By Jordan Long
The New York Knicks are looking for a new head coach. They decided to fire Jeff Hornacek after two seasons. This will be the 4th coaching search since 2012 when Mike D’Antoni was let go.
Hornacek was hired on June 2, 2016. He had coaching experience with the Phoenix Suns where he went 101-112 in 2½ seasons. The Knicks hired him because they thought he was a fit to help this team win. Hornacek would run a different offense than former Knicks’ President Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.
His first season New York went 31-51, not a great record. The Knicks were learning how to run Hornacek’s offense. The Knicks hoped that this year they were going to improve. They didn’t and finished 29-53, missing the postseason for the 5th straight year.
The Knicks were able to score averaging 104.5 points per game. On the defensive end opponents scored 108 points per game. New York gave up too many open looks to opponents who had easy baskets, not a recipe for success. Hornacek was unable to make adjustments during the games. The Knicks allowed teams to go on large runs and couldn’t stop them.
There are few a candidates for the New York Knicks to consider for the job, Mark Jackson and David Blatt. Mark Jackson coached the Golden State Warriors from 2011 to 2014. Golden State went 121-109 under him including 2 trips to the playoffs. If the Knicks want a coach who will guide them to the postseason, Jackson is the guy.
Blatt also has experience as a head coach. He spent a 1½ seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2015 Cleveland ended 53-29 in the regular season and went all the way to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately they were knocked off by Golden State 4-2. The next year Cleveland let him go after a 30-11 start. Blatt might be able to turn this franchise into a winner as he had a record of 83-40 in Cleveland.
The Knicks must take their time finding the right man for the job. They can’t hire a coach and then fire him after two seasons like they did with Jeff Hornacek. That is not enough time. They must be patient to turn this team around. Time will only tell who will be the next head coach of the New York Knicks. Hopefully they will be in the postseason for years to come.
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