New York Knicks: What the Cleveland win does and doesn’t mean
By Eric Snyder
Let it ride
Early in the season, after blowing leads and looking out of sorts, the future of Jeff Hornacek was up in the air. Ian Begley of ESPN made note of this fact with his Friday headline: “Is Jeff Hornacek coaching for his job Friday night?”
Changes were obviously needed and Hornacek implemented them last week in the Wednesday and Thursday practices. Consequently, Friday night came and brought a victory against the Brooklyn Nets in what was a must-win for the Knicks. Jeff Hornacek’s job was on the line and he delivered on Friday night with a much more polished team performance.
And then, there was Sunday. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hornacek offense rolled over the hapless Cleveland defense and awoke Tim Hardaway Jr from his slumber. If fans and writers aim their arrows at a head coach for a team’s failures, they must also sing his praises when he delivers. In this case, Hornacek delivered and any thoughts Steve Mills had of firing him should be sent far away.
Rebuilding a team in today’s NBA requires patience and steady doses of improvement. Some teams rebuild and build by losing on purpose like the Philadelphia 76ers, while others sign free agents like the Houston Rockets.
The New York Knicks find themselves somewhere between the two extremes and it appears to be working. Therefore, there is no reason to make changes in their coaching staff anytime soon.
The Knicks’ road win against the Cavs meant a lot for their psyche and for their season. But the win doesn’t mean the full story on either team is written just yet.