A Big Summer for Dennis Schroeder

[Jamaaliver]

There's no way around it. DS's rookie season in the NBA was a major disappointment. For fans hoping for the steal of the 2013 draft. For the coaching staff anticipating a dependable backup PG. For a front office certain they'd acquired a valuable young prospect for the franchise. By all accounts, Schroeder failed to live up to expectations last year.

Even his own.

He started out by losing the backup PG spot early on in the season. He was suspended for violating the unspoken Guy Code and punching another player below the belt. He was later demoted to the D-League, languished on the bench for much of his NBA season and played uneven and recklessly when actually given PT with the big league team.

Coming into the 2015 season, expectations have surely been tempered for the young German. Yet his play this summer might actually serve to reinvigorate Schroeder and restore his confidence as he begins his sophomore campaign.

During Summer League play, Schroeder was clearly the leader of the squad this year with carte blanche to score/distribute at will. He responded by increasing his scoring from the previous summer to a team-leading 15.6 PPG. He did so while also increasing his FG%. (From 34% in 2013 to 40% in 2014.) While the increase in scoring and efficiency is encouraging, his playmaking sadly took a turn for the worse. After being plagued by turnovers in the 2013-2014 NBA Season, DS actually averaged MORE TURNOVERS THAN ASSISTS in Summer League play. This was in stark contrast to his previous experience where he produced a modest 1.65 Assist-to-Turnover ratio. The .74 ratio this summer is indeed worrisome. Some of it can indeed be chalked up to a poor supporting cast, but a trend is definitely developing.

What's been most impressive this summer, however, has been Dennis's play with the German National Team in qualifying events for the 2016 Olympics. In a backup role on a more structured/disciplined squad, Dennis is averaging a solid 15.3 PPG (through 5 games) on a very robust 57% from the field while shooting 44% from three point range. His 5 assists per game is also noteworthy, but those 3 turnovers per game serve to remind us how sloppy Schroeder can be as a primary ballhandler.

With that said, 12 PPG on 55% shooting would be an amazing turnaround if Schroeder was able to duplicate those numbers in league play next season.

Thoughts?
Concerns?
Predictions?

Can we all agree that any experience DS gets to further develop his game is a plus for the team?
Should we simply come to terms with the fact that Dennis is extremely turnover prone?
Can the turnover trend be reversed with more PT in the season or a tighter leash when he makes poor decisions in games?
Should Schroeder's role in the league actually be that of slasher/scorer as opposed to the pure PG Hawks Fans were anticipating?
Will DS actually get any useful PT in a crowded back court featuring Mack, Teague, Bazemore, Korver?

[Jamaaliver]

I think we can expect massive improvement from Schroeder this upcoming season. In his second year in the German League, he jumped from an underwhelming PER of 4.76 as a rookie to a more palatable PER of 16.62 as a second year player. He also shot the ball markedly better and drastically improved his Ast/TO ratio. This due in part to his growing comfort playing amongst professionals, as well as his coaching staff's better understanding of his strengths.

His production of 12 PPG and 3 APG in 25 MPG in year 2 of the German League would be a welcome surprise should he manage those same numbers in year 2 of the NBA.

....Dennis Schroder because he's young and a lot of my teammates kind of look at him as a guy who's not focused.

This was also a telling quote. Indicating that Dennis' maturity level and preparation were indeed a factor in his less than stellar season. This was one of the reasons I'd hoped we would get a veteran 3rd PG in the rotation to take DS under the wing and teach him the ropes of how to be a professional, how to prepare, how to make in-game adjustments, etc.

Hopefully a year later, he'll make that leap with Millsap, Carroll and KK showing him the way instead.

[azuresou1]

Schroeder looks very different than he did last SL. Gone is the sense of control and game savviness - it's been replaced with much more aggressive slashing. Not sure I feel about that because the best PGs can do both in control.

[SBM]

Dennis pure PG skills have been severely overrated by his supporters. His lack of awareness in certain situations is baffling. He also consistently makes the same mistakes most notably when trying to make passes. I have seen all this before and think he will be fine.

[ATL Boy]

I'm sure the turnovers will go down as he adapts the the speed of NBA basketball. I expect him get more opportunities this year because he should be able to beat out Mack for the backup PG role.

