The Biggest Mistake Quin Snyder Made in Game Five Loss to The Knicks

There are a number of reasons that the Hawks lost to the Knicks in game five last night, but there was one glaring mistake that Quin Snyder made

Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder coaches against the New York Knicks during the second quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks came into game five of the series against the Knicks hoping to rebound from an ugly game four loss that saw them lose home court advantage. The Knicks played with more intensity and physicality than the Hawks did and Atlanta was hoping that things would be different heading into a pivotal game five.

Things did not change and it was hard to tell the two games apart. The Knicks were the far better team on the court and now the Hawks season is on the verge of being over heading into game six on Thursday night in Atlanta.

It was more than just that though. There were obviously some other mistakes that were made (poor offense, turnovers, etc.), but there was one glaring mistake that I thought Hawks head coach Quin Snyder made last night that cost the Hawks.

Rotation issues

Mar 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Corey Kispert (24) shoots against the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Coming into this series, the Hawks bench was a huge problem for the team, especially without Jock Landale. Landale is not a household name, but he means far more to the Hawks than one might realize. Atlanta does not have a backup center beyond Landale and they have had to rely on Mouhamed Gueye (who they don't view as a center) and Tony Bradley, who has been on the team for just a matter of weeks.

The Hawks have six reliable players they can use, their starters plus Jonathan Kuminga, and that is not a problem you want to have when you are facing one of the best teams in the NBA in a playoff series. Atlanta has been using Gueye/Bradley, Corey Kispert, and Gabe Vincent as the other bench players, but that is where I think Snyder has got to adjust and that was his biggest mistake last night.

While there are not a pleathora of options for the Hawks on their bench, I think it has become quite clear that Kispert is not bringing anything to this series and Snyder trotting him out there for multiple stints is hurting this team. Kispert is a very poor defender and the Knicks, especially guard Jose Alvarado, have taken advantage of that.

Bradley has not been with the team for long and he has been thrust into an impossible situation, but the lack of team chemistry is evident when he is out there, he is now helping on the glass (Hawks lost the rebounding battle in a big way in game five), and he is not a threat on offense to either score or make good decisions. Again, there are not a lot of options, but Snyder needs to turn back to Gueye.

The Bradley minutes can be explained by having a lack of options with Landale out, the Kispert minutes are getting tough to stomach though. Kispert's best skill is supposed to be his shooting, but he scored zero points in last night's game and is 0-7 from three in the series. If he is not going to hit threes and take shots, why keep throwing him out there?

They might be considered desperation moves, but will Snyder turn back to Zaccharie Risacher or possibly even Buddy Hield in game six to try something different? Hield has not been a part of the Hawks rotation since coming over from the Warriors in the trade for Kuminga, but with the way the Hawks are shooting the basketball, it might not hurt to try.

Risacher had a rough two-minute stint in game one and has not played since. He adds more defensive upside and can also shoot the ball.

Look, doing those things may not save the Hawks season or allow them to win the series and there are problems that go beyond some rotation decisions, but I think Snyder has to try something different if the Hawks want to get back in this series and send it to game seven. What he has been sending out there in the past two games is not working and it is time to see if something else works against a strong Knicks team.