Carmelo looking forward to 'up-tempo' play under Hornacek

The expected hiring of Jeff Hornacek as the New York Knicks' new head coach brings a style of play All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is very much eager to dabble in.

"I played against him a couple of times when he was the head coach out there in Phoenix," Anthony said Saturday on WNBC-TV. "Everybody knows he likes to play an up-tempo pace of game, likes to get out in transition, likes to speed the game up a lot. So from that standpoint, I'll definitely be looking forward to that."

The Phoenix Suns ranked in the top 10 in pace all three seasons Hornacek manned the sidelines. The belief is that team president Phil Jackson will allow his new coach to run the offense more to his liking, rather than force the triangle down player's throats. If that's the case, expect the Knicks to push the tempo much more than in recent years, having finished in the bottom-third of the NBA in pace each of the last two seasons.

Returning to the playoffs is the ultimate goal, though, with Anthony believing Hornacek's arrival can lead to that in 2016-17.

"It sets the stage for us to do that," Anthony said. "(It's a) new opportunity, something new to play with, something fresh, a clean plate. So hopefully we can build off of this momentum."

Despite being New York's crown jewel, Anthony noted he didn't toss his two cents into the coaching search, and the final decision was ultimately Jackson's.

Hornacek achieved a 101-112 (.472) record of in the Valley of the Sun. He was relieved of his duties Feb. 1, 2016, after beginning the campaign 14-35.