New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis A Fan Of Jeff Hornacek

New York Knicks sensation Kristaps Porzingi is excited to play for new head coach Jeff Hornacek and thinks he is exactly what the team needs.

The New York Knicks have a breath of fresh air within the organization this summer with the hiring of Jeff Hornacek as head coach. Hornacek is not who anyone expected to be named head coach of the team, as many people believed that Phil Jackson would remove the interim tag from his friend and protege, Kurt Rambis, and he would become the head coach on a full time basis.

To the surprise and relief of many Knicks fans, that did not happen. Instead Hornacek was pegged as the next man to lead the team on the sideline, and it is a move that has brought some intrigue and excitement to the team.

With the Phoenix Suns, Hornacek never had the strongest roster but got the most out of his players. While he will still run the triangle offense, he will have the freedom to tweak and change things which should be music to people’s ears. The Knicks have struggled adapting to the triangle offense in recent seasons for a number of reasons, so it is nice to see a change being made.

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With Hornacek, the Knicks are expected to run a faster paced offense, with more pick-and-roll opportunities and emphasis on three-point shooting. That is the exact type of offense that should be implemented when you have a player the caliber of Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis has a rare blend of talent that is rarely seen, as he stands 7-feet-3 inches tall but can stroke it from deep, create off the dribble or dominate smaller opponents in the post. He is very excited to play for Hornacek this upcoming season and believes that Hornacek can help him reach his potential and maximize the talent the Knicks currently have on their roster, and hope to add this offseason.

Here is what Porzingis had to say about his new head coach, via ESPN New York’s Ian Begley:

"“I think he’s a very smart coach. He knows how to use his players and that’s exactly what we need,” Porzingis said of Horncek. “And we’ll see if we can get some more players this offseason. But I think we have enough talent and having [Carmelo Anthony] makes everybody better. So if we know how to go from there, using Melo, myself and involving everybody, using everybody’s strengths and putting it all together, then we’ll be a different team. We’ll be able to succeed.”"

The Knicks will look like a different team under Hornacek after the disaster that was Derek Fisher and Rambis following him as the interim coach. Expect more pace from the team, as they have some players on the roster along with Porzingis in Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten that would benefit from a scheme that lets them get into the open court.

When you have a player as dominant as Anthony in the half-court, you can make sure Hornacek will have sets that get him the ball. Don’t forget about Porzingis, who was strong as a rookie and looks to really be improving his game this offseason in an effort to add to his offensive arsenal and add some bulk to his frame.

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Opposing defenses better be ready for Porzingis, as the sky is the limit for him and it finally looks like he has a coach that can help him realize that potential to make him a force on both ends of the court.