Jazz make right move for future with Quin Snyder’s extension

Barely a day after the Indiana Pacers went wrong by letting Frank Vogel go, the Utah Jazz made the right move for their future by extending Quin Snyder’s contract.

One day after the Indiana Pacers came to a puzzling conclusion that it was a good idea to let Frank Vogel go, the Utah Jazz did the opposite with their head coach Quin Snyder, opting to extend the contract of their growing, defensive minded head coach.

So far in two seasons with the Jazz, Quin has led the team to 38-win and 40-win seasons, respectively. It doesn’t sound like much and they aren’t playoff contenders yet, but they only missed the postseason by the skin of their teeth this year as their young talent continues to develop, and it’s why the Jazz are proving their trust in Snyder with a long-term contract extension.

As the organization stated in their official release on NBA.com, the team’s relationship with Snyder comes down to building a team, something that Pacers president Larry Bird was strangely unwilling to let Vogel proceed with after performing well with limited pieces.

"“With this contract extension, we are declaring our confidence in Coach Snyder’s ability to continue to develop the Utah Jazz into a championship team,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, in the official announcement. “The Miller family recognizes the significant progress made under his leadership and we are excited about the direction we are headed.”“Our relationship with Quin, and this extension, reflect our shared passion for building a championship team,” said Steve Starks, president of the Utah Jazz. “With long-term contracts now in place for Quin, Dennis and other key front office personnel, we are well-positioned for the future.”“We have continued to take significant steps as a team under Quin’s direction,” said Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey. “His work ethic, basketball intelligence and ability to connect with and develop our players make him the ideal head coach of the Jazz.”"

In the exact opposite direction of the Pacers, the Jazz are opting to persist with their growing team and coach to build a team that can develop into a contender over time, exhibiting a clear willingness to be patient and pursue consistency. Almost following in suit of the San Antonio Spurs, who define consistency from Tim Duncan to Gregg Popovich’s tenure, the Jazz are ready for Snyder to lead the team in the playoffs once they have all the pieces to get there.

After a tough season in 2015-16, though, with Derrick Favors (62 games), Rudy Gobert (61 games), and Alec Burks (31 games) all missing significant time, the Jazz can look to next season as a potential turning point.

Injuries aside, the Jazz showed a lot of their potential. Favors and Gobert are one of the more talented and most overlooked frontcourt duos in the NBA, Gordon Hayward always seems on the brink of making an All-Star game with a highly polished offensive game, and Rodney Hood leapt forward this season, showcasing his lengthy, energetic defense and improved shooting ability with two made threes per game.

Ultimately, with such players and Snyder’s structure, the Jazz have one of the most promising defenses in the NBA, ranking 7th in defensive efficiency this season and 2nd in opponent points per game with a stifling average of 95.9. In fact, over the last two seasons since Snyder took over, the Jazz have held opponents below 90 points in a league-best 57 games.

With improved health, coaching consistency and plenty of talent to build upon in the draft and free agency, the Jazz are in a position to take another lengthy step forward in 2016-17.

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