Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek: A one-on-one interview

The Phoenix Suns brought newly-re-signed guard Brandon Knight to US Airways Center to chat with the media. It was also the first time the team was able to discuss some of its other minor deals, including the signings of Mirza Teletovic, Sonny Weems and Ronnie Price. I caught up with Suns coach Jeff Hornacek after the press conference and discussed a variety of topics in a 1-on-1 interview.

Bryan Gibberman: Lets start with the most important thing you will be asked: How far did you make it in Daryl Morey’s ping pong tournament in Las Vegas?

Jeff Hornacek: Not far enough. A couple of rounds then I had to play Rich Cho (general manager of the Charlotte Hornets). Rich had won it a couple years ago and he was pretty good.

BG: Rumor has it you can play lefty and righty?

JH: It started in college. I had a ping pong table when I was younger so I would play with my dad and brother and stuff. When I went to college I was beating all of those guys so I started playing with my left hand to make it fair. Actually now, I might be, I don’t know which hand I’m better at, one is my more offensive minded, the other I’m just a defensive player. I just switch it up.

BG: I know you’ve talked about this at length, but what about Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe’s skill sets complement each other so well?

JH: They’re both very good in pick and rolls. For us moving the ball side to side and getting the defense to shift — I have confidence in either guy to handle that. If you want to be a running team and you can outlet to either guy you’re off to the races. Brandon’s a little bit more of the pure shooter, but Eric’s been working on his shooting and looks great, too. We just think they’re two guys, again, most teams focus on how do you stop the other team’s point guard, and we have two of them.

BG: If you were to pick out one flaw when discussing them it would be the turnovers. How do you kind of stem that and get them to improve that?

JH: Making the more simple play. Both of them want to make the play that leads to the basket. You heard Brandon say it — the hockey assist — hockey assists are fine. I think as the team gets better then they don’t feel they have to make the scoring plays. They can just make the simple play and have faith the next guy makes the right play so I think their turnovers will go down.

BG: How does Tyson Chandler’s ability to be the dive man in PnR and drawing attention help with that issue?

JH: He’s one of the best at catching the ball at the basket. He can give these point guards confidence that if they come off there and they stay home with our shooters that they can just throw it up to the basket somewhere and Tyson will figure out how to catch it. If he can’t dunk it or lay it in he will come down with it and come through on the other side. I think they will have great confidence in throwing him the ball on the rolls. Just like last year with Alex (Len). They really started to feel comfortable with where Alex liked the ball. Again, I think the combination of being a better team and having more talent where they don’t feel like they don’t have to make the plays will help their turnovers.

BG: I know it’s really early in this process and there is a human element to all of it, but on paper it would seem like Mirza Teletovic and Tyson Chandler really make a lot of sense together and Markieff Morris and Alex Len kind of fit together. Obviously they’re all interchangeable also, but do you think you will try to find ways to use those two pairings in the rotation?

JH: They will all be mixed up somehow, someway. Both guys are pretty similar. If it’s Markieff and Tyson, for example, we can hit Markieff on the roll. We don’t want to have Markieff be a strictly three-point shooter and pop guy. I love when Markieff rolls to the basket because he’s a great passer and can make plays out of it. If he’s in there with Tyson then we’ll put Tyson down low, we’ll have Markieff roll, and Markieff will throw it up just like a point guard.

If it’s Mirza and Tyson, then maybe Tyson is setting more of the picks, and Mirza is spotting for those threes to open up the court. We’ll combine them all.

BG: Have you talked with Markieff since everything that’s happened this summer?

JH: I’ve texted him a few times. We might try to go see him this week. We’ll be out on the East Coast.

BG: Does he seem like he’s doing OK with how everything went about?

JH: Yeah, I’m sure just like anything else, whenever a trade, especially with as close as him and his brother are, there was some hurt feelings for a little bit. It’s a case where they’re going to do their best wherever they’re at. Once you get into the season, and you get with your team, they’ve played apart before too, they will be fine.