Jeff Hornacek Says Kristaps Porzingis Is 'Probably Ready' to Be No. 1 Option

Burgeoning New York Knicks superstar Kristaps Porzingis has had a tumultuous offseason. But his head coach, Jeff Hornacek, is focusing on the future and believes The Unicorn is ready to become the team's top option.

"That's his next step and growth as a player—be able to handle some of that," Hornacek said following the team's summer-league opener Saturday, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. "He's going to have to take that next step of just taking over. He's probably ready for that."

The center started the offseason by skipping his exit interview because he was reportedly fed up with the dysfunction surrounding the team.

The source of most of that dysfunction, former team president Phil Jackson, seemed miffed by that decision and promptly said he'd listen to trade offers for the young star.

No deal was made, however, and Jackson was fired Wednesday.

Hornacek's comments, then, weren't much of a surprise. And there was plenty of subtext, as Berman noted:

"Whether Hornacek believes it or not, it's a sign of trying to stroke Porzingis' ego—which may need stroking—and also an indication he may think the Knicks are ready to move on from Carmelo Anthony. Hornacek has texted Porzingis in the days since Jackson's axing.

"There's a combination of reasons Porzingis blew off his exit interview with the departed Jackson, but wanting his mentor Anthony to stay is not at the top of the list. The 7-foot-3 Latvian has hinted he believes he can handle the No. 1-option role. Anthony so dominated the ball late in games last season, Porzingis got few opportunities on late possessions."

Certainly, Porzingis appears to be the future of the organization. While injuries have been a minor concern—he's missed 26 games in the past two seasons—Porzingis has mostly impressed and improved in his career, averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game last season.

He's the rare big man who can both protect the rim and stretch the floor (he shot 35.7 percent from beyond the arc last year), so his upside is immense. For all the drama over the past few months—drama that may persist until Anthony is either traded or bought out of his contract—the Knicks still have a key building block in Porzingis.