Utah Jazz: The 50 greatest players in franchise history
By Matt Giles
All-time greatest Utah Jazz players: No. 9 Jeff Hornacek
- Seasons with the franchise: Seven (1993-94 to 1999-00)
- Regular-season games played: 477
- Averages as a Jazzman: 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.2 blocks
- Shooting percentages: 49.4 from the field, 42.8 percent from three, 89.7 from the foul line
- Playoff games with Utah: 100
- Postseason averages: 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks
Scarecrow. The Paperboy.
It’s safe to say that the move for Jeff Hornacek at the 1994 trade deadline turned out to be the critical piece of the Utah Jazz playoff puzzle, culminating in the group’s two NBA Finals appearances a few years later. It’s also safe to say that the former second-rounder out of Iowa State still deserves mention as one of the purest 3-point snipers in franchise history.
That’s not to mention the oh-so-reliable 6-foot-3 guard’s silkiness at the charity stripe. And we certainly can’t discuss Hornacek’s free throws without bringing up his unforgettable routine of letting his children know that he was thinking about them by simply stroking the side of his face before his freebie attempts.
Unless current Jazzman Jordan Clarkson keeps up his torrid pace at the foul line this season, Hornacek’s 95.0 free throw percentage across his final season in Salt Lake City will continue to stand as Utah’s record.