Jeff Hornacek: Making an early case for Coach of the Year
By Eric Snyder
The New York Knicks and coach Jeff Hornacek once looked doomed for more failure. But the future now looks bright and Hornacek deserves the credit.
Throughout the preseason and early start to the regular season, New York Knicks players didn’t know what they were doing. Consequently, it looked like Jeff Hornacek didn’t know what he was doing either.
Beginning in the preseason through the third regular season game, the Knicks lost eight games in a row. As reported by Steve Popper of The Record and Alec Nathan of Bleacher Report, the players didn’t know the plays.
The Knicks looked awful against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 25 ahead of a much-needed two-day break. It was during that two-day period that Jeff Hornacek changed the early season fortunes for himself and his team.
First, the players finally learned the plays and what their individual roles were. Secondly, Hornacek benched Ramon Sessions in favor of Jarrett Jack in a move that changed the season in New York. Whatever Jeff Hornacek said or did in that two-day period needs to be bottled and sold to other struggling coaches.
The New York Knicks have won six of their last eight games with Kristaps Porzingis dominating in each win. With his back against the wall and his job at stake, Jeff Hornacek saved his job and reset the Knicks’ season.
Obviously, the 2017-18 campaign is still young and there is lots of basketball left to play. Even so, as it stands today, Jeff Hornacek is coaching as well as anyone in the league. Players play, coaches coach and right now, both are doing a great job in New York.
Coach of the Year?
Every NBA coach makes difficult decisions about playing time and strategy for their team. Likewise, Jeff Hornacek continues to keep Willy Hernangomez on the bench against the wishes of fans and Hernangomez’s best friend, Kristaps Porzingis.
And yet, the Knicks keep winning and Willy is staying on the bench. Enes Kanter has emerged as an extremely productive post presence as the rest of the rotation works perfectly together. Hornacek knew what his team needed and gave it to them despite the grumblings of fans and experts.
Frank Ntilikina has emerged as a defensive force off the bench and Hornacek should be credited with his handling of the young Frenchman. Instead of forcing him into situations he wasn’t ready for, coach Hornacek worked him in at a perfect pace.
The New Yorks have the same record as the Washington Wizards, a better record than the Milwaukee Bucks and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland this season. Consequently, Jeff Hornacek has his team within striking distance of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Kristaps Porzingis does have a lot to do with the Knicks success but his coach has also put him in positions to succeed. The ball movement-focused offense that Hornacek wants highlights the skill-set of KP. His ability to shoot, handle the ball and catch in traffic is perfect for what Hornacek wants.
Next: 2017-18 Week 4 NBA Power Rankings
Who and what the New York Knicks become by the end of the season largely depends on the decisions of Jeff Hornacek. He has a logjam at the center position to deal with that gets even worse when Joakim Noah returns Monday. If Hornacek can maintain the current team chemistry and continue to develop Ntilikina, he has a real shot to be NBA’s Coach of the Year.