Snyder Finds Winning Rotation Against Kings
Oct 26, 2019, 10:24 PM | Updated: 10:56 pm
DALLAS, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz reacts as the Utah Jazz take on the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on November 14, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Quin Snyder continued to toy with his guard rotation against the Sacramento Kings.
With Bojan Bogdanovic back in the lineup for the Jazz after missing Friday’s game with an ankle injury, Snyder rolled out the same starting lineup against the Kings that he had against the Oklahoma City Thunder to start the season.
Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert got their second start of the season as a unit.
Against the Lakers, Joe Ingles and Jeff Green replaced Bogdanovic and O’Neale in the starting lineup.
Beyond the starting lineup, Snyder’s rotation continued to change.
“Those things are always going to be fluid throughout the year,” Snyder said.
The Thunder
In the season opener, Ingles was the first player off the bench for the Jazz, subbing in for O’Neale at the 7:20 mark of the first quarter.
Emmanuel Mudiay replaced Conley at the 6:17 mark of the quarter.
Conley would then re-enter the game for Mitchell at the 1:21 mark of the opening quarter. O’Neale replaced Mudiay at the same break.
Conley, Ingles and O’Neale would finish the quarter.
The Lakers
Against the Lakers, O’Neale was the first sub off the bench for the Jazz, replacing Ingles with 6:35 remaining. Mudiay then replaced Conley with 6:29 left in the first half.
Conley then returned for Mudiay with two minutes remaining in the quarter. Ingles re-entered the game for Mitchell in the same switch.
Conley, Ingles and O’Neale closed out the quarter.
The Kings
Snyder again changed his lineup against the Kings.
Quin Snyder continues to alter his rotations. Tonight Donovan Mitchell is the first sub of the game, with Joe Ingles coming in off the bench. #TakeNote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 27, 2019
For the first time this season, Mitchell was the first player to leave the starting lineup — subbing out for Ingles at the 6:28 mark of the first.
Mudiay would check-in for Conley at the 3:09 mark, before Mitchell subbed back in for O’Neale at 2:55.
Mitchell, Mudiay and Ingles would finish the quarter on the floor.
Minutes Rotation
Though the players have changed, the rotation pattern has largely remained the same.
In all three games, Snyder makes his first substitution four to five minutes into the quarter.
First Sub
Thunder – Ingles for O’Neale
Lakers – O’Neale for Ingles
Kings – Ingles for Mitchell
Second Sub
In games one and two, a second substitution would quickly follow the first sub of the game.
Thunder – Mudiay for Conley
Lakers – Mudiay for Conley
Against the Kings, Snyder changed things.
Mudiay again subbed in for Conley, but the move came at the 3:09 mark.
Third and Fourth Subs
Snyder’s third and fourth guard substitutions come in the final three minutes of the first quarter in each game.
Thunder – Conley for Mitchell and O’Neale for Mudiay
Lakers – Conley for Mudiay and Ingles for Mitchell
Kings – Mudiay for Conley and Mitchell for O’Neale
The Results
The Jazz biggest first quarter lead came against Oklahoma City. The Thunder had the lowest scoring quarter of the Jazz season, finishing with just 12 points. The Jazz led 23-12.
The Lakers led the Jazz after one quarter 24-17. The 17 point quarter is the worst of the season.
Against the Kings, the Jazz finished the quarter leading 35-25. The 35 points were the Jazz best quarter of the season.
Mike Conley is doing Mike Conley things tonight.
He's up to 10 points in the first half. #TakeNote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 27, 2019
The Jazz have only had one game, the season opener, in which the game closed with non-garbage minutes.
Conley, Mitchell and Ingles closed the game for the Jazz. The three played the final 4:08 of the game, and turned and 86-85 deficit into a 100-95 victory.
The Switch
“I thought it made sense to flip (Conley) and Donovan,” Snyder said after the Jazz defeated the Kings, “I felt like Donovan could be more impactful in that situation.”
Mitchell had his lowest scoring output of the season against Sacramento, just 15 points, but the Jazz were 36 points better than the Kings in the 25 minutes he was on the floor.
“I’m all for it,” Mitchell said of the switch with Conley, “Trying to find ways to get better not for myself, but as a team.”
Conley as a result had his best outing as a Jazzman. The new Jazz guard contributed 12 points in 24 minutes, connecting on 5-11 shots, including 2-6 from three.
The rotation against the Kings was more similar to what Conley had experienced during his 12 year career in Memphis.
“I think that helped me get in a good rhythm,” Conley said of the extended run to start the game, “That’s kind of what I’m used to doing back in Memphis.”
“It just allowed me to be in more control of the game,” Conley added.
Mitchell thought he switch paid dividends for Conley.
“I think Mike just kind of being able to get his rhythm a little bit more,” Mitchell said, “It’s where we’ve got to get to.”
While Snyder has switched the rotation through each of the first three games, this may be the rotation the coach sticks with.
“I think we’ll keep doing it,” Mitchell said.
