SALT LAKE CITY – Quin Snyder shouted instructions to his Atlanta Falcons Friday morning, leading a pseudo shootaround workout. It looked like the kind of shoot he did so many times over so many years with the Utah Jazz.
The training was lively, with lots of applause and positive vibes. And on the outside, Snyder was his usual upbeat but intense self, ready for the Hawks’ game against the Jazz Friday night at the Delta Center.
But emotions and stomach were churning inside. And it’s for good reason. Snyder has been to many places during his coaching career, from college to college. NBA, from the NBA abroad. If there’s one guy who will travel to the ends of the Earth for a job, it’s Snyder. But the Utah Jazz represented Snyder’s first NBA head coaching experience, and he took the Jazz from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best in 2021, when they won a league-high 52 games in the regular season. He, his wife, Amy, and his children established roots in the Utah community, roots that have lasted nearly a decade.
Friday evening, for his first homecoming, we had to expect the emotion of it all. Snyder received a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd during the presentations. There was a video tribute. He was the mastermind behind a team that culminated with a chance to win an NBA title. Snyder knows that no matter what happens for the rest of his career, this legacy will not be erased.
“There were so many people here in Utah that my family and I met who touched our lives,” Snyder said. Athleticism. “These relationships are timeless to me, even though I’m not there. I have so much gratitude to the people I have worked with and for here, especially Ryan Smith, Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge. So coming back here to Utah and remembering that brings a lot of emotion. But life is about change and adaptation, and we all have to do these things at some point.
Welcome back Coach Quin ????????#Take note pic.twitter.com/hrQvygZRj0
-Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 16, 2024
When Snyder arrived at the Jazz in 2014, he had to build almost from the ground up. His first two teams struggled to find their footing. Snyder had to adapt the team to his desired style of play, and he didn’t completely adapt it to his liking until the Jazz added Donovan Mitchell in 2017 and exchanged for Mike Conley in 2019 to support Rudy Gobert. Overall, the Jazz made the playoffs six straight seasons under Snyder, winning three Northwest Division titles during that span.
When Snyder took the job with the Hawks midway through last season, it was a far more veteran roster than the one he inherited in Utah. But Atlanta’s roster could be headed for a similar change. A Quin Snyder team is at its best with a dynamic ball handler, a group of shooters on the wings and a big who can set screens and play above the rim as a vertical threat. This is the formula on which the Jazz thrived with Conley, Mitchell, Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic And Joe Ingles.
The Hawks (29-37) aren’t quite there, as a 124-122 loss to the Jazz (29-37) on Friday night showed. Trae Young covers a lot of flaws, but since he’s injured, those flaws are obvious. The filming is not generally dynamic. The defense is struggling in large areas. Atlanta sometimes spends long periods struggling to create offense, especially without Young. And there isn’t enough ability to create off the dribble, not to mention a lack of dynamic passing.
Snyder’s imprint on the roster, even in a short time, is evident. He knows where he wants the list to be. He told several players known for their ability to shoot from mid-range that he wanted a certain number of 3s taken. What Snyder and the Hawks know is that the process is just beginning. But it will probably take a year or two.
‘I like the way he sees and treats the game,’ Atlanta center Clint Capela said Athleticism. “Everything he sees, he makes sure to communicate with us. He’s really transparent about what he wants, and that’s something we players appreciate. It’s different from what I was used to. We just have to try to continue to improve within the system and continue to improve. The goal is for us to take the season as far as possible. We have 17 games left. We need to make sure we maximize that.
The Hawks have talent, which is good news. Jalen Johnson seems headed for greatness with its ability to do almost anything you could want from a combination. Young and Defeat Murray form a dynamic rear zone. Bogdan Bogdanovic And De’Andre Hunter are versatile shooting threats. That being said, the Hawks are 10th in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the Brooklyn netsand I have some decisions to make soon.
What they are now doesn’t seem to be enough. The Hawks were once a young, new team, seemingly on the rise. They were adopted as such by personalities like Indiana Pacers And Magic of Orlando. What’s more, the faithful are still there, with no sign of letting up. These are teams like Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami heat And New York Knicks.
You don’t want to be in NBA purgatory, which is halfway there. The Hawks are convinced that Johnson, 22, is the cornerstone of the franchise, and if you watch him slide around the court, it’s not a difficult conclusion to draw. His ceiling is very high and he is only scratching the surface of his abilities. But are the Hawks holding on to Young? Are they hanging on to Murray? Are they holding on to Hunter? These are some of the questions they need to answer this offseason.
Is this group capable of running? Atlanta would need to win two Play-In Tournament games to advance to the playoffs, and if that happens, the reward would be the Celtics, who have the best record in the league. Let’s say it’s unlikely.
The real work is only beginning for Snyder as his first full season in Atlanta ends.
“I think we know we have a lot of work to do, but that’s what makes it fun,” Snyder said. “The most important thing for us is to make sure we are improving every day and doing the right things. We need to make sure we have the right habits and then work from there.
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
