New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Hornacek, Hicks, Crabbe

March 21st, 2018 at 5:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks will conclude their fourth consecutive 45+ loss season next month and the future of the team remains unclear. Outside of Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis — who is recovering from a torn ACL — it appears there are no locks for the roster or coaching staff after this season.

As Marc Stein of the New York Times writes in his newsletter (via CBS Sports), it’s likely that head coach Jeff Hornacek does not return next season despite having one year left on his deal. The organization has moved swiftly to distance itself from almost anything related to former president Phil Jackson, which could include Hornacek.

“It’s difficult to fault Hornacek for much of the chaos that has engulfed the Knicks during his two seasons in charge,” Stein writes. “But there’s no avoiding the fact he was a Phil Jackson selection, which could well doom him now that the organization seems intent on cutting every non-Porzingian tie to the Phil era as possible.”

The Knicks have gone 57-96 under Hornacek since last season, but injuries, poor roster creation, and a rebuilding effort hindered both the head coach and the team from being competitive. Early possible candidates to replace Hornacek are Mark Jackson and David Blatt, Stein notes.

Check out more notes coming out of New York:

Whether or not Hornacek is the head coach next season, he feels the Knicks should seek depth at small forward, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Sources tell Bondy that the Knicks have scouted both Miles Bridges and Mikal Bridges as possible draft targets, which would echo Hornacek’s suggestion. “I think if you look around at the top teams that are in the league they have multiple guys that are in the 6’7″, 6’8″ range with length. We had a lot of guys that are in the 6’5″ ish range,” Hornacek said. “I think the longer guys you get, it gives you more opportunities to switch on defense, which if you look at the league today, the best teams are switching all the time.”
With the Knicks eliminated from playoff contention, the goal for the rest of the season will be auditioning young talent, which includes 23-year-old Isaiah Hicks. In nine games, Hicks is averaging just 4.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG, but he has impressed with his basketball IQ and athleticism, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Hicks is on a two-way deal and the Knicks will have to decide whether they want to re-sign him.
The Nets‘ record has hovered near the bottom of the league in recent seasons, but the organization has bought into the mantra of building a positive culture with promising talent. Allen Crabbe, who is finishing up a strong first season in Brooklyn, said he is willing to recruit free agents this offseason, Bryan Fonseca and Net Income of NetsDaily relay. “Oh yeah. Whatever I can do, just getting guys on board and looking at the vision that Sean Marks and coach (Kenny) Atkinson have for this organization moving forward, I think guys will buy in,” Crabbe said.

Hornacek Mum On Noah Resolution

March 20th, 2018 at 9:44pm CST by clarkcrum

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t have much news to report on the Joakim Noah front, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Asked how the whole situation would resolve, Hornacek punted to general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills.

Jackson, Blatt Among Coaching Candidates If Knicks Fire Hornacek?

March 20th, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a growing belief that Knicks GM Scott Perry will want to hire his own hand-picked head coach at season’s end, says Stein. According to Stein, if the club replaces Jeff Hornacek and makes a high-profile hire, Mark Jackson and David Blatt would be among the candidates to watch.

Hornacek On Board With Rebuilding, Although It May Cost His Job

March 18th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has been going along with the rebuilding plan in New York, even though it has resulted in a won-loss record that might cost him his job, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Hornacek hasn’t talked to anyone in the front office about his future with the team, but he knows that conversation will happen soon. “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,” he said. “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.”

Damyean Dotson Recalled

March 17th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by clarkcrum

The Knicks have recalled rookie guard Damyean Dotson one day after assigning him to the G League, according to an official tweet from the team. Dotson, 23, is averaging 8.5 MPG and 2.9 PPG in 35 games in the NBA this season.

Knicks Notes: Hernangomez, Beasley, Point Guards

March 17th, 2018 at 10:55am CST by marksuleymanov

Entering the 2017/18 season, Willy Hernangomez seemed to be the exact type of the player the Knicks wanted on their roster. A talented, young and cheap big man who needed more work but had tremendous upside. Instead, he fell out of the rotation and was sent to Charlotte before the trade deadline.

Hernangomez will return to New York on Saturday, this time as a member of the Hornets. The Spaniard has found even less playing time in Charlotte, seeing the court less than five minutes per game. Former teammate Enes Kanter spoke glowingly of Hernangomez and his potential, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“I still talk to him,’’ Kanter said. “He’s doing an unbelievable job working out and an unbelievable job of working on his body. I think he’s a young version of Marc Gasol. If he works hard enough, he can be as a good as Marc Gasol.”

The 23-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 72 games for the Knicks last season but his numbers have dropped to 3.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 35 games split with New York and Charlotte.

