Get it done.
Dennis was a sophomore when the Hawks had a capable offensive team for the last season until today. (and no, Teague was still present when it collapsed)
His stats of the last 2 seasons are relative if you know how bad the Hawks were this season and if you know how much Dwight hurts your offensive schemes in todays smallball league.
Schroder plays with a chip on his shoulder, like Lance and yes, their lockerroom attitude (when Lance was younger) is also similar.
Schroder is just way better than Lance though.
Playing next to Dipo, he will automatically get more space to operate. His career 3% is 0.320 and 0.827 FT%.
Any time you can combine a creator like Collison with the defense of Joseph into 1 person, you got to do it.
Bad defense?
The Hawks have ranked 6th, 4th and 2nd defensively before last season (with a bottom league team).
I have watched games of Dennis that he actually plays lockdown defense. Not good, not great, lockdown.
Schroder can defend, if he wants it and if you don't need him to carry all your offense.
We all like to mention how Darren Collison had his best season ever, KP can't shut up about it, but when looking for reasons why, few come up with Victor Oladipo being a big reason why. Victor drawing all that defensive attention helped Darren shine brighter.
Now compare Bazemore, Korver, Hardaway, Sefolosha and whoever they had this season with Oladipo and you know the same thing might happen to Schroder.
When Collison plays, we are vulnerable defensively. When Joseph plays, we are vulnerable offensively.
Unless Turner is on the table, players like Dennis are rare to get.
Honeymoon season is over. All teams will try to improve their team and some will succeed. Keeping the entire core together is honorable, but will not improve the team/starting 5 enough unless Myles Turner turns into LMA.
When Dennis starts making fun of players banging other players wives, the Pacers have the experience to handle it, because they did it before. If Dennis and Lance go at eachother, trade the player who hurts your team more than he helps. Problem solved.
It's a 3 in 1 here, the passing of Collison, the defense of Joseph and the fearlessness of Lance. Multiple times I have seen Schroder trash talking to his opponents and getting under their skin. It's double fun when the player actually produces some good stats.
Close with Vic? Another pro.
Asking for a trade from a terrible team that isn't going to win anything in the next 5 years? Definete pro.
Dude just really really wants to win games. When you watch him play, hear him talk, it seems like a given that he cares.
But so far my excitement about a player wanting to be traded to the Pacers.
With the team we already have, there have to be others, so got to explore all options first. Dennis is somewhere on top of my list though. Right age, right stats and right personality.