A few years ago, when Dennis Schroder left the Los Angeles Lakers, nobody imagined he would ever return. But now, after over a year of chaos and dysfunction, Rob Pelinka was happy to welcome Schroder back this summer on a one-year, $2.64 million deal.
Unlike last time, however, Schroder will have to consider his fit and role next to Russell Westbrook, who is expected to get the nod as starting point guard this year.
While this is Schroder’s first time playing with Westbrook on the Lakers, he did get to link up with the guy over in OKC.
Dennis Schroder Finally Makes A Statement On Playing With Westbrook Again
On the Thunder, Schroder played pretty much the same role he does now and it should help him stay effective at this stage of his career. As a solid scorer and capable playmaker, Dennis adds an extra layer of potency to an offense that struggled to get going last season. And, as he has already expressed, he is looking forward to the opportunity to play with his former Thunder teammate again.
“Russ is my guy. He helped me so much when I was there, and even after that. He is like my big brother, with helping me, with staying in touch. To play with him again is gonna be great. It was fun times, positive vibes with him every single time and I can’t wait to get to work with him and with everyone else.”
Dennis Schröder on reuniting with former OKC teammate Russell Westbrook: “Russ is my guy. He helped me so much when I was there, and even after that.” pic.twitter.com/Lj3DRTGEUT
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) October 10, 2022
Schroder is certainly saying all the rights things so far. Despite their complicated history, Schroder is ready to make things work with the Lakers and there is some real hope that he will make a huge impact off the bench for them.
After the signing, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka showed a lot of excitement about having him back.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dennis back to the Lakers,” said Pelinka. “Not only do Dennis and Coach Ham share a player-coach history together, but they also reflect one another’s mentality of toughness with an extremely competitive edge. Dennis will add both depth and an on-ball defensive presence to our core at the guard position. He is also a proven scorer and playmaker. We are really excited for Dennis to get to camp and get back to work in L.A. after his highly successful run with his national team this offseason.”
At this point, it’s still far too early to tell what kind of results a backcourt of Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, and Patrick Beverley will get on the basketball court.
Still, there is reason to believe if you’re a Lakers fan. In spite of the mess they created last season, players seem more ready and locked in than ever to start the upcoming season.
