Jeff Hornacek Experiencing The Cruelty Of NBA Coaching

Just a season ago, much of the same praise and acclaim Boston Celtics coach, Brad Stevens, is currently enjoying, was heaped on Phoenix Suns head man, Jeff Hornacek.

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The Suns were the darlings of the NBA universe.

At first, they were assembled to tank — 15 unproven vagabonds formed with the prospects of a full rebuild in mind.

However, something magical happened. Spearheaded by an up-tempo, two-headed point guard attack, the wizardry of modern-day floor spacing, and a balanced two-pronged assault — featuring their explosive starting lineup and their highly-energetic second unit — Hornacek, who was in the midst of his inaugural season as an NBA head coach, led Phoenix to an unexpected run at the playoffs in a historically-combative Western Conference.

Although they would eventually miss the postseason, the Suns shocked all preseason prognosticators by winning 48 games and housing the league’s eighth most efficient offense.

Fast forward a mere 365 days later, the goodwill Hornacek earned with his judicious coaching last season, has perilously dwindled as the Suns continue to crumble over the second half of the incumbent campaign.

How Did We Get Here?

Over the offseason, spurred by owner Robert Sarver‘s predisposition to make the postseason every year — despite the perils of being cemented in NBA purgatory– the Suns went all in with their multi-point guard identity.

Specifically, they handed starting guard, Eric Bledsoe, a five-year extension worth approximately $70 million.

Concurrently, they also signed Isaiah Thomas, an enigmatic 20-point per game scorer just a season ago with the Sacramento Kings, to serve as Phoenix’s third guard — in addition to the aforementioned Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, who was coming off an All-NBA campaign.

Things quickly got contentious, however, as their three-headed point attack was prematurely to put to a halt when Goran Dragic outwardly demanded a trade when he saw his touches, and role as the team’s lead initiator, wither.

Accordingly, the Suns had to act quickly, and responded by making a series of trades that made Phoenix the central figure of the NBA trade deadline.

Expectedly, they dealt the crestfallen Dragic to the Miami Heat; and in exchange, the Suns received a pair of future first round draft picks in 2017 and 2021. While the picks may seem far away, they could come at the perfect time as the Heat’s contingent of stars ages.

The highly-chastised moves that accompanied the Dragic trade, however, no one — including those who are “plugged in” with the organization – saw coming. The Suns would subsequently engage in a three-team trade to brought Brandon Knight to the desert, and in a separate deal, sent Thomas packing to Boston.

On the aggregate, while the Suns received three future first-round picks, they also gave up the safeguarded protected first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, courtesy of the Steve Nash sign-and-trade, a pick that will more than likely fall within the lottery next season.

The Downfall

Their frantic trade deadline deals came with its fair share of criticisms — most notably, regarding their relinquishment of the Lakers pick. However, by all accounts, general manager Ryan McDonough loves Knight’s ability to score through the holy trinity of NBA scoring — precisely, his propensity to produce points at the rim, from the free throw line, and from behind the 3-point line.

And while Knight is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, the Suns are poised to comfortably extend the sharpshooting combo guard with the impending NBA cap boom in mind. Explicitly, even if the Suns management offer Knight a max extension, it will only account for roughly 16-17 percent of the projected $90 million cap.

The team’s performance after the extended trade deadline/All-Star break, though, deserves the belligerence the Suns have received due to their languishing play.

For one, the Suns went from a team with an overabundance of lead guards, to a squad deprived of ball-in-hand creators. Chiefly, since the trade, Knight has appeared in only 11 contests due to a reoccurring heel injury. In fact, he will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Sure enough, their offensive production has declined without the presence and playmaking ability of the dual-point guard system.

In fact, their offensive rating has fallen a full 8.1 points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break, plummeting from 105.9, good for seventh in the association before the trade deadline, to 97.8, fourth-worst in the NBA, post break, per NBA.com

Without the luxury of playing an aberrant style, with multiple pick-and-roll initiators and optimal floor spacing, Hornacek’s once esteemed coaching reputation has suddenly been called into question.

To be more specific, his inability to make late in-game adjustments, penchant for overvaluing a veteran’s worth (i.e., not starting Alex Len, instead starting the now-departed Miles Plumlee for the first 25 games of the season, or not playing T.J. Warren for the majority of year), and the offense’s propensity to get bogged down with little-to-no off ball movement, has been the ire of the criticisms surrounding Hornacek.

It seems much of what worked fancily last season, and for the first half of this year, has been completely nullified now that the Suns are forced to play with a rather traditional lineup. The Suns of yestermonths abused opponents with multiple screens, caused a furry of angst with every pick-and-roll, attack vulnerable defenses by curating a bevy of scrambling closeout situations, and forced opponents to adjust to their style of play.

Going Forward

With all that being said, despite the different blend of players he’s had to work with post All-Star break, Hornacek has appropriately adapted his game plan to fit his available roster’s strengths.

Driven in large by playing a super-sized wing rotation, their defensive efficiency has skyrocketed. Spearheaded by their improved perimeter defense, the Suns have gone from housing the 17th-most efficacious defense prior to the All-Star break, to the 10th-staunchest D post trade deadline.

Additionally, the Suns are one of the most physical teams in the association. In fact, in an interview conducted by Zach Lowe of Grantland, Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick went as far as saying, “They have players that foul a lot. They have physical players,” Redick said jokingly, “The four games we had with them this year were all incredibly physical. They were all incredibly testy — with each other and the referees.”

Their newfound defensive identity, however, have not bared fruitful results, as the Suns have gone just 9-13 since the trade deadline and sporting a banal net rating of minus-2.9 over the stretch.

At present, Hornacek may not be the type of coach that can successfully conform his coaching style to his roster’s inherent strengths and qualities. Instead, McDonough and the Suns brass may need to build the apropos battalion of players that complies with the former shooting guard’s break-neck, stress-inducing brand of basketball.

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But looking at the grand scheme of things, Hornacek may be part of the Suns’ deep-rooted problem — one that stems from the owner up on down. Most notably, the Suns organization seems to perpetually seek quick fixes and avenues to achieve mediocrity, not greatness.

Their original tear-it-down, full rebuild plan is a grueling and uneventful strategy (see, Philadelphia 76ers); however, based on the NBA’s current lottery structure, it may be the most prudent road to sustainable championship-contending success.

Hornacek, likewise, may not be the coach most suited for a full rebuild. Particularly, based on his two seasons at the helm, Hornacek is driven by success. In contrast, a coach like Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz is driven by progress.

For example, earlier on during the season, Snyder would keep his star players’ minutes consistent, even if it meant more losses, in an effort to develop his bench. As well, he would immediately pull his players after committing a couple of needless fouls, just to teach them a lesson and eliminate their habit of reaching.

Hornacek, in comparison, plays to win and relies on what works. Certainly, such a mindset could be a result of the pressure to win-now put on him by the upper management. However, he, personally, have yet to show the patience, nor the foresight, to initiate material player development.

Looking forward to next season, there is every reason to believe the combination of a healthy Knight and Bledsoe can recapture their slashing and slicing magic; but at best, the Suns will most likely, once again, find themselves fighting for the seventh and eighth seeds with the majority of their cap space tied up to their explosive, but not quite elite, backcourt.

*Stats current going into April 7’s slate of games

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