Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder reached an exciting milestone on Saturday night. But as his players expressed quite plainly, he’s far from done.
Saturday’s contest was a momentous occasion for the Utah Jazz. No, not merely because they toppled a lackluster Chicago Bulls team that they were expected to beat, but for a few other reasons. For one, it was their third straight win that got them two games above .500. It was also their fifth win in six games.
Even more impressive, the contest featured Kyle Korver knocking down 3-pointer number 2,283 to pass Jason Terry for the fourth most made threes in NBA history.
But the monumental milestones didn’t stop there. The victory over Chicago was also win number 200 for Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. The 200th career regular-season win moved Quin to a win percentage of .538 (200-172), an exceptional mark especially considering that he inherited a team that went just 25-57 the year before he was hired.
Congrats on 200 wins, Coach! pic.twitter.com/MOm4S8grfN
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 13, 2019
There’s no denying that Quin has been exceptional during his time in Utah. He’s been lauded with praise by some of the greatest basketball minds in the game such as Gregg Popovich, Mike Krzyzewski, Mike Budenholzer and several, several more. He has created a culture focused on defense and internal development that has led the team to much greater heights than many would have predicted when he first came on board.
He’s also led his Jazz team to two straight second-round playoff appearances despite being the lower seed in both first-round series. Due to his brilliance and connection with the players, he’s one of the main reasons why Jazz fans and others around the league feel optimistic about Utah’s chances both this year and beyond.
And Snyder is obviously held in high regard by his players. In response to him earning his 200th win, several Jazzmen heaped him with praise upon being asked about the milestone. A few responses from both Kyle Korver and Rudy Gobert, per UtahJazz.com’s Aaron Falk, are included below–
"“One of my favorite things about being here is playing for him. He’s a great coach. He knows the game really well. He’s put in his time at all different levels. He understands the game, he understands players, he understands how to win.” – Kyle Korver“When you have a coach that is a competitor, that wants to win more than anything else, it really carries over to the team. That’s what Quin is. He pays attention to every little detail, even off the court. When you want to be great, you need a coach like that.” – Rudy Gobert“Quin’s just getting started. As long as his heart doesn’t explode from all the coffee he drinks, he’s going to coach us for a long time. He’s going to get a lot more wins. Two-hundred is a great number. It’s a nice round number. But he’s going to keep going.” – Kyle Korver"
And last of all, here’s what Donovan Mitchell had to say on the matter, per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen–
Donovan Mitchell on Snyder's 200th win: "This is what attracts us to him so much: When Jae had his game against Boston, giving him a hug. When we won the series against OKC, giving me a hug. It shows the relationship he has with us, and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 13, 2019
All of these ought to get Jazz fans really excited, especially Mitchell’s mention that he “wouldn’t want to play for anybody else.” A coach like that can go a long way in getting the most out of his players and helping them become the best they can be. Utah Jazz players recognize that in Quin. Upcoming free agents should as well. From top to bottom, the Jazz are constructing one heck of an appealing organization and team for players to join.
Snyder’s 200th win puts him at third all-time among Jazz coaches, trailing only Jerry Sloan (1,127) and Frank Layden (277). That’s obviously not all that incredible of an accomplishment considering that there haven’t been all that many coaches for the Jazz with Sloan’s lengthy tenure, but it’s still an awesome feat and great to see him moving in that direction.
He may be hard-pressed to catch Jerry, but he could very well surpass Frank Layden by as early as the 2019-20 season, depending how things play out this year and next.
Quin Snyder is undoubtedly a phenomenal coach and, as evidenced by the reaction from the ones that know him best – his players – he’s also certainly the right guy for the job here in SLC.