Jeff Hornacek's only NBA jobs for the previous two decades had been with the Utah Jazz, but when he couldn't get a shot as
the top man on their bench, he went back to where his career began.
Following a successful head coaching debut Wednesday night, Hornacek faces the
team that groomed him to become an NBA coach as his Phoenix
Suns host the Jazz on Friday night.
Hornacek spent the final 6 1/2 seasons of his playing career alongside
John Stockton and Karl Malone for a Utah team that reached two NBA
finals. He retired in 2000 as the top 3-point shooter in team history
(42.8 percent) and later had his No. 14 retired.
After some time away from the NBA, Hornacek returned to the Jazz in
2007 as a shooting coach before joining the bench in 2010 as an
assistant under Tyrone Corbin. With Corbin not going anywhere this
offseason, Hornacek looked elsewhere for a head coaching position and
was given a chance by a Suns franchise with which he played his first
six seasons.
"Whether it be as teammates,
working together under Jerry Sloan or as part of my key staff, Jeff is a
good friend and I am sorry to see him go," Corbin said upon Hornacek's
hiring.
While Corbin is thin at point
guard due to rookie Trey Burke (finger) being out at least two months,
Hornacek is testing out using two in his lineup.
He's starting offseason acquisition Eric Bledsoe with Goran Dragic --
one of four holdovers from a team that went 25-57 -- and it worked very
well in the opener, even if it was just one game. Dragic and Bledsoe combined for 48 points,
15 assists and 13 rebounds in a 104-91 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
"We always thought that was an advantage, having those two guys,"
Hornacek said. "One guy is not going, we put the other guy in the pick
and roll."
Dragic averaged team highs of
14.7 points and 7.4 assists last season but shot a career-worst 31.9
percent from 3-point range, and he thinks playing alongside Bledsoe will
be a major benefit.
"When you play pick-and-roll and he penetrates and then kicks it out to me, I have a much
easier time penetrating again," Dragic said. "It's like a scale. When he
goes out, I go out, and when he passes it out, I penetrate. It is tough
to defend."
Corbin's starting backcourt
wasn't as difficult to defend Wednesday, and Utah lost 101-98 to
the Oklahoma City Thunder. Journeyman John Lucas III started in Burke's place, as he
and Gordon Hayward each had five assists but shot a combined 6 for 20.
Alec Burks may soon be starting alongside Hayward after scoring 24
points, handing out six assists and nearly rallying the Jazz from a
15-point second-half deficit.
Enes
Kanter had 14 points and 10 rebounds while fellow former No. 3 overall
pick Derrick Favors added 15 and nine, respectively, but committed six
of Utah's 22 turnovers.
"There were a lot
of positives, a lot to build off of tonight," said Corbin, whose club
won three of four against Phoenix last season.
While the Jazz are counting on Favors and Kanter to be major frontcourt
contributors, not much was expected of Suns newcomer Miles Plumlee.
However, the former Duke star who played just 55 minutes for the Indiana Pacers as a
rookie last season came through with 18 points and 15 boards in his
first NBA start.
"All I can ask for is
the opportunity to start every day," Plumlee said, "and when that
opportunity comes, you have to take it."