[Rip2137]

I'm not so sure. Mack was better than them last year and I am not so sure he is at his ceiling yet. Mack is slightly older and has shown to be better at every aspect of the game except finishing at the rim(which Dennis was pretty bad at last year). If Mack can improve that aspect of his game through floaters or a stop on the dime pullup(which I don't understand why players don't go to that), I don't know if I am willing to go through the growing pains of Dennis when I already have a capable backup right there.

If he makes huge strides(dennis) I am more than fine with keeping him as Mack has signed a reasonable, moveable contract, but from all I have seen of Dennis, I just don't see "it" yet.

[SBM]

Not going to be easy for Dennis to beat Mack out. Mack went to back to back final fours and was just as effective as Hayward with Butler. Mack just needed a home and the right system. He may just be beginning to show what he can do in the pros.

[azuresou1]

Mack is a more polished player right now but he just doesn't have the raw athletic talent that Dennis has. Mack's ceiling is Jarrett Jack; Dennis' ceiling is a better Rondo.

I'd rather take Mack now if I want to win some games, but it's also important to give Dennis playing time to grow on court.

[BAMABIRD]

DS is still a kid. He was like a dear in headlights last season. I don't see why people expected so much from him. He has talent but he also has a long way to go before he's NBA ready. With the proper coaching and time, I think he will be ok. The expectations were extremely to high for a 19 or 20 year old.

[Jamaaliver]

^Agreed Bama. Throw in the fact he was in a new country (on his own?) for the first time, the increased frequency of games (his old league played once a week) and the fact we gave a 19 year old kid millions in a city like Atlanta. There were bound to be some bumps along the way.

on a brighter note:

Dennis was brilliant tonight. He scored 20 point off the bench on 7/13 shooting. He also shot 4/6 from 3-pt range and added 7 assists with only 3 turnovers.

He's really flashing so much of the potential we saw when he was first drafted. Through 4 games in the tourney, he is avg 14.5 ppg 5 apg on 55% FG shooting.

[SBM]

Dennis has zero chance of being better than Rondo. This is what turns me off about his fans. They are totally delusional.

[azuresou1]

Rondo didn't really blow up until he was in his third season... before that people were actively looking for a new PG to replace him in Boston. Not that Rondo is THAT special of a PG anyways, given that he's a poor shooter which hurts him a lot when he's not playing with 3 HoFers.

[Jamaaliver]

Another big game from Dennis the Menace:

Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schröder finished with 24 points and six assists to help lead Germany to an 88-69 win over Austria in a must-win game...Schröder turned in his best performance of the summer going 6-9 from the field and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Schröder was 2-5 from three-point range. He added six assists three steals and three rebounds to go along with only one turnover.

we are witnessing our boy begin to blossom. Admittedly, the competition is not nearly as strong as the NBA, but the decision making and increased efficiency is definitely encouraging:

Schroöder seems to be getting better as the tournament wears on. He is now averaging 16.4 points while shooting 57 percent from the floor. He is 10-21 from three-point range and is a perfect 16-16 at the free throw line through the five games. Turnovers were a problem at the beginning of the tournament but he has done a much better job of late and is averaging five assists against 3.2 turnovers per game.

[Hawk Eye]

Another big game from Dennis the Menace:

Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schröder finished with 24 points and six assists to help lead Germany to an 88-69 win over Austria in a must-win game...Schröder turned in his best performance of the summer going 6-9 from the field and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Schröder was 2-5 from three-point range. He added six assists three steals and three rebounds to go along with only one turnover.

we are witnessing our boy begin to blossom. Admittedly, the competition is not nearly as strong as the NBA, but the decision making and increased efficiency is definitely encouraging:

Schroöder seems to be getting better as the tournament wears on. He is now averaging 16.4 points while shooting 57 percent from the floor. He is 10-21 from three-point range and is a perfect 16-16 at the free throw line through the five games. Turnovers were a problem at the beginning of the tournament but he has done a much better job of late and is averaging five assists against 3.2 turnovers per game.

If Schroeder comes close to consistently playing like this for the upcoming season then what should we do?

A) keep Schroeder as our PG for the current/future and trade Teague

B) trade Schroeder while his value is through the roof and receive a ton of assets for him.

*if we go option B what teams would be interested in him and what kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

**At the same time if we go option A and trade Teague; what teams are interested in him? What kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

Again this is all a HUGE if..

[Jamaaliver]

If Schroeder comes close to consistently playing like this for the upcoming season then what should we do?

