The Dennis Schroder Era begins in Atlanta

[Jamaaliver]

...for better or worse.

For the first time in five years, the Hawks will open training camp with a new starting point guard. Schroder enters his fourth NBA season after the Hawks took the German speedster with the 17th overall pick in 2013.

It was Schroder, and not Teague, that coach Mike Budenholzer turned to down the stretch in Games 1 and 4 of the Hawks’ Eastern Conference semifinal series loss to the Cavaliers last season. The move was made several other times during the regular season.

Hawks management supports the promotion of Schroder, who turns just 23-years old on Thursday. Still, the move will be a scrutinized as the young player has been inconsistent at times and his brash attitude has been an issue for teammates and opponents on occasion.

Schroder figures to help the Hawks defensively with his ball-pressure and menacing style of play.

Schroder averaged a career-high 20.3 minutes in 80 games last season. He had career-bests in points (11.0), assists (4.4), rebounds (2.6), steals (0.9) and turnovers (2.3).

Here


Thoughts?

Concerns?

Predictions?

[jayu70]

Good. It's his show, he still has a lot to learn but his confidence and work ethic is sky high.

“In the game, there won’t be a lot of difference because I give everything,” Schroder told the AJC earlier this summer after the trade of Teague was made. “That’s what I do if I’m playing 20 minutes or 35 minutes. I think the leadership off the court, to build chemistry with the team, try to be around the coaching staff, coach Bud and everybody, and try to build relationships with everybody.”

Love this.

[simon24]

...for better or worse.

For the first time in five years, the Hawks will open training camp with a new starting point guard. Schroder enters his fourth NBA season after the Hawks took the German speedster with the 17th overall pick in 2013.

It was Schroder, and not Teague, that coach Mike Budenholzer turned to down the stretch in Games 1 and 4 of the Hawks’ Eastern Conference semifinal series loss to the Cavaliers last season. The move was made several other times during the regular season.

Hawks management supports the promotion of Schroder, who turns just 23-years old on Thursday. Still, the move will be a scrutinized as the young player has been inconsistent at times and his brash attitude has been an issue for teammates and opponents on occasion.

Schroder figures to help the Hawks defensively with his ball-pressure and menacing style of play.

Schroder averaged a career-high 20.3 minutes in 80 games last season. He had career-bests in points (11.0), assists (4.4), rebounds (2.6), steals (0.9) and turnovers (2.3).

Here


Thoughts?

Concerns?

Predictions?

I'm glad the Hawks picked Dennis over Teague. Based on Hawks' moves under Ferry/Bud, I would have thought they'd pick Teague and ship off Dennis for a pick. I like Dennis. He got heart. He just got to not let his emotions get to him. Otherwise a guy like IT, Russell, etc. will get into his head causing him to play bad.

I think he'll have a solid year 15 pts, 7 assists. I really hope he improved his 3 point shot. I'd hate to see Dennis clogs the paint daring him to shoot since with Al gone, that's one less person to provide spacing.

[ATL Boy]

It's ride or die with Dennis. This terrifies me and excites me at the same time.

[LeMasta]

I'm always up and down with Schroder. I hope he fixes that 3 point shot, always bothers me how it looks when he pops a 3.

[Jamaaliver]

National piece from NBCSports.com asks:

Is Dennis Schroder ready for his starting role with the Hawks?

If the Hawks are going to stay a team that has home court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, here is the question that matters most:

Is Dennis Schroder ready to be Atlanta’s starting point guard?

There are follow-up questions there: Can Schroder adjust his game to fit coach Mike Budenholzer’s ball-sharing style better? Can he turn the stretches of game-changing play into something consistent? Can players such as Paul Millsap adjust to Schroder’s style of shot creation?

[Previous Hawks PG Jeff] Teague was more of a classic point guard who fit well with Atlanta’s team-first system.

However, in the clutch down-the-stretch moments of Games 1 and 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season (which the Hawks lost to the Cavaliers), Budenholzer turned to Schroder. Now he’s turned to Schroder full time.

Schroder brings a different style. A more aggressive style based around his quickness with the ball. Schroder is more shoot first — except his shooting needs to improve. Schroder uses the pick-and-roll differently than Teague, the young German prefers to pound the ball more and probe with his dribble when he comes off the pick.

The [concern]s about the new point guard come down to this: Schroder isn’t as quick a decision maker in the half court as Teague, and his decisions often weren’t as good (they were looking for his shot, not others). That has to change, and he has to be more consistent if the Hawks are going to succeed.

