Quin Snyder says Jazz players need a dose of realism
After finishing on a 19-10 run to end the 2014-15 campaign, the Utah Jazz are being favored by many to sneak into the bottom end of the playoff picture in the West this season.
However, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder made a point to put his team's accomplishments into perspective following the Jazz's 113-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
"Look, the thing about our team is we've got some good players," Snyder told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. "We've got an opportunity to be a good team. It's not like anybody or our team has done anything. We've played well at times. Our individual players have played well at times."
Snyder's point, however blunt, is that his players and his team have yet to establish themselves. And while finding a modicum of success is nice, the reality for his young Jazz squad is that real success is still far away.
As a comparison, the opposing Thunder - with two All-NBA players in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant - represents a situation which the Jazz aspire to emulate. For the time being, they serve as a reminder of how far Utah has to go.
"You're looking at Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and guys that have a level that no one, we haven't touched that. So for us, it's, hey, look at what that is and what those guys are doing and how hard they practice. You see them before the game? How hard they went? Those are hungry guys that are All-Stars," Snyder said.
Durant finished with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds, while Westbrook notched a triple double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
As a comparison, the Jazz's top two of Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert finished with a combined 23 points and seven rebounds while both played over 30 minutes.
Snyder wrapped up his rant with a caution that while the Jazz are on the right path - the road ahead, going from good to great, is far more difficult.
"I'm not dampening any enthusiasm, but I am being realistic about who our group is and that's what our group needs. We need to be realistic about the level that's out there and if we want to reach it, it's a hard road," Snyder said.