New York Knicks: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

3. Coaching change

In just two seasons as head coach of the Knicks, Jeff Hornacek‘s tenure was filled with one sideshow after another.

Last season, former president of basketball operations Phil Jackson continued to pressure Hornacek to run the Triangle Offense when neither Hornacek nor the players had any desire to do so. He was forced to answer questions regarding the beef between Jackson and franchise centerpiece Carmelo Anthony, as well as trade rumors regarding the 10-time All-Star.

This season, Hornacek had to juggle a roster littered with position imbalance at both point guard and center, while having to readjust his nightly game plan on the fly after Porzingis’ year was cut short.

Despite all he’s done for the team, Hornacek didn’t seem to have the respect of his players. Both Joakim Noah and Kyle O’Quinn got into shouting matches with their coach over the past few months. While plenty of players have feuds with their coaches, it’s not a good sign if they become too frequent and notable to become public.

Since his arrival, Hornacek begged his players to speed up the tempo with the hope it could ignite a more potent offense, but his players failed to respond, ranking 15th in pace during his two-year tenure on the bench. Now the team has chosen to move on with a new front office in place:

A name that has come up numerous times when discussing a possible replacement is former Knick Mark Jackson.

Jackson, who last coached for the Golden State Warriors in 2014, was best known for the respect he commanded from his players with his ability to connect with them as a former player and broadcaster.

Bringing in a fifth head coach in six seasons probably isn’t the best strategy for a franchise that has struggled with consistency, but if the Knicks feel a change is needed, Jackson should be the first and last guy they call.