Quin Snyder has been yesterday's news for the Utah Jazz for some time now. Since resigning in 2022, the Jazz have fully transitioned to Will Hardy and haven't looked back. However, the most recent intel about Snyder and his current team, the Atlanta Hawks, only makes the failed Jazz era with Snyder calling the shots look even worse.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer gave the latest on where extension talks are between the Hawks and Trae Young on August 10. Amidst all the uncertainty, Fischer revealed how Snyder plays a part in Atlanta's confidence that Young will re-sign.
"I'm told another reason for Atlanta and Young's mutual optimism about next season: The strong relationship that the 26-year-old has forged with Quin Snyder.
"The Hawks' head coach sang Young's praises for his growing voice as a leader and heightened defensive efforts when I made a trip to Atlanta in March. There's real synergy between coach and point guard," Fischer wrote.
There's no doubt that Snyder played a role in the Jazz building a unlikely playoff contender in the 2010s, but what everyone remembers most about the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell days is how dysfunctional those teams became despite their talent.
Reports like these reflect on the fact that Snyder simply didn't have that kind of relationship with the Jazz players he coached. His rapport with Young is strong enough that the Hawks believe they can retain the star long-term because of it. If only that rapport could have been there for the Jazz. Could that team have taken another step and/or stayed together
Snyder's not to blame for that necessarily. Rapport is something that is natural, so if he has a good relationship with Young compared to his relationship with Gobert or Mitchell, that might reflect more on how Snyder connected with Young better than he did with the two Jazz stars he once coached.
It's just so hard to think about how things turned out for the Jazz during that time and seeing how Snyder might very well find more success with the Hawks because of how well he connected with their guys like Young.
Could Will Hardy do the same down the line?
With Utah embracing its youth movement, Hardy will be faced with the task of developing a strong rapport with the Jazz's youngsters over the next few years. While there hasn't been a hint of any tension between him and any of the players he has coached in Utah, when the Jazz start trying to win again, one way to keep their young talent is to fuel their desire to play for Hardy long-term.
It may be a while before the Jazz see their current roster construction turn into a winner, but as they rebuild, this will be a good time for Hardy to develop trust with their young players that he can both help them reach their potential and that doing so can lead to results.
If that happens, the Jazz should feel even more confident about Hardy than they already do.