Trae Young’s Dad Heaps Praise on Duke Basketball Alum
Former Duke basketball guard and assistant Quin Snyder owns the longest active streak among head coaches with his seven consecutive appearances in the NBA Playoffs.
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What's his secret? Beyond his noted brilliance with X's and O's, it seems Snyder never fails to connect with young superstars, especially volume shooters on the perimeter.
He and Donovan Mitchell formed a strong bond during their five seasons with the Utah Jazz, compiling the best regular-season record among Western Conference teams across their time together.
And now, a few months after accepting the Atlanta Hawks job, the 56-year-old Snyder appears instrumental in the 24-year-old Trae Young perhaps preparing to reach another level of stardom.
On Tuesday night, following Young's late-game heroics in the Hawks' 119-117 upset win at the Boston Celtics to force a Game 6 in Atlanta at 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday, his father gave credit to Snyder once again. Ray Young proclaimed on Twitter that "Quin Snyder is the best thing to happen to my son since he arrived in Atlanta draft night!"
After facing a 109-96 deficit with six minutes to play, it sounds like Quin Snyder orchestrated the comeback victory by inspiring an extra dose of confidence in Trae Young. The fifth-year pro scored all 14 of Atlanta's points in the final 3:18 of action, and his bold 30-foot game-winner extended their season by at least one more game.
Young finished with 38 points and 13 assists. And he didn't come off the court in the second half.
"Be instinctive," Snyder reportedly instructed Young before the team's final possession. "Make a play. We all believe in you."
His advice worked.
The two former Duke basketball talents on the Hawks' roster, Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin, had little impact in Game 5. Johnson tallied three points, three rebounds, and two assists in 13 minutes on the floor, and Griffin, who has yet to log any postseason playing time, didn't play.
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As for Duke basketball great and Boston Celtics sensation Jayson Tatum, he struggled to find his rhythm. He totaled 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while shooting only 8-for-21 from the floor and a disappointing 1-for-10 beyond the arc.
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