OKC Thunder player review: Dennis Schröder the second string spark

OKC Thunder reserve point guard Dennis Schröder made a much needed positive impact during his first year with the team, and he is expected to be a central component as the squad moves forward into next season.

OKC Thunder guard Dennis Schröder proved to be a significant signing from last year’s off-season. Schröder took a step backward from his days as the starting point guard with the Atlanta Hawks to become Oklahoma City’s reserve unit leader, but his game took a step forward because of it. He carved out an exceptional role for himself and benefited from playing on a squad with higher standards and expectations.

As the backup point guard to Russell Westbrook, Schröder felt pressure to uphold the intensity and quality of play Westbrook brings to the court. All things considered, Schröder delivered everything coaches, teammates, and fans asked of him as he finished his 2018-19 campaign with the following per game statistics:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/9/2019.

Dennis Schröder has two years remaining on his contract with Oklahoma City and will be due $15.5 million both of the next two seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent. That’s a steep price for a backup point guard, but he is on the right track to deserving that payout.

Schröder was far and away the most consistent contributor of OKC’s reserves, and he regularly found himself playing with the starters in crucial moments in close games. Though he occasionally exhibited hot-or-cold game play, Schröder could be argued as being the biggest difference maker in helping the Thunder even get to the playoffs. Without him, the reserve lineup would have been a severely lackluster unit that would have inevitably held the team back from stating its case in the post-season.

With that said, let’s dive into some of the highs and lows Dennis Schröder experienced this past season before revealing where he stands with the team moving forward.