How safe is Quin Snyder heading into the 2024-25 playoffs? The answer to this question is difficult to decipher based on an uneven Atlanta front office. Quin Snyder was first hired in the 2023 season and has had two seasons to attempt to turn things around for the Hawks. The team is yet to escape the play-in despite having a great collection of talent and the calming presence of Trae Young. An easy counter to this is the fact that the team has had incredibly rough injury luck and still has a very young team that is just starting to realize their potential.
Still, in a league that can fire a head coach holding the 4th seed in the Western Conference, it is a question worth asking.
No matter how accomplished you are, it is a league that offers no stability to the position. Outside of Steve Kerr and Eric Spoelstra, it is hard to imagine a head coach that isn't one bad season away from being fired. The Lakers serve as another great example of firing head coach Frank Vogel not two years after having won a championship with the franchise. It is an unforgiving league that has to have Quin Snyder on the hot seat.
Could the Atlanta Hawks Consider Firing Quin Snyder in the 2025-26 NBA Offseason?
This remains a major unknown, and it is hard to point to what the right direction for Atlanta is. While we've seen flashes under Snyder, the defense hasn't been consistent, and there have been games against inferior teams Atlanta badly needed and dropped.
Atlanta has to consider as well the impressive field of coaches on the offseason market. Proven winners in Frank Vogel, Michael Malone, Mike D'Antoni, and former Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer. All come with clear concerns, but are far more proven winners than Snyder.
On the flip side, Atlanta really cannot be expected to contend with New York, Cleveland, and Boston with the current injury situation. Even if the Hawks had the benefit of their full roster, it would be a major upset for the Hawks to win four games against any of these teams.
Atlanta has shown growth and taken a step forward this season, perhaps the best path remains to practice patience and search for the missing piece that elevates this roster. Quin Snyder is a capable coach who at least appears to have the respect of his players and is building things in the right direction. However, if the Hawks are going to stay the course, there must be notable offseason moves and immediate improvements next season.