Quin Snyder returns for his second stint with the Atlanta Hawks. Fans everywhere are ecstatic with the coaching change and a new look for the Hawks.

Snyder’s Pedigree

Let’s talk about Snyder’s previous accomplishments. Snyder was the assistant coach to Mike Brown on the Lakers in 2011-2012 and Mike Budenholzer with his first stint on the Hawks in 2013-2014. However, most of his experience was when he became the head coach for the Utah Jazz in 2014. Snyder had a record of 372-264, which equals a .585 winning percentage, ranking 18th-best among NBA coaches who have worked for at least that long, per AP news. Snyder has brought the Jazz to the playoffs for five consecutive years in a stacked Western Conference. Snyder has not made it past the Western Conference Finals, but given his team and the teams he had to face, he utilized his players the most. 

Placing a New System

Players will need time to become accustomed to a whole new system. As more news has surfaced, we have realized that the previous coach, Nate McMillan had little infrastructure for the team. Most of the Hawks’ offense under McMillan consisted of pick-n-rolls and Murray and Young trading isolation buckets. There is no previous infrastructure for Snyder to remove, and he only has to focus on getting the players to learn his system. This will take some time, however, as his system is complicated. Ex-Jazz Guard, Donovan Mitchell, had struggled to adapt to Snyder’s system. It took him a couple of games to adapt if the Hawks struggled.

How Things Stand Now

The Hawks are currently 2-1 under Snyder. They have had close games, with Young beating the Brooklyn Nets off of a buzzer-beater, and narrowly losing the Wizards off a poor shooting night from the 3-pt line. The most impressive game was when the Hawks blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had the best defense in the league. These games might have been sloppy, but the team has played with renewed energy. They are playing with the swagger they never had before and will continue to evolve under the coaching of Snyder. Honestly, I don’t expect the Hawks to immediately become a better team overnight or even make it past the first round of the playoffs. What matters is the long-term picture, where the team buys into Snyder’s philosophy and can make deep playoff runs soon. 

With arguably more talent than his previous Jazz teams, Snyder still has his fair share of work ahead of him for the Hawks to become championship hopefuls. We must wait and see how the Hawks adapt and evolve to Snyder’s coaching.