By WFAN.com
Hours before the Knicks play their season finale in Cleveland, Jeff Hornacek made his case for being retained as head coach.
"Obviously, we started it, and we'd like to continue it," Hornacek told reporters. "It's very satisfying for coaches to take a team and build it and grow it. You can look around the league at some of the teams that are now some of the better teams in the league. They went through those same type of things."
Hornacek plans to discuss his future with the team's front office Thursday.
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The Knicks have gone 59-104 in two seasons under Hornacek, who has one year left on his contract. The 54-year-old coach said it was understood when he took the job that it wasn't going to be a quick turnaround and that he believes the team is close to being competitive.
Hornacek blamed, in part, the torn ACL that cost Kristaps Porzingis the final two months of the season and the stress fracture in Tim Hardaway Jr.'s leg that sidelined him for 20 games for the Knicks' struggles.
"That doesn't help the cause," Hornacek said. "Now those guys, hopefully they can come back."
The Knicks have gone 5-21 since Porzingis crumpled to the floor following a dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 6.
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Porzingis said the experience young players such as Trey Burke, Frank Ntilikina and Damyean Dotson received late in the season should pay off heading into next season.
"You add a player or two (and) I don't think you're far off," he said.
