Knicks: Jeff Hornacek Says Kurt Rambis No Longer Runs the Defense
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 04: Head coach Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks (R) waits alongside Kurt Rambis on the bench during their game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on October 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

New York Knicks‘ Jeff Hornacek announced on Wednesday that Kurt Rambis was no longer the lone voice of the team’s defense.

The New York Knicks gave up 100 or more points in their first six games of the 2016-17 season. They had playoff aspirations, so they panicked. Jeff Hornacek made Kurt Rambis the defensive coordinator. A lot of good that did.

Phil Jackson’s buddy failed to turn things around on that end of the floor. New York finished 25th in defensive rating; seven spots worse than they were in the 2015-16 season (via NBA.com).

In response, Rambis has been removed from his coordinator role. Hornacek told reporters today that the former Laker will no longer be the “lone voice” for the defensive unit.

Via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News:

“We, I, put him in that position last year. We started the season that way, a certain way and then we tried to change and it was too difficult,” Hornacek said, acknowledging it as an issue for the first time. “But we had a summer of working on it and talking and meetings so we’re not changing midseason any more.”

 
I'm ESNY's Executive Editor for EliteSportsNY.com. I cover the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Email: chip.murphy@elitesportsny.com Chip Murphy covers the NBA for Elite Sports NY. You can find him on Twitter @ChipperMurphy.