas shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range in 2015-16, but his biggest appeal to Hornacek will be his defense. He held opponents to 41.4 percent shooting from the field in 2015-16 and tied for the best defensive rating on the Knicks.

The unsung heroes are often the key to a team achieving optimal levels of success, and Thomas has all of the tools to be the glue.

Though the jury may still be out amongst Knicks fans, Jeff Hornacek already has the support of his players—past and present.