It’s not hard to see why Budenholzer felt it was time to give the keys to Schroder. As nbawowy.com tells us, when Schroder, Korver, Millsap and Kent Bazemore were on the court together last season, the Hawks outscored their opponents by 12.8 points per 100 possessions (it should be noted Horford was on the court for the majority of those minutes). Overall, the Hawks outscored their opponents by 6.9 points per 100 possessions with Schroder on the court last season.

Mike Budenholzer has bet that Schroder is ready for his turn in the spotlight.

Here

[Jamaaliver]

Bleacher Report lists Schroder as the single most important key to us having a successful season:

The Atlanta Hawks need Dennis Schroder to work out as their starting point guard. There is no safety net beyond the 23-year-old anymore. Atlanta traded Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers and waived veteran Jarrett Jack. Behind Schroder, there's 27-year-old rookie Malcolm Delaney.

Kent Bazemore and DeAndre' Bembry, another rookie, can get away with bringing the ball up the floor every now and then. But the Hawks don't have a tried-and-true facilitator other than Schroder.

This might not matter. Atlanta scored more points per 100 possessions with Schroder than with Teague last season, and the former averaged a promising 15.3 points and 7.9 assists per 36 minutes during the preseason.

Still, the Hawks fell outside the top 15 of offensive efficiency in 2015-16 and have since downgraded their frontcourt's scoring potential by replacing Al Horford with Dwight Howard. If Schroder isn't ready to direct an above-average offense, they're in trouble.

Here

[Jamaaliver]

Schröder’s debut as starter a bit of a mixed bag

Dennis Schröder officially stepped in as the team’s starting point guard replacing Jeff Teague and turned in a good but not spectacular performance.


Schröder finished the night with 14 points two assists and four turnovers. Offensively he was 6 for 12 from the field and was 2 for 4 from three-point range. There were times he looked hesitant to pull up and take the jump shot and struggled just a bit to finish at the rim.

Schröder went 3 for 4 from the field in the second half with two assists and just one turnover and helped contribute defensively against John Wall who finished with 12 points and 10 assists but was just 3 for 15 from the field.


NOTE: Delaney had two points and three assists with no turnovers after halftime and was on the floor when the Hawks went on their big fourth quarter run to take control of the game.


The point guard situation is going to be something to watch all season long. Schröder is still growing as a player and there will be some growing pains along the way. Delaney was playing in his first NBA game and appeared to struggle with the speed of the game early on but was able to settle in after halftime. That is a good sign going forward.

Here



Dennis' Shot Chart

[nbafan341]

I liked this kid before he was drafted and looks like he could be rondo defensive pg with a good 3pt shot. Atlanta is def he best defensive team in the league and bud is a terrific coach.

[PandaKidd]

LOLOL

http://thecomeback.com/nba/dennis-schroder-hookah-bar-health-code.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Robo_Claw]

LOLOL

http://thecomeback.com/nba/dennis-schroder-hookah-bar-health-code.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Dang didn't know he had a bar and definitely won't be going now, to be honest though I probably wouldn't have anyways.

[HMFFL]

I support him until he proves that I shouldn't.

Have any of you been to his restaurant?

[MaceCase]

From what I've read, a primary concern for him opening an establishment in the first place was to help with his immigration status. Something about employing x amount of employees opens up an easier path to citizenship so I take this news lightly as I doubt Dennis is overly concerned about his forray into becoming a restauranteer having a setback. Now Zara on the other hand was crushed, I'm sure, when Eno/Buckhead Bottle Bar was shuttered.

[Jamaaliver]

Article from a couple of weeks back noting DS's early play:

... it’s worth noting, even at this early juncture, that Dennis Schroder isn’t popping any springs yet. The Hawks’ new starting point guard has played under control for the most part, and he hasn’t completely driven teammates crazy.

“Dennis has a bit of an edge to him, and he’s always going to be a bit of a wild card,” Kyle Korver said Tuesday. “His talent is so high that there are going to be nights when he’s just amazing. And there are going to be some nights when he’s … still learning.”

Schroder was a gamble worth taking. [He] can be an incredible annoyance to opposing players. He also gets on the nerves of his own teammates and coaches, particularly the Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer, who prefers cyborgs.

But it says something that a coach like Budenholzer made the decision to commit to Schroder long term with a four-year extension. He wouldn’t tender such a deal if he didn’t believe in Schroder’s future.

But Schroder plays with no fear. What remains to be scene is if he play under control, as his position mandates. Can he distribute the ball and make players around him better? Can he lead?

Here

[Jamaaliver]

Dennis' tenure as starting PG is off to a rocky start. He's strung together a couple of fantastic games this week. But overall...he hasn't been great. Phil Naessens and Brad Rowland over a Peachtree Hoops have speculated (numerous times) that they wouldn't be surprised to see Mal Delaney overtake Dennis as starter eventually.

