Winning 40 Games with a Skeleton Crew is a Mighty Impressive Accomplishment
Think about it: Four out the Jazz’s six best players missed more than 20 games — with Alec Burks missing over 50 and Dante Exum missing the entire season. This put Quin Snyder in the super awkward position of tweaking lineups while trying to hide lesser players’ flaws.
Far too often the Jazz had to rely on Joe Ingles, Chris Johnson, Trevor Booker and Jeff Withey. And while all these guys can make a positive impact, none of them are enormous difference makers who should be heavily relied upon to win games.
There will be better Utah Jazz teams in the very near future. But Jazz fans should really appreciate what this team has done this year
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) April 12, 2015
That Quin and his squad won 40 games is nothing to scoff at. It would have been so easy for this team to implode and tank. Instead, they played their hearts out even while several of their best players were riding the pine.
That alone should show us just how skilled Snyder really is. We’re lucky to have him as a coach.
If healthy, I 100 percent believe the Jazz are not only in the playoffs, but battling for the fifth or sixth seed. The amount of injuries the team sustained this year was devastating.
With some luck and a truck load of former trainer Gary Briggs’ magic spray, the Jazz should be anything but a pushover next season.
Next: Jazz Made a Playoff Push Despite Youth