Round Table Part II, OKC Thunder – Utah Jazz: x-factors, advantages, predictions

Question 6:

Quin Snyder will undoubtedly get some well deserved Coach of the Year consideration. In contrast, Billy Donovan has taken a beating on this site (and in the media in general), so don’t expect his name on the list for COY consideration. That said, Donovan has a penchant for pulling out new lineups or tweaks to defensive or offensive sets in the postseason. First, do you anticipate something of this nature occurring versus the Jazz? And, secondly which of the two coaches do you think will make the best adjustments throughout the series?

Stephen Dolan:

You’ve heard the commonly, maybe overly-used cliché, “Billy’s got surprises,” right? Of course you have, I don’t even know why I’m asking. What you may not have heard is the origin of this proverb. You might remember the lineup that vaulted the Thunder to a 3-1 lead against the Warriors in 2016: Russ/Waiters/Roberson/KD/Ibaka logged 59 minutes in that series and posted a +24.9 per 100 possessions in those minutes (lineup data per NBA.com).

That lineup played only 46 minutes during the regular season. The Twin Towers lineup that swung the previous series against the Spurs? 26 minutes in the series (+24.4), 11 minutes in the regular season.

Donovan saved Oladipo, backup point-guard, for the Playoffs just last year. So, do the Thunder have a seldom-used, secret lineup that matches up perfectly with the Jazz personnel on defense while providing spacing on offense? Yeah, Billy’s got surprises. Russ/PG/Melo/Patterson/Adams: 0 minutes.

Noah Schulte:

I don’t think that he will experiment with line-ups in such a huge playoff series like this. He probably feels the pressure from the media and fanbase to make a run this year, so likely won’t try anything too experimental. As for the second part of this question, Quin Snyder is an infinitely better coach than Donovan and given how he’s led his troops through adversity this year and brought them back from the brink, he will almost certainly out-coach Billy Donovan.

Jeremy Lambert:

Donovan has proven himself in past playoff series. He made the proper adjustments against the Spurs, Warriors, and Rockets in past years. Granted, he’s 1-2 in those series, but it wasn’t due to poor coaching. A lineup we’ve barely seen this seasonn is Patrick Patterson next to Steven Adams. I think we could see more of those two to combat Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors.

Sinjin Snope:

I definitely believe that Donovan will have something up his sleeve for the postseason. We have seen him tweak his sets and play unique lineups in the postseason before against the Rockets last year and Golden State a few years back. At this point I will still lean towards Quin Snyder for making the better adjustments, as I think he is a slightly better coach than Billy, but don’t be surprised if Donovan ends up winning the matchup. Don’t forget he out-coached Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr in one playoffs just two seasons ago.

Tamberlyn Richardson:

I’ve been on Donovan pretty heavy this season due to his inconsistent reserve minute distribution, but gave him props in those last few games. And, he’s known as a brilliant playoff coach. As for Snyder, I’m a HUGE fan of his. Snyder’s ability is multi-leveled. To wit, he’s an excellent coach of young talent while also having a penchant to improve guys who’ve been in the league a while (Hill last year, Rubio this year as an example). Combine that with his stellar defensive mind and exacting roles for his roster.

The coach who is able to control the pace wins the series in my humble opinion. I’d lean toward Snyder, but won’t be shocked if Billy D surprises me yet again.

Austin Sternlicht:

I fully expect Billy Donovan to unveil new schemes he has been saving all season. Two years ago, Donovan out-coached Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr in the playoffs. This year, with a flexible roster, there is certainly a chance Donovan can surprise the Jazz and unleash something they haven’t been able to study on film. The big question will be how long Carmelo Anthony’s leash will be. Will Donovan be willing to sit Anthony for large stretches if he is being useful on either side of the ball? I think both coaches will make great moves, but in the end, the players will decide this series.

Wil Harrington:

Billy Donovan has taken heat for giving in to the egos of his stars and not asking enough out of them. His unwillingness to stagger star minutes through the regular season was perplexing, so it would be surprising to see a change now. I would absolutely love to be proved wrong. I have said all year that Melo could play his game at the optimum level if he was doing it with Felton and Grant instead of Westbrook and George. Expect Quin Snyder to make better adjustments.

Alex Mcewen:

Quin Snyder and Donovan are both former college coaches, Donovan holds the better record (150-96). Snyder (177-151) has done a better job in the professional ranks.

Donovan has had vastly more talent to work with on the Thunder than Snyder has with the Jazz. Utah was essentially in the same situation the Thunder were positioned in last season as their franchise player departed via free agency.

The Jazz did not have an all-star this season. They finished fifth seed in the crowded western conference. Oklahoma City had the MVP and finished sixth seed last season. The above statement speaks volumes about the level of coaching.

Jordan Buckamneer:

The first round series between OKC and Utah is certainly a tale of two coaches. At one bench stands a man whose team was expected to do poorly after losing their best player in free agency and would be replaced by a rookie. However, Quin Snyder and the Jazz turned heads this season by establishing their place in the West as a respectable team.

Sure, Donovan Mitchell playing out of his mind made things easier, but Snyder did an excellent job of putting him in a position to be successful. Considering Rudy Gobert missed 26 games, Snyder’s bunch did well for themselves by clinching the fifth seed.

Meanwhile in OKC, Donovan had difficulty finding the right alchemy to unlock his team’s potential. Put some of the blame on Donovan for the slow start if you’d like, but the good news for OKC is that Corey Brewer seems to have been the solution to OKC’s problems.

Down the stretch Donovan cemented his rotation and isn’t likely to tinker with it much in the postseason. The starting lineup is set in stone and now it’s just a matter of deciding whose minutes to reduce off the bench. As Snyder has done all season, he will move his lineup around to contain the OK3. For Donovan, it should be a matter of putting his best players on the floor and trust them to make in-game decisions.