Hawks’ Quin Snyder receives ‘mad scientist’ title after 500th career win

The Atlanta Hawks got another home win as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 123-113, but it was also a major accomplishment for Quin Snyder. The head coach was able to secure his 500th career win, which shows the success that he’s been able to have throughout his journey.

As much as Snyder is regarded as a good coach, he’s also been credited with being a good human, and Hawks’ players were the first to validate who he really is.

“Quin is incredible, and I don’t say that lightly,” Jock Landale said. “He’s been instrumental in just getting me up to speed with exactly what’s going on. He’s a mad scientist. That’s what we say about him, and he will be dissecting basketball every second of the day if he could. And it goes so much further with him. He’s really good at helping guys fit in off the court as well.

“My family went home to Australia, and he’s been checking on me a lot, just seeing how I am because he knows that it’s hard to be away from my family for a long period of time. Quin does the little stuff that really helps you feel good about the things off the court, which translates onto the court.”

That’s coming from a player who’s only been with the Hawks for half of a season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been with the team since Game 1, and he’s shown Snyder the ultimate praise for his growth.

“Quin has been nothing short of like a support system,” Alexander-Walker said. “Someone I can lean on like a rock as well. I’m glad that I’m able to share some success with him. This season, for me, I’ve been able to celebrate some success of my own, and he was right there to cheer me on to help me improve throughout the season to get to this point. Push me to continue not to be hard on myself.

“The conversations that we have being introspective and just thinking a lot and speaking the same language in that regard. We obsess over the game, so for him to get 500 wins, that’s a reward to him.”

For Snyder himself, he credits his success to the people around him, more specifically, his family.

“When you’ve been in this league for a while, you realize that coaches keep your record, but it’s really the other people that allow for that to happen,” Snyder said. “I’ve just been really lucky to be able to coach not just really good players, but just quality people. That makes it fun. It’s your extended family. I’m grateful for my family, my wife in particular, supporting me.”

This has been the most successful season Snyder has seen with the Hawks, as he’s clinched their first winning season with the team since joining. The job is far from finished, as they continue to fight for the best playoff seeding they can in a competitive Eastern Conference.

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