Tim Hardaway Jr. says his chance to draw up a play with a clipboard in the fourth quarter of a one-point game at Charlotte on Monday was genuine boost to his relationship with Jeff Hornacek.
Nobody knows exactly what transpired to prompt Hornacek to spontaneously hand over the clipboard to the Knicks swingman, but Hardaway is delighted it happened — and the man known as “Angry Grandpa” is said to be steaming at anyone wanting to construe the event in a negative light.
In fact, Hardaway told associates the maneuver “was the coolest thing a coach has ever done for me.’’
The play call got his Michigan buddy, Trey Burke, freed up for an mid-range jumper he sank after which Hardaway, on the bench, started swinging a towel in celebration. Hardaway’s father, Tim Sr., is an assistant coach for the Pistons, who visit the Knicks on Saturday. It is believed Hardaway, 26, harbors similar coaching aspirations.
If there is any Knicks revolution against Hornacek because of his lame-duck status, it clearly isn’t coming from Hardaway, who said after the Charlotte game he was “disappointed’’ the coach needed to call a timeout to give Burke a breather.
During the West Coast trip this month, Hardaway said that Hornacek was doing superbly in light of it all.
“He’s doing a great job in a tough situation,’’ Hardaway told The Post. “Coaches are in a tough situation too. It’s easy for him to fold as well. He’s continuing to develop us as ballplayers, continuing to encourage us on both ends of the floor, especially in practice, continuing to have that killer instinct and mentality to instill in the ball club. We appreciate that and we’ll keep on fighting for him.’’
For weeks, Hardaway said the team’s depressed state (27-49) was due to his six-week absence because of a stress reaction and Kristaps Porzingis’ ACL tear Feb. 8, which will put him out until at least around Christmas — and not because of the coach.
The Knicks, who have six games left, begin a five-game homestand Saturday when they could notch their 50th loss for the fourth straight season.