It may only be the preseason, but Dennis Schroder isn’t about it take it easy on anyone.
During Friday’s preseason finale the Celtics guard was doing his thing on the court before he was caught trying to trip up his opponent, Jimmy Butler, after a rebound.
Here’s a short clip of the incident, which earned Schroder a flagrant:
Jimmy Butler steps on Dennis Schroder’s foot, Schroder reacts by trying to trip Butler. Flagrant 1 on Schroder pic.twitter.com/VkhNh0rTON
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) October 15, 2021
After seeing the play, fans stormed social media to condemn the Celtics guard for his actions:
https://twitter.com/SagED_UP/status/1449155059078496256
What a fucking joke that guy Schroder is… dirty mf.
He didn’t try to just trip Jimmy. He put some weight on that kick that could have resulted in an injury to Butler.
Really uncalled for.
— The Common Sense HEAT Fan (@TheMadHEATFan) October 15, 2021
Schroder was certainly guilty of that trip, but they did let Butler off the hook for the lead up.
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) October 15, 2021
Why tf is Dennis Schroeder trying to trip Jimmy 🤦♂️
— (@AustinZenn) October 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/b_well3/status/1449154128349995011
*schroder finally having a good game*
"im gonna trip this mf"
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) October 15, 2021
NBA games can get pretty competitive, especially when it involves two Eastern Conference powerhouses.
But to trip a man during a preseason game is just a show of poor judgment.
Of course, Schroder has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny of late, thanks to his decision to turn down a massive contract offer by the Lakers lasts season.
After failing to sign a big contract in the summer, the guy finds himself in an interesting situation, battling for his NBA and financial future in a single season.
“He’s in a situation where he’s playing on a one-year deal. He’s got a lot to prove,” said CJ McCollum. “Now, he’s probably angry. He’s probably a little frustrated at the situation, but also motivated.
I think one of the best things about sleights, or going through struggles, or potentially turning down money, similar to what John Collins did is that you come in motivated, and you also understand what’s at stake.
With the fans against him and most of the league having given up on him, it will be up to Schroder to silence the haters and prove he can l be a starting player on a title-contending team. It will be up to him to play his way back into the good graces of the fans.
He certainly won’t get there by tripping up his opponents during the games.