Quin Snyder has the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs, and no matter the outcome of their first-round series with the New York Knicks, Snyder has shown once again that he is a good NBA coach.
When the Utah Jazz began their latest rebuild, they said goodbye to a coach who went 372-264 over eight seasons, as well as a 23-34 playoff mark that saw them reach the second round multiple times.
While it was necessary to part ways with Snyder, Jazz fans remember him as the guy who brought winning basketball back to Utah.
With Atlanta, he has done the same, taking a team that was stuck on the edge of the play-in, with a defenseless franchise player in Trae Young, and getting them back to relevance, in the wake of Young being dealt away to Washington.
The addition of CJ McCollum (in the Young trade), the emergence of Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as stars, the absolute steal of getting Jock Landale for cash, and the deal for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga ended up stabilizing the roster nicely.
This allowed Snyder to mix and match defense and offense as needed, and the Hawks went on an 18-5 tear to end the season and make the playoffs outright for the first time since 2021.
Jazz fans have seen this before with Quin Snyder and aren't surprised
Seeing Quin Snyder find a way might surprise casual NBA fans, but Jazz fans are well aware of his penchant for making things work out against all odds.
The Jazz went 51-31 in the 2016-17 season, Snyder's third in Utah, and then got a gut punch that summer when franchise star Gordon Hayward left for Boston in free agency. Many wrote the Jazz off and thought they would drop to the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
But Quin Snyder had a strong defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert on the roster, as well as Ricky Rubio, Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles, and enforcer Jae Crowder. Oh, and a rookie guard by the name of Donovan Mitchell.
Snyder worked his magic, and that Jazz team mustered a 48-34 record, upset the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, and suddenly the next era of Jazz basketball was born.
Losing a star and finding ways to win is one of his hallmarks now. Similar to when Snyder lost Hayward and then boosted Mitchell to stardom, he has done it again in Atlanta, with Young's departure giving Jalen Johnson the mantle as their new franchise player.
Additionally, he excels at coaching his players into their potential. We saw that in Utah with Donovan Mitchell, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, and Derrick Favors. And in Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, and Dyson Daniels have all seen great success under Snyder's tutelage.
Also, as an assistant in Atlanta during the 2013-14 season, he worked with former Jazzman Paul Millsap, who became a first-time All-Star under Snyder's tutelage.
Ultimately, Jazz fans already knew that Snyder is a great coach, even if the rest of the NBA is just being reminded of it.
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