Jeff Hornacek Not To Blame For Suns’ Struggles

Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
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Jeff Hornacek
Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

At this point in the season, Kanye West’s “Blame Game” is probably playing on repeat in a lot of Phoenix Suns fans’ headphones. This team went from being a major surprise last season to a major disappointment this year, and it’s only natural to look for somewhere to point the finger at when that happens.

But for those of you Suns fanatics out there who are border-lining on zealotry trying to pin Phoenix’s struggles on head coach Jeff Hornacek, it’s time to direct the blame elsewhere.

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On the surface, it’s easy to see why Hornacek would be the first person in the crosshairs. Most people don’t waste their time thinking about the front office first, and the culture of the NBA has taught us that coaches are far more expendable than players. There’s a reason so many coaches are fired and hired in a given year; for every long-lasting Gregg Popovich or Phil Jackson, there are 20 Brian Shaws or Jacque Vaughns.

Even coaches that find success aren’t guaranteed a long life expectancy. Mike D’Antoni went from being the Phoenix Suns head coach who changed NBA offenses forever to the guy who “ran the Los Angeles Lakers into the ground.” George Karl, after winning the NBA’s Coach of the Year Award, was canned thanks to yet another first round playoff exit.

The point is, one or even multiple years of regular season success don’t guarantee you a thing in this league. With the Suns having regressed from their 48-win campaign in 2013-14, Hornacek’s name has been mentioned as the scapegoat for this season’s failures.

Here’s why that couldn’t be further from the truth.

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