This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When assessing the Jazz's mid-decade rebuild, most agree it began with the hiring of general manager Dennis Lindsey.
After all, Lindsey is the one who drafted Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood. He traded for George Hill and Boris Diaw last summer, and picked out of a big free agent group Joe Johnson, who has played a critical role in Utah's maturation this season.
But Lindsey's biggest move since coming to Salt Lake City arguably has been the hire of Quin Snyder as his coach. Snyder is the one who has taken the talent and molded it into a cohesive unit, managed egos, made difficult rotation decisions and developed the younger players.
As the Jazz prepare for their first playoff appearance since 2012 stands Snyder's biggest challenge yet: Becoming a successful postseason coach.
"On some level, everything is different in the playoffs," Snyder said. "But our reality is the same it's been all year. The biggest thing for us is, are we going to be healthy? That's the battle we've fought all year. So whomever is lacing them up for us, that's what will be different. We just have to go out and play."
The postseason can be difficult for coaches without playoff experiences. Two years ago, David Blatt came under fire with the Cleveland Cavaliers when he tried to call a timeout he didn't have at the end of a critical game in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Chicago Bulls — a mistake the officials missed. Blatt did lead LeBron James and Cleveland to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Golden State Warriors. He would be fired shortly into the next season.
That type of scrutiny is what Snyder is going to face. It seems like the free world dissects everything in the postseason — every call, every play, every substitution.
"It's definitely a challenge for everyone," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "For coach, it's going to mean more preparation and more film study. It will mean working on game plans. Everything kind of intensifies in the playoffs."
Having extra days off between games and more time to scheme and adjust puts coaching at more of a premium during the playoffs than it does in the regular season. And if Blatt was an example of a young coach who didn't have great moments, Steve Kerr is an example of one who has thrived in the postseason.
Kerr made one of the biggest adjustments of to change the momentum of a series in winning the NBA title with the Golden State Warriors two years ago: He limited Andrew Bogut's minutes at center, inserted David Lee into his rotation and went small. That move exposed Cleveland's trapping pick-and-roll defense, which had limited Stephen Curry. It gave the Warriors more space, put more playmakers in the lineup, and the Cavaliers never had an answer for it.
Snyder will have a worthy adversary in Clippers coach Doc Rivers, a well-respected veteran in the profession who won a NBA title as Boston Celtics coach. But Snyder has the confidence of his players and three years of making good decisions on his resume.
That will need to continue if the Jazz are to advance past Los Angeles.
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Jazz under Snyder
Season Record
2014-15 38-44
2015-16 40-42
2016-17 51-31