Check out more Knicks notes below:

Leo Sepkowitz of SLAM Magazine profiled Knicks swingman Michael Beasley, who had one of his best games of the season, posting 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in a loss to the Sixers. Beasley has carried a reputation as a potential liability due to his off-court exploits earlier in his career. However, Beasley tells Sepkowitz he hopes the reputation is changing.
The Knicks could be on the verge of shaking up their point guard situation, Berman writes in a separate story. Deadline acquisition Emmanuel Mudiay has struggled as the starting point guard since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Jarrett Jack has not played one minute since the break and Trey Burke — who has not started a game yet — has continued his strong performance. “Kind of everything is on the table,’’ head coach Jeff Hornacek said.

New York Notes: Kanter, Hornacek, Dinwiddie, Offseason

March 16th, 2018 at 6:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

Enes Kanter has been vocal about his love for New York City and playing for the Knicks. The team is weeks away from concluding another dismal season without a playoff appearance but Kanter does not want the team to sacrifice wins in favor of auditioning young talent.

Kanter spoke to reporters, including ESPN’s Ian Begley, after practice on Friday and said the team needs to focus on winning games.

“Let me tell you something, man: They can develop guys in the G League. This is not the time to develop young guys, or whatever, because we’re trying to win games here,” Kanter said. “This team is paying us a lot of money, everybody, and all the fans are paying a lot money to watch the games and they’re paying a lot of money for tickets, so they’re not just coming here watching, ‘Oh, this guy’s getting better. This guy’s developing.’ No, we’re trying to win games here, man.”

Kanter can become a free agent at the end of the season, but has stressed that he wants to remain with the Knicks.

Check out more news coming out of the Big Apple:

There are 13 games left this season for the Knicks and they could be the final games the team plays with Jeff Hornacek as head coach. Hornacek, who is under contract for next season, indicated that he will meet with management after the season to discuss the future, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “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,” Hornacek said. “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.”
The Nets‘ D’Angelo Russell/Spencer Dinwiddie backcourt combo seems to be a thing of the past, as Dinwiddie will be on the bench for Friday’s contest against the Sixers. Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes that Dinwiddie’s recent struggles have forced the 2018 Skills Challenge winner to the bench. “Man, look. I’ve just got to do better, man,” Dinwiddie said. “When we lost games this year, I lost my defensive match-ups or haven’t played enough offensively or something else. For us to win games I’ve got to do better. Like right now, we’re struggling, and the drives and the aggressiveness are one of the reasons, so I’ve got to do better.”
Bobby Marks of ESPN Insider (subscription required and recommended) examines the Nets‘ possible offseason strategy which could include offloading Jeremy Lin, exploring an extension with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and being conservative with cap space.

Knicks Assign Damyean Dotson To G League

March 16th, 2018 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have assigned rookie guard Damyean Dotson to the G League, according to the team (Twitter link). Dotson, who will suit up for the Westchester Knicks against the Windy City Bulls tonight, has averaged 17.9 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 11 G League games so far this season.

Knicks Notes: Player Development, Kanter, Jack

March 15th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking this week to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Knicks executive Craig Robinson referred to the Knicks’ approach to player development as “innovative,” “transformative,” and “something that is completely new,” but said that he couldn’t get into specifics because “then everybody would do what I want to do.”

Given the Knicks’ spotty recent track record of player development, I imagine Robinson’s comments will be met with some skepticism from fans, but he should get an opportunity to prove the value of his philosophies in the coming years, having been hired by the new regime last August.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Count Enes Kanter among the veterans around the NBA frustrated by their declining minutes and by their teams’ frequent losses. “I came here to win games. I didn’t come here to get a good lottery pick,” Kanter said after Tuesday’s loss to Dallas, per Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I came here to win games and make the playoffs. So games like this are just weird. They make me think, ‘Why am I sitting?’ It’s weird, but we’ve got 14 games left and I’ll just try to do my best for 14 games.”
Jarrett Jack admits that there were “a couple of situations” available to him if he had pushed for a buyout before the March 1 playoff-eligibility deadline, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Despite not playing a single minute for the Knicks since then, the veteran point guard doesn’t regret his decision. “I’m not miserable,” Jack said. “There are things that are a lot worse. I remember when I was hurt, playing for nobody, sitting on the couch. I would’ve given anything to be in the uniform.”
After playing on a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes has returned to the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).
As part of an ongoing Basketball Insiders series, Dennis Chambers offers up some suggestions for what he would do to try to build a contender around Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis Was Shocked To Learn Of Torn ACL

March 14th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis was “shocked” when doctors told him he had torn his left ACL, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Making his first public comments since the injury, the Knicks forward vowed to return to his All-Star level, but isn’t sure when he might start playing again. “I can’t give you anything,’’ Porzingis said. “I have no idea. You should ask the doctor, maybe. And he would tell you something. And myself, I’m just going day by day really, and we’ll see where is the comeback at. There is no timetable for now. It’s pretty far off to put a timetable out there.’’