I think that is unlikely.

Dennis Schroder's transition into the starting point guard role is most troublesome. His sweet shooting at the beginning of the year was a mirage, and he doesn't have a good command of the rock.

Rookie floor general Malcolm Delaney has proved to be an offensive upgrade over Schroder, which is a problem for obvious reasons. The Hawks gave Schroder a $70 million extension to be their point guard of the future. They can't afford to be caught in this loop of wondering whether—or why—the guy behind him is better.

Bleacher Report

[jayu70]

Dennis' tenure as starting PG is off to a rocky start. He's strung together a couple of fantastic games this week. But overall...he hasn't been great. Phil Naessens and Brad Rowland over a Peachtree Hoops have speculated (numerous times) that they wouldn't be surprised to see Mal Delaney overtake Dennis as starter eventually.

I think that is unlikely.

Dennis Schroder's transition into the starting point guard role is most troublesome. His sweet shooting at the beginning of the year was a mirage, and he doesn't have a good command of the rock.

Rookie floor general Malcolm Delaney has proved to be an offensive upgrade over Schroder, which is a problem for obvious reasons. The Hawks gave Schroder a $70 million extension to be their point guard of the future. They can't afford to be caught in this loop of wondering whether—or why—the guy behind him is better.

Bleacher Report

That's not happening.
Offensively Delaney may have been better running the team in general and shooting from distance, but defensively he'd get eaten alive by starting PGs. He could do nothing against Brandon Knight last night.

[Jamaaliver]

Offensively Delaney may have been better running the team in general and shooting from distance, but defensively he'd get eaten alive by starting PGs. He could do nothing against Brandon Knight last night.

Agreed. What's interesting: I keep hearing that Delaney is an offensive upgrade from Dennis. And the eye test tells me the same thing in the early going.

But Delaney is shooting much worse from the field than DS. And even worse from deep.

He's a more disciplined/experienced floor general. But his offensive and defensive efficiency this year is undeniably inferior to Schroder.

I'd be okay if we made a move for Jameer Nelson, Leandro Barbosa, Ish Smith, Patrick Patterson to bolster the PG position.

[Jamaaliver]

But his offensive and defensive efficiency this year is undeniably inferior to Schroder.

Full disclosure, the above statement is inaccurate. Delaney's Off/Def Ratings are much better.

[MaceCase]

Dennis' tenure as starting PG is off to a rocky start. He's strung together a couple of fantastic games this week. But overall...he hasn't been great. Phil Naessens and Brad Rowland over a Peachtree Hoops have speculated (numerous times) that they wouldn't be surprised to see Mal Delaney overtake Dennis as starter eventually.

I think that is unlikely.

Dennis Schroder's transition into the starting point guard role is most troublesome. His sweet shooting at the beginning of the year was a mirage, and he doesn't have a good command of the rock.

Rookie floor general Malcolm Delaney has proved to be an offensive upgrade over Schroder, which is a problem for obvious reasons. The Hawks gave Schroder a $70 million extension to be their point guard of the future. They can't afford to be caught in this loop of wondering whether—or why—the guy behind him is better.

Bleacher Report

That's not happening.
Offensively Delaney may have been better running the team in general and shooting from distance, but defensively he'd get eaten alive by starting PGs. He could do nothing against Brandon Knight last night.

Delaney was touted as a good 3 point shooter from Europe but he's absolutely underwhelmed from there in the NBA. I think he just hasn't adjusted to the range difference because he's lethal in the mid-range especially on those pull-up jumpers. He's not a NBA athlete though as evidenced by his attempts at one on one defense.

[D21]

Delaney has lower individual stats than Dennis, but his Net Def/Off rating are the rating of the team when he's playing, and it shows that even with lower individual performance, the other guys play better with him.
Now, it's mainly against second units, but he also played against starting guys sometimes.

He's certainly not better than Dennis, it's just that Dennis needs to start to have a real impact on the team.

Only Millsap is in positive Net rating and Plus/Minus among the starters, others are in negative while they play a lot with him, which mean they are even more in negative when not playing with him.
I bet the GSW game was the first time that the starters were all in positive Plus/Minus, and it was the bench that did not play at the level of the first 15 games (or simply because GSW are too deep).

When both starters and bench will start to be effective in the same game, the team will be OK, but at this moment, we had the best bench (and one good starter) for 15 games, and good starters for the other games, but never both on the same level.

Look at the 82games numbers until Nov. 15th, the team was -25pts on 100 possession with Dennis, same with Kent.
We can't have two starters at this numbers and hope anything. The great performance of the bench was hiding the problem in the beginning of the season, but the problem was here.