TICK, TICK, TICK
Time’s up? Hornacek likely coaching Knicks for final time tonight
how much has it really changed. Mills may seek a more dynamic leader than Jackson’s hire.
“I addressed it with Phil and our coaching staff and our entire staff, that in my view we weren’t a team that really stood for anything in particular, and that needed to change,’’ Mills said. “If it meant changing the triangle, if it meant changing our day-to-day stuff, we had to become more definable by something. When someone sees the Knicks, when someone’s going to play against the Knicks, what are you going to experience when you play that team?”
A lot of victories — as it turned out. The season-ending ACL injury to Kristaps Porzingis drastically altered the course and has put the franchise in a state of disrepair.
The mediocre roster couldn’t come close to withstanding that type of injury. Porzingis’ injury threw Hornacek into player-audition mode with management’s heavy encouragement. And the good soldier, Hornacek said the Porzingis silver lining is the youngsters — namely Frank Ntilikina, Trey Burke, Damyean Dotson, Troy Williams, Luke Kornet, Trey Burke — got better for it.
The prof its, however, may be reaped by Doc Rivers, Mark Jackson, David Fizdale, Jerry Stackhouse or Jason Kidd — all free-agent, potential coaching candidates, save for Rivers. The Clippers missed the playoffs, so Rivers is hardly a lock to stay in Los Angeles.
“I don’t think we’re that far off,’’ Hornacek said after Monday night’s close loss to the Cavaliers. “The injury to KP, hopefully these guys got experienced and you add a player or two, I don’t think they’re far off. It was valuable experience for the young guys, especially these last 30 games. I think it’s going to help you.
“If you went into next year and these guys don’t get that experi- ence there’d be more things to work on. ... This will help them to understand what they need to do.”
In a final statement Monday, Hornacek was asked if there’s something he’s proud of as coach, and he mentioned the club banding together rather than fracturing.
“I think the guys tried to play together,’’ he said. “Late in the season, guys are cashing it in. Our guys didn’t. All our guys continued playing hard. You can get selfish during that time and just try to score. But we didn’t — 33 assists [Friday vs. Miami], 30 last game [Saturday vs. Milwaukee] and 26 [Monday vs. Cleveland]. They still stayed within what we wanted as a team. That’s what the coaches are asking.”
Hornacek, associate coach Kurt Rambis and assistants Corey Gaines, Jerry Sichting and Howard Eisley may be asking just one more time.