Hawks officially have a Quin Snyder problem on their hands

It might just be time for the Atlanta Hawks to move on from Quin Snyder.

I was a fan of the hire from the jump. Snyder led a mediocre Utah Jazz team (by Western Conference playoff standards) to multiple overperformances, including notching the first seed in 2021. He turned Utah into a defensive powerhouse despite having only one starter who was a positive defender (Rudy Gobert), and the offense hummed despite a severe lack of on-ball creation. He turned a little into a lot; that’s what you want from a coach.

Unfortunately, he has not been able to replicate his magic in Atlanta. He has not had a winning record in any of his three seasons in Atlanta, and the Hawks are on pace for yet another losing season. 

The Hawks aren’t exactly positioned to win this season, but Snyder has still underperformed relative to expectations.

Snyder must prove himself before Atlanta makes a decision

The biggest complaint fans raise regarding Snyder is his rotation. Take Wednesday night’s game against Charlotte as an example; despite being dominated by the Hornets’ offense and rebounding, he opted to sub Asa Newell in as the backup power forward.

In a vacuum, I like this decision – even if it’s the wrong basketball move. Newell is a rookie who could benefit from the additional reps, and the Hawks aren’t exactly deep at the four. If Snyder fully embraced developing young talent, Atlanta could benefit this season even if the record isn’t pretty. While Newell is a weak defender, playing against a talented offensive team in Charlotte could prove valuable.

But Snyder hasn’t embraced his young talent. Mouhamed Gueye, who is quietly one of the most intriguing defenders in the league, received a DNP-CD just two games beforehand, and Zaccharie Risacher, the former first overall pick, hasn’t played over 24 minutes in his last six games. 

This lack of direction illustrates Snyder’s problem. He isn’t maximizing the team’s record, nor is he maximizing their development. Instead, he seems comfortable standing in no-man’s land.

Let's be honest; this season is practically over. Atlanta traded Young and Porzingis and is planning to build for the future. Atlanta cannot win a title this season, but there is still valuable time for players to earn reps. If Snyder did choose to maximize the team’s record, he could establish a winning culture. I would disagree with chasing wins at the expense of development at this point, but at the very least, there would be some benefit.

But alas, Snyder has left the team directionless yet again. Something has to change, and the coach has just one year remaining on his contract. It might be time for Onsi Saleh to pull the trigger and move on.