The Knicks missed the playoffs last season and are currently 10 games back of the final seed in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Jeff Hornacek is under contract for one more season beyond 2017/18. There has been speculation he will be replaced after the season, but Hornacek expects to be back, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.
“I still have next year so unless they tell me something different,” Hornacek said.
New York has started well in both seasons with Hornacek at the helm, but injuries have decimated the team. The Knicks also suffered a major blow last month when franchise linchpin Kristaps Porzingis went down with a season-ending torn ACL. The team has focused on playing youngsters Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Trey Burke.
“Going into when we get KP back and our draft pick, and maybe free agency, we can be in better shape next year,” Hornacek added.
Check out other Knicks news and notes below:
- Enes Kanter has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing year for the Knicks. He has openly discussed his preference to stay in New York after the season, which he reiterated on Tuesday, Chris Iseman of The Record writes. “I think after I came it was an amazing because everybody opened their arms,” Kanter said. “They welcomed me. The organization and everything was so nice and amazing. I just feel so comfortable.”
- The season-ending injury to Porzingis allowed Michael Beasley to enter the starting lineup as the Knicks’ power forward. However, Beasley has averaged just 7.4 PPG since the All-Star break and could see himself fall out of the lineup, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Being a four, I got to wait for people to get me involved and things like that,’’ Beasley said. “So that’s tough. But I do it.’’
When your team is focused on playing a waiver pick up and a player aquired for a bag of rocks, you know your team is in trouble.
If the Knicks front office has any doubts about Hornaceck, they should cut ties with him soon. Don’t wait until next season, it will benefit the team if he is let go now or before the draft.
On another note: I like Kanter but I don’t think he should be the Knicks future center. I’d prefer if it was Porzingis. If the Knicks do keep Kanter then the Knicks need to go after one of the many SFs in this years draft. I like Mikal Bridges for his defense. If they don’t keep Kanter they should try and trade up into the top 5 in this years draft for a chance at one of those premier PFs in this years draft. I don’t believe Bagley will be available, so I’m hoping for Porter. And if for whatever reason Donic(not sure on the spelling) or Young slip past the top four picks the Knicks need to jump all over them.
Next season I don’t see the Knicks as a playoff team, even if Porzingis comes back and dominates. I also don’t see them in the bottom 10 of the draft. The Knicks will have money to spend in 2019; so if they were to land a pick from 11 through 20 in 2019 that would be great and sign a star player to a max, the Knicks will be a contender during the 19-20 season.