The New York Knicks were having a promising season until Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in early February. Before Porzingis’ injury, it looks like the Knicks had a real shot at a playoff berth. Now, they’re 26-45 and some think they should embrace the tank. If the season ended today, they’d have the 10th pick in what looks like a loaded NBA Draft.
Jeff Hornacek’s record as the Knicks’ head coach for the past two seasons is 57-96. He recently said he is uncertain whether the team will retain him.
“At the end of the season I’m sure we’ll sit down with (president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry) and figure out what we’re doing,” said Hornacek, according to the New York Daily News. “As a coach you’d like to know if you’re going to be here next year. But our job right now is take the guys that we have on this team and try to get them better.”
Stefan Bondy adds that Hornacek told him the conversation with the front office had not yet happened.
The Suns fired Hornacek in 2015. In January, he brushed off questions about his job security and said he believed he had the front office’s support.
“We were talking about rebuilding and we got off to a good start because we had a lot of home games,” Hornacek said at the time. “Scott and Steve, everybody’s still on the same page of trying to get our young guys opportunities. We’re still trying to win games.”
With the Knicks shedding Phil Jackson and their Triangle-esque offensive approach, they’ve looked better this season than in recent years — but they have still struggled. Whether Hornacek is the right coach for the team depends on which New Yorker you ask.
Hornacek played 14 seasons in the NBA. He started his coaching career in 2011 as an assistant with the Utah Jazz.