A) keep Schroeder as our PG for the current/future and trade Teague

B) trade Schroeder while his value is through the roof and receive a ton of assets for him.

*if we go option B what teams would be interested in him and what kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

**At the same time if we go option A and trade Teague; what teams are interested in him? What kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

Again this is all a HUGE if..

Teague has been a solid performer for years and has an affordable, long-term contract. He is the best trade chip we possess. (Also, Schroeder's rookie scale salary makes it difficult to bring back great value in trade.)

Lakers, Pacers, Minnesota, PHX could all use a veteran, playoff-tested PG.

(T-Wolves have a young core of Lavine, Dieng, Thad and Wiggins. Give them a veteran PG to lead those young pups and that team could be a monster in about 3 years.

Teague, Muscala & Payne for Kevin Martin, Dieng and Rubio could be a good starting point. We move Rubio to a third team for value.)

[Hawk Eye]

If Schroeder comes close to consistently playing like this for the upcoming season then what should we do?

A) keep Schroeder as our PG for the current/future and trade Teague

B) trade Schroeder while his value is through the roof and receive a ton of assets for him.

*if we go option B what teams would be interested in him and what kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

**At the same time if we go option A and trade Teague; what teams are interested in him? What kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

Again this is all a HUGE if..

Teague has been a consistent performer for years and has an affordable, long-term contract. He is the best trade chip we possess. (Also, Schroeder's rookie scale salary makes it difficult to bring back great value in trade.)

Lakers, Pacers, Minnesota, PHX could all use a veteran, playoff-tested PG.

Would the rockets want Teague? After cutting ties with Jeremy Lin it seems they would want Teague pretty badly to help get them over the hump in that DEEP western conference playoffs. Idk if they have much that would make the Teague trade worth it for us though.

[Jamaaliver]

Would the rockets want Teague? After cutting ties with Jeremy Lin it seems they would want Teague pretty badly to help get them over the hump in that DEEP western conference playoffs. Idk if they have much that would make the Teague trade worth it for us though.

Maybe. Teague for Chandler Parsons a month ago makes a ton of sense for both teams.

[Jamaaliver]

Dennis finished off a stellar FIBA Qualifying Tourney with a solid showing in a rout of Luxembourg.

He finished the night with 10 points, 7 assists (and 4 Turnovers) in only 22 minutes of play. Germany qualified for the Eurobasket Tournament which will determine which teams actually get to compete for the 2016 Olympics.

Schroeder finished the tourney with avg of 15 ppg and 5.3 apg, leading the German team in both stats.

Considering his steady play in the D-League, his impressive showing in the FIBA Tourney and his improved play in the Summer League, it does seem that Dennis is indeed maturing as a player.

If given the opportunity, I expect to see drastic improvement in his production. (Though his turnovers do remain alarmingly high.)

His second year in the German League saw a massive jump, I'd like to see a similar increase here as well.

[Jamaaliver]

Sheridan Hoops, one of the better sites offering analysis on NBA Ball, has a nice write-up on Dennis. They cite his production this summer and compare his rookie Per-36 averages against other young PGs.

I'll be the first to admit schroeder year one was a train wreck. But the writer indicates there are signs of improvement in the young German. Though he questions whether DS will emerge as a starter in ATL or elsewhere.

A good read on a slow sports day, if nothing else.

Speedy Dennis Schroder Coming Along Slowly

[dms269]

If Schroeder comes close to consistently playing like this for the upcoming season then what should we do?

A) keep Schroeder as our PG for the current/future and trade Teague

B) trade Schroeder while his value is through the roof and receive a ton of assets for him.

*if we go option B what teams would be interested in him and what kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

**At the same time if we go option A and trade Teague; what teams are interested in him? What kind of package would we be able to fetch from him?

Again this is all a HUGE if..

Teague has been a consistent performer for years and has an affordable, long-term contract. He is the best trade chip we possess. (Also, Schroeder's rookie scale salary makes it difficult to bring back great value in trade.)

Lakers, Pacers, Minnesota, PHX could all use a veteran, playoff-tested PG.

Would the rockets want Teague? After cutting ties with Jeremy Lin it seems they would want Teague pretty badly to help get them over the hump in that DEEP western conference playoffs. Idk if they have much that would make the Teague trade worth it for us though.

The key is what would they give? Jones? DoMo? Do those players really make sense for Atlanta to trade for?