3 reasons why OKC Thunder acquisition Dennis Schroder raises roster’s ceiling
Legitimate floor general:
Since the departure of Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City has been devoid of a legitimate back-up point guard. Schroder is a starting calibre floor general who slips into a sixth man role. The German has previously objected to a bench role in Atlanta. but all things so far indicate he will be comfortable with that in OKC.
Dennis Schroder appears to be excited about his move to OKC. (And if you’re wondering, he spoke with Sam Presti and Billy Donovan before the trade and understands his role will be as a sixth man.) pic.twitter.com/PTvXBDefyV
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 20, 2018
When Russell Westbrook sat, the Thunder were one of the hardest watches in the NBA. Oklahoma City were 12 points better with him on court compared to when he’s off it last season. This has been a massive problem for OKC, with the second unit giving up leads as soon as the starters check out. Raymond Felton did a great job holding the second unit together last season, but he’s 34-years old and entering the twilight of his career.
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Schroder has lead Atlanta’s starting unit for the past two years. He is excellent in pick and roll situations, scoring 0.88 points per possession and actually ranks ahead of Westbrook (0.85 points per possession). Oklahoma City rely heavily on pick and roll sets thus pairing him with athletes such as Grant and Nerlens Noel makes for an exciting second unit.
Final take:
Schroder is a huge upgrade to the OKC Thunder roster. After four seasons of DJ Augustin, Cameron Payne, Semaj Christon and Felton leading the second unit, Schroder is unquestionably better. Only Felton is worth a mention because he was fantastic last season. The OKC Thunder re-signed him early in July for another season.
A lot of this depends on how Westbrook alter’s his style of play. The Brodie needs to play off the ball more and utilize his athletic skills to cut to the hole. Schroder is an intelligent pick and roll player thus the OKC Thunder need to maximize his primary skill.
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Overall, this is a wonderful pick-up. For the first time in a long time, fans don’t have to hyperventilate when Westbrook and Paul George go to the bench.