The Dennis Schroder Era begins in Atlanta

[tbhawksfan1]

My rebuild, itchy trigger finger wants to think about Schro for a top 10 pick. Then I think that Schro is the only glue that can hold this team together during the rebuild. Meaning; play the right way, grow and avoid blow-outs. Schro needs to do all this while developping his game. Still a lot of growth potential.

[tbhawksfan1]

The benching in a winnable game... isn't good. His comment of not knowing why... isn't good. Hope Bud can push the right buttons and get him on track. I'd prefer to keep Schro in the core of young Hawks, but he's got to play right.

[CP War Hawks]

My issues with Shrewd: His defensive effort has fallen off a cliff. He doesn't finish strong at the rim (quickly, how many and 1s has he had this year, over/under 5...). He drives and rarely dishes it out. Too much tunnel vision on offense. Not physical at all, my fear his body will mirror that of Lou Williams as he ages. Actually, their games are starting to emulate each other... Not one block all year, how is that possible with a 6-8 wingspan.

I still like him and his contract. Probably just going through the motions in a meaningless season. With that, I would love to trade him for Sexton while his value is still high enough.

[Jamaaliver]

Regarding the benching, Hawks Beat Writer speculates on the reason:

I don’t get why Hawks coach Budenholzer benched Schroder

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer benched Dennis Schroder for the final eight-plus minutes against the Knicks last night. I watched a replay of the fourth quarter and I still don’t get it.

After the game, Budenholzer essentially said he just liked the group he had on the floor.

...all I can figure is that Budenholzer was unhappy because, on the defensive possession before his benching, Schroder didn’t challenge rookie Frank Ntilikina on a three-point attempt.

Should that play really irk Budenholzer to the point that he benched his best player in a close game?

Just prior to that play, Schroder and Taurean Prince botched an inbounds pass under New York’s basket but to me it looked like Prince simply threw the ball behind Schroder. Budenholzer also appeared to have some words for Schroder for picking up his fourth foul on for hooking Kristaps Porzingis on a drive.

Maybe Budenholzer was frustrated with Schroder’s lackadaisical defense overall, and the Ntilikina three-pointer was his breaking point. The hope for the Hawks is that Schroder is doing enough at the other end to offset it and, prior to his benching, he was doing so.

Budenholzer benched him, anyway. I’m all for accountability, but what good does it do if Schroder doesn’t know what he’s being held to account for?

Schroder said he would wait until Budenholzer came to him with an explanation, and it looks like that will happen after the team arrives in Cleveland this afternoon. Budenholzer and Schroder have a history of run-ins but this won’t necessarily be a lingering issue.

I understand why some of Schroder’s negative tendencies would irritate the coach. I just don’t get why the Budenholzer chose the fourth quarter of last night’s game to bench his best player.

myAJC

[macd-gm]

I read that article. How does he not get it? Dennis is slacking and we're tanking. Why not bench him?

My question is how did he not throw this article away or at least re-title it after he wrote it? Are the deadlines coming that quickly? Here's my synopsis of the article:

"I don't get why Schroder is benched"
"It makes no sense. He's picking up lazy fouls, playing horrid defense game after game, getting torched by terrible knicks guards, driving to the basket every possession and never running the offense. I really can't understand why he benched him"

[Jamaaliver]

I read that article.

My question is how did he not throw this article away or at least re-title it after he wrote it? Are the deadlines coming that quickly? Here's my synopsis of the article:

LOL

Yeah, I agree.

MC was promoted from Beat Writer to sports editorialist a few years ago (when C-Viv took over covering the Hawks).

My understanding is he now still technically has both titles...and they seem to be in direct conflict with one another.

This article feels like an opinion piece from Peach Tree Hoops.

[macd-gm]

While Cunningham is much better than C-viv, actual coverage is still pretty lacking. C-viv wrote most of his articles by just stating the box score. Cunningham's are often just his day dreaming and hunches. There must be something better. At least Peachtreee hoops provides some analysis.

[jayu70]

While Cunningham is much better than C-viv, actual coverage is still pretty lacking. C-viv wrote most of his articles by just stating the box score. Cunningham's are often just his day dreaming and hunches. There must be something better. At least Peachtreee hoops provides some analysis.

I've tried following Cunningham on twitter but it's usually political stuff.
He'll do his 10 observations after a game but not much else on the team.

[LamarHampton]

Weird. Maybe I am misremembering, but I think in Dennis's first (& 2nd?) yr being impressed by his effort on defense. I thought that was one of his big pluses early on. He has the physical tools. And in his first year or two I remember him picking up guys full court, fighting over screens, really d'ing up guys, etc. Seemed like early on that he also looked for the assist before trying to get his own, but that doesn't seem true any more. At least we know it's there, right? Hopefully he can dredge up those old instincts and blend them with his newly acquired skills and be one helluva player.

