Look. This isn't a deep playoff contender and won't be no matter who coaches the team.
KP is proving to be a unicorn in the imagination of NY Knick fans and MSG marketing only. This isn't on Hornacek. KP's tenure in NY is on the clock - he's made many bad decisions and, although his rhetoric is always in the right place, he's proving to be a fairly average NBA talent hence the record.
Fans who continue to criticize Frankie's development and potential are idiots, IMO. He has the tools, brains, and talent to be the true long term star of this team. His ups and downs are expected and predictable. NO coach is going to turn a 19 year old raw talent into a mature 24 year old veteran overnight.
Hornacek is also a work-in-progress. He's going to be a trusted and respected NBA coach for a long time. When he has a team that's gifted, he'll win it all. Will the Knicks eventually fire him and the next coach and the next coach - yeah. So what.
But if we're talking about the here and now. Hornacek is featuring players that the organization want on the floor to attempt securing a playoff spot with. My suspicion is that we're featuring players who are short-timers and available in trade. The arrival of Burke and departure of Sessions just made the Knicks that much younger - not necessarily that much more competitive.
The balance the Knicks are attempting to achieve is to ratchet up the talent without sacrificing the season. Obviously, financial considerations and player trajectories will dictate the mid-season trade considerations.
Had Beasley not stepped up his game, he would likely be someone on the trade bubble. Likewise Kanter and O'Quinn may be long-term keepers based on their play. Hernangomez has devolved into a KP sidekick more than an NBA player in his own right may be on the bubble. It may save his career.
I think Jack, CLee, and Thomas are all likely to be traded to contenders for either younger talent or a future pick long before management entertains firing Hornacek.