Quin Snyder emerges as a candidate to replace Frank Vogel in the offseason. How can he bring the Lakers back to title contention?
Quin Snyder might be the best choice for the Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers' disappointing season might not be over yet, but there's already a potential coaching candidate who might take over Frank Vogel's seat in the summer as early as now.
According to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, Utah Jazz's current coach Quin Snyder is a name to look out for.
"I've likewise heard Snyder's name posed as a probable Los Angeles Lakers candidate should the Lakers and Frank Vogel part ways after what has been a nightmare season in Hollywood," Stein wrote in his weekly newsletter.
Stein's statements were also backed up by Blacher Report's Jake Fischer, who said that there's a high chance Los Angeles does chase Snyder in the offseason. According to Fischer, he heard that Snyder didn't sign an extension with the Jazz, which means he could be a free agent in the offseason.
"There's definitely a lot of smoke in that Quin Snyder might be a coaching free agent this year," Fischer said in The Navs effect podcast. "talking to people around the league for potential coaching openings. The only two guaranteed openings are the Lakers and Sacramento [Kings]. No shots at Frank Vogel; I think he did a pretty excellent job with many things considered.
This season has been a mess, and the injuries have been what they have been; he won a title, but it does seem pretty clear that he won't be there, and Snyder is a former assistant coach, someone who won Coach of the Year and is one of the most respected coaches in the league, yeah, I'm sure the Lakers will be very very interested in bringing him to the fold if that were to be the case," Fischer added.
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Snyder responds
Days after Stein and Fischer shared their thoughts about the coach's future, Snyder (who has been the Jazz's head coach since 2014) reacted by declining to talk about his current contract status.
"I've never talked about my contract from day one, and I'm not going to. That's not something that I'm going to comment on now, nor at any point in the future. That's not something the Jazz have done. I personally don't want to or believe in getting into public contract discussions," Snyder said last Tuesday, as published in The Salt Lake Tribune.
Snyder's status with the Jazz remains unclear moving forward, but the coach claimed last February that LeBron James is the best player he's ever seen in basketball history. Take this with a grain of salt, but Snyder's admiration for James makes it seem like he could be interested in coaching the four-time champion.
How Snyder can bring Los Angeles back in contention
The rumor of Synder potentially taking over Vogel's seat have yet to be solidified, but if ever he does become the Lakers' next coach, it'll be a massive advantage for the purple and gold.
The Lakers have been a defense-first squad throughout Vogel's tenure, but that might change if Snyder, an offensive guru, takes over.
The Jazz led by Synder has always been a successful regular season team thanks to their modern offense built around Donavan Mitchell and their critical pieces in Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley Jr., Bojan Bogdanović, and of course, one of the best defensive players in the league Rudy Gobert.
Utah currently has the league-leading offense (116.1 per 100 possessions), which would greatly appeal to a James and Anthony Davis-led squad.
If Snyder can make it work in Utah, he might just be able to do it with James and a complete offensive big in Davis. Snyder's principles entail significant ball movement, cutting, and smart offensive sets, which should work well around James, shooters, and Davis. He can also put Davis in the same position as Gobert is in now on the defensive end.
Snyder's offensive formula will answer what the Lakers have been missing in the past few seasons as they work their way back to championship contenders in the offseason. Remember, Snyder was once an assistant coach for the purple and gold, so there's a chance that their history might just bring him back.