[Jamaaliver]

While Cunningham is much better than C-viv, actual coverage is still pretty lacking. C-viv wrote most of his articles by just stating the box score.

Yeah. When Vivlamore first started covering the team, it drove me crazy that he obviously knew very little about the sport. And knew even less about urban culture/colloquialisms. Which, admittedly, is a big part of NBA basketball.

Spoiler:

He once quoted Smoove as stating: "Call me 'Midrange Shawty'. "

But Josh was actually responding to a question regarding his shot selection, stating: "call me midrange....shawty."

He wasn't referring to himself as shawty.

That would be ludicrous.

C-Viv as an old white guy covering the NBA reminds me of that SNL skit where they send a black guy to cover hockey...and he has no idea what's going on.

[macd-gm]

That skit was hilarious. "So how are you going to that hockey?"

[Jamaaliver]

Mamba Mentality: Every NBA Team's Kobe-est Player

We're never going to be free of Bryant's influence.

There are players on every team who share traits with the self-styled Mamba, many of whom deliberately modeled their games and mental appproaches after his.

Today's maniacal competitors and technical masters are all drawing from the example Bryant set.

Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroder

We'll start simply and peg Dennis Schroder, the Atlanta Hawks' defiant, overconfident spark plug, as our first Kobe disciple.

Schroder shares Bryant's single-mindedness on the floor, sometimes to his detriment. He's a relentless attacker who, from his first moments in the league, believed he could dominate. That mentality may not have come from observing Bryant, but the fact that Schroder's mindset springs organically from within actually makes him an even closer analog to Kobe.

Some guys are just born ornery.

"In Germany, they like the stone face. They can't see the talent behind the personality," Liviu Calin, one of Schroder's early coaches in Germany told B/R's Ric Bucher. "I thought, 'This guy is better suited to live in America than Germany.' He wants to fight and win every time."

"I like [being the bad guy]. I think that’s just another motivation for me to win the game," Schroder told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe during a feisty series agains the Celtics in 2016.

A fight-anyone talent who embraces on-court villainy?

Yeah, Schroder's our guy.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Pundits now lamenting DS's BBall IQ.

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[macd-gm]

Honestly my whole issue with Dennis is that sometimes his whole mindset is to just drive for a layup because that's his favorite thing to do. Whether or not it's a good play doesn't concern him because he loves blowing by guys.

[Nathan2331]

Honestly my whole issue with Dennis is that sometimes his whole mindset is to just drive for a layup because that's his favorite thing to do. Whether or not it's a good play doesn't concern him because he loves blowing by guys.

Can't blame him, it just made him 70 mil in the offseason. Dumb play, but I imagine he thought there'd be more time to foul on the next inbound.

[macd-gm]

That was just a glaring example though. He drives for a layup/block constantly at times where there are much better options.

[Jamaaliver]

Hawks' Dennis Schroder is having opposite success on offense, defense

Last night, Dennis Schroder recorded 15 assists without turning the ball over for the Hawks.

This has been a theme all year for Schroder, whose assist rate (36.4 percent) is the fifth-best among players who have logged at least 32 minutes per game. His assist-to-turnover pace (2.61) is also the third-best among guards with as many minutes played.

As a scorer, he has also proven successful on mid-range shot attempts. He is shooting 98-of-217 (45.2 percent) from this zone, which ranks seventh-best among those with at least 150 attempts.

His accuracy on shots from within eight feet and sixteen feet of the basket (48.8 percent) is the third-best among those with as many opportunities. He leads all player in field goals made (77) from between fifteen and nineteen feet of the basket.

However, Schroder has remained a defensive liability for the Hawks. His defensive rating on ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus is behind every point guard in the NBA besides Emanuel Mudiay.

Expect the guard to spend a tremendous amount of his effort and attention working on fixing his defensive efficiency moving forward.

Hoopshype

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[Jamaaliver]

Schroder’s baskets lift Hawks but he says: ‘I’ve got to start it with defense’



On Wednesday, the Hawks turned back the Pacers with energetic and spirited defense. And Schroder, whose defense has been lackluster for much of the season, was a big part of that effort.

After the Lakers handed the Hawks their fourth straight loss on Monday, Schroder said he was determined to lead the defensive charge against the Pacers.

“That’s the reason why I wanted to put the team on my back, and I’ve got to start it with defense,” Schroder said. “I think everybody (saw) it and everybody played with me. I think that was one of our best games defensively. We did a great job. That’s the reason we got the win.”

Schroder collected five of his team’s 11 steals. He aggressively defended pick-and-rolls and closed out hard on shooters, two areas in which he’s been especially deficient this season. Schroder’s Pacers counterpart, Cory Joseph, was held scoreless with three turnovers in 31 minutes.

“His defense, his effort, getting everybody involved, his leadership — super positive for Dennis tonight,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

myAJC

[jayu70]

It was some good defense by all.

[Jamaaliver]

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