The Hawks aren't having a very joyous holiday season this year. Loss after loss after loss have plagued the franchise in December, causing Atlanta to not only dip below .500 for the first time in over a month, but also to cave in their way back into play-in tournament contention.
To make matters worse, these losses are coming in the worst way imaginable – either blowout defeats or single-digit heartbreakers. Over their last ten games, Atlanta has lost eight, 4 of which have been single-possession losses, and 3 of which have been 20+ point blowouts.
Focusing on the winnable games, Atlanta lost to Denver by 1, Detroit by 1, and in an utterly embarrassing fashion [lost to Chicago by 2 and by 3](https://soaringdownsouth.com/hawks-face-brutal-reality-drama-filled-rematch-against-bulls) in a catastrophic double-header.
Without exception, the NBA has blamed losing streaks on coaches more than anyone or anything else in their organization over the last decade (and beyond). What results in Atlanta from this terrible streak is no different - Quin Snyder is feeling the heat.
To what degree is Quin Snyder responsible for these close defeats?
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To counter the narratives surrounding Coach Snyder, I'd offer the following suggestion – just because a game is close and results in a loss doesn't mean any more blame belongs on the head coach than it does the player that missed an assignment in the last minute, the player that turned the ball over the minute prior, or especially the player that missed the game-winning shot.
With that said, Quin can only have so long a leash before Onsi Saleh begins to feel pressure of his own. Fans expect change from any organization when events turn against them over and over again. As stated before, a coaching change is most often the proposed solution, even if it doesn't answer the underlying problem.
Even though Onsi Saleh has expressed [his gratitude and support to Coach Snyder](https://soaringdownsouth.com/hidden-synergy-atlanta-forgotten-history) for all of his effort coaching the squad the last few seasons, Quin can only lose so many games in embarrassing fashion – his fault or otherwise – before Onsi ultimately is forced to make a tough call. After all, either Snyder or the players on the roster are on the hot seat as the Hawks look to improve after a dismal December.
Is Coach Snyder to blame for the Hawks’ struggles of late? Yes - but only as much as the next piece in the franchise's puzzle. As Giannis Antetokounmpo once said, “We all have to be better – even the equipment manager.”