Rating Dennis Schroder’s move to Warriors: Will German NBA star fit well in Stephen Curry’s side?
How will the Warriors latest backcourt pairing of Dennis Schroder and Stephen Curry pan out after blockbuster trade with Nets?
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Dennis Schroder was traded to the Warriors forming backcourt pairing with Stephen Curry
The Golden State Warriors have officially acquired Dennis Schroder in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. In exchange, the Warriors sent injured guard De’Anthony Melton and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn. With Schroder joining Stephen Curry’s side, Golden State addresses one of its most pressing issues this season – offense without Curry.
The Warriors have desperately been looking to improve their roster after their strong start to the season quickly reverted back to some of their struggles from last season. A primary issue facing the Warriors is their offense without Stephen Curry on the court. They have an outstanding 119.1 offensive rating with their start guard on the floor and an abysmal 101.7 without him.
Those are genuinely staggering numbers, indicating the incompetency of the Warriors’ offense without Curry on the floor. Dennis Schroder’s addition will go a long way in helping some of these issues. Averaging 18.4 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, Schroder arrives as a versatile guard capable of creating his own offense while seamlessly fitting into Warriors HC Steve Kerr’s dynamic system.
Dennis Schroder will help alleviate ball-handling pressure from Stephen Curry
The Warriors have been heavily reliant on Curry as their primary offensive creator. Their offensive woes without Curry primarily stem from the team’s lack of a secondary creator and ball handler who can divert defensive attention from the sharpshooting Curry to help free him up for more spot-up shots.
So far, Curry has averaged 22.8 points, 6.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 19 games this season, his lowest numbers in nearly a decade. Although some of the offensive decline has been due to father time catching up to the 36-year-old star, a major chunk of his declining numbers has been opposing team’s ability to load up on Curry when he handles the ball in an attempt to bottle his scoring and creation.
Dennis Schroder’s ability to run pick-and-roll and facilitate offense is a perfect match for Steve Kerr’s ball movement and spacing-centric system. During his stint with the Lakers and Nets, Schroder has proven his ability to adapt to different systems and thrive both as a ball-dominant guard and as a secondary scorer off-ball.
By stepping in as Curry’s backup, Schroder will allow Kerr to stagger rotations effectively, maintaining offensive flow even when the reigning MVP sits. Moreover, in certain lineups, he could share the floor with Curry in a dual-guard setup, as the team indicated following the trade.
Dennis Schroder will help address Warriors crunch-time issues
Another one of the Warriors’ biggest woes has been their clutch-time offense. During their NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Houston Rockets, the Dubs failed to score on the last five possessions of the game, ultimately dooming them. Thankfully for the Warriors, the arrival of Dennis Schroder will certainly help these issues.
Throughout his career, Schroder has been a solid crunch-time performer, be it for Germany in FIBA basketball or against the Warriors. He has consistently performed well against the Dubs, playing a key role in the Nets defeating them earlier this season and in the Lakers’ 2nd round playoff victory over the Warriors a couple of seasons ago.
Safe to say, he will be closing quite a few games for the Warriors alongside Curry, adding his veteran experience to crunch-time situations over some of the less experienced guards of the Warriors, such as Brandin Podziemski.
Can the Dennis Schroder trade aid the Warriors’ playoff push?
Dennis Schroder’s arrival undoubtedly strengthens Golden State’s prospects for a deep postseason run. The De’Anthony Melton signing was a major move for the Warriors this offseason, as he was an integral piece to the balance of the team, with Steve Kerr even defining him as a ‘perfect fit’ for the Warriors system.
After losing Melton for the season due to injury, replacing him with Schroder’s production will definitely be a step in the right direction. The veteran guard’s playoff experience, including multiple deep runs, is a significant asset. His defense will also complement Gary Payton II, allowing the Warriors to deploy disruptive lineups against Western Conference contenders like the Nuggets, Suns and Thunder.
With Brandin Podziemski still finding his footing and other role players limited in offensive versatility, Schroder becomes a vital cog in the Warriors’ playoff ambitions. While trading Melton removes a valuable salary-matching piece for future ‘star hunting’ trades that the Warriors might seek, their front office appears confident that Dennis Schroder’s impact will outweigh the long-term risks.
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Armaan Gupta
(324 Articles Published)