By Jordan Long
The Atlanta Hawks fired Head Coach Nate McMillan following a 29-30 start to the season. There are now rumors Atlanta would like to hire Quin Snyder to replace McMillian.
The firing of McMillan came as a surprise. The Hawks have been very successful with him as their Head Coach. He had been there since the 2020-2021 season. The Hawks went 99-80, earning a playoff spot twice.
This season there were high expectations for this team to earn not only a playoff spot, but to advance far. They stand at 29-30, the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended right now, the Hawks would be in the play-in tournament. Apparently, that isn’t where Atlanta wants to be. A new Head Coach may boost their chances to be a top 6 team in the Eastern Conference.
Snyder has NBA Head Coaching experience. Snyder coached the Utah Jazz from 2014 to the end of last season. With the Jazz, his record is an impressive 372-264, a winning percentage of .585. The Jazz ended up in the postseason from 2017 until he stepped down following a first-round playoff exit last season.
Snyder is the coach they should hire. His resume shows he can help this team win basketball games. It is possible with his coaching style the Hawks may climb in the standings but it might not be enough to help them out of a play-in tournament spot. Even so, they could play themselves into a series.
The Hawks are going to talk to Snyder about their Head Coaching position. They have a talented team led by Trae Young. Young is coachable and would need to buy into what Snyder is saying if they want to make any type of run in the postseason.
In the end, though it is up to Snyder. He hasn’t been out of the NBA game long. Atlanta makes so much sense for him to land. Snyder is expected to talk with the Hawks. Then a decision will be made but everything is lining up for him to be the Head Coach for the rest of the season and beyond.
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