Knicks fire coach Jeff Hornacek: New candidates include Fizdale, Blatt, Jackson

The New York Knicks need someone with concrete philosophies. They failed in accomplishing almost every potential goal that could have really benefitted the team in the long-term. It is the ninth time since 2002 the team has lost 50 games.

Stackhouse has been the head coach of the Toronto Raptors’ G-League affiliate, Raptors 905, since last season and led them to a league title and was named Coach of the Year.

Brown is the Philadelphia 76ers’ coach and perhaps the greatest survivor of continuous losing in the history of the league.

Most NBA execs expect that Williams will be back on an NBA bench by the start of next season after spending time in the Spurs’ front office.

But with the Knicks focused on rebuilding and player development, Jackson can point to inheriting a young backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and helping to turn them into All Stars. The Knicks did no better in that category.

If ever anyone stepped into a no-win situation, it was Hornacek, who signed on in June 2016, months after Jackson removed Derek Fisher, his first hire.

Yet independent of the Knicks’ struggles, the reality is that Hornacek was not hired by their general manager, Scott Perry.

If he turned this team around in two years-and really, one year-it would have been a miracle. It was another step backward.

Stackhouse is considered a top coaching candidate after he guided Toronto’s G-League team to a championship past year.

“Jeff is a positive person and I think he was hopeful that there would be another opportunity, but he’s a pro, ” Mills said. So give them a reason. His shooting was abysmal, bested only by his nonexistent defense. He didn’t show that he was ready to take the next step from a third- or fourth-best scorer on a good team.

Hopefully, the next Knicks coach will stay longer than two years.

Like so many predecessors, Hornacek was sacked rather unceremoniously, shortly after a victory Wednesday night over the Cavaliers in Cleveland, which concluded the Knicks’ 29-53 season. “Jeff did a good job in some areas”.

They are more of a gamble.

The good news for Knicks fans is that on Thursday both executives laid out a plan that should leave them feeling cautiously optimistic. The question is who will these franchises pursue to be their next coach. This is the brightest of basketball stages, and the newest Knicks steward will have Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina and a 2018 lottery pick to work with, along with the possibility of cap space in 2019.

The first season’s focus was always going to be evaluation. A total of 227 games were missed due to injuries or illness. Villanova can recruit five-star prospects like Jalen Brunson and Omari Spellman, but it can also redshirt and develop lower-ranked players like Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo.