The All-Star on the OKC Thunder bench

The OKC Thunder’s surge to a playoff position in the West has revealed an All-Star on their bench and one of the best guards in the league.

Dennis Schroder may be the back-up point guard for the OKC Thunder, but his growth and mastery on the court this season hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Schroder is excelling whenever he’s on the floor, whether it be setting up his teammates, his confidence to take tough shots or his creativity with the ball in hand.

NBA All-Star voting began on Christmas Day and Schroder’s incredible form proves that he deserves his first All-Star selection.

To show a part of his impact so far in his second year with the OKC Thunder, he is averaging 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while playing for less than 30 minutes per game.

While reserve players are known to bring energy to a line-up, Schroder provides knowledge and competitiveness that not many players can. He doesn’t need much time to get into a rhythm and his speed across the court compliments the high-flying team he represents.

Early last season when he played alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George, he was regarded as a candidate for the best sixth man. In the last two months, he has solidified a stronger case for a bigger role.

Numbers don’t lie:

When Schroder is on the court he makes the Thunder’s offense hum. The following statistic highlighted by Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman is enough to say that he can compete against anyone.

"Schroder hasn’t started this season, but he’s the No. 1 point guard in the league, ahead of Damian Lillard, according to ESPN’s real plus-minus. Schroder’s net rating is tops on the team. The Thunder are outscoring opponents by 6.8 points per 100 possessions with Schroder on the floor."

The quality of a scorer can be viewed through not just their ability to put up points but how they can make those around them better. The underrated guard has been doing just that.

According to StatMuse through the month of December, Schroder has averaged 22.5 points. While shooting an incredible 51 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and 95 percent from the free throw line.

Dennis Schroder is averaging 22.5 points on 51/43/95 shooting in December. Off the bench.

OKC have gone 8-3 this month and are above .500 for the first time this season. pic.twitter.com/jg0HewRCMc
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 23, 2019

This is more than both Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who are thriving in their own right. It also demonstrates how Schroder can take over a game, which is rare to have someone of that caliber in your second unit. And another reason why it would be difficult to not consider him for All-Star weekend in February in Chicago.

The recently named Western Conference Player of the week has come a long way. He looks more empowered and happier than ever, which reflects through the OKC Thunder’s results. Slowly but surely he is also being recognized. Learning off Westbrook last season and now Paul has assisted him in the way he approaches the game.

Mussatto also shared Schroder’s opinion of being a sixth man candidate after beating the Clippers last Sunday.

"Schroder flexed, and Thunder fans roared. They were witnessing an eventual 118-112 Thunder victory against the Clippers, but, for a two-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter Sunday night, they witnessed a one-on-one NBA Sixth Man of the Year slugfest. Williams has won the award a record-tying three times. Schroder, 29 games into the most efficient season of his career, is a leading candidate to snatch it away. But there’s a catch. Schroder doesn’t like the label. “I ain’t trying to be a sixth man,” Schroder, wearing a signature beanie, said when asked if the award is a goal."