Dennis Schroder was a good addition to the Los Angeles Lakers after two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The talented point guard recovered his best form in OKC after a couple of years with the Atlanta Hawks. Now he’s taking on a bigger challenge with the Lakers, the reigning NBA champions.
Schroder knows his presence makes the team better but that’s not it for him. He wants to contribute to the team and actually take them to the next level with his game. He was a bench player in OKC, even becoming a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but now he wants to go further and prove his value as a starter. He could take some pressure off LeBron James’ shoulder with his playmaking skills, which would help the King and the Lakers.
“I did this off-the-bench stuff already two years with OKC,” Schröder said, via Sports Illustrated. “I think I will try to move forward. And I think with AD (Anthony Davis) and LeBron, I can be helpful this year as a starter in the PG position, and LeBron won’t have so much stuff in his mind.
“I can bring it up, call a set play or whatever, and put him in a position to score. I think for him to play off the ball, I think it’s great. And I think that’s the reason they brought me in. I think we’re going to fit perfectly.”
Given the short time the Lakers have to rest from their bubble campaign, having Schroder as the primary playmaker would bring a lot of benefits to the Lakers, especially thinking of LeBron and his age. The King will always prioritize the playoffs and getting some rest while Schroder does the job is a perfect scenario for him.
Dennis wants it, LeBron surely wants it, now it’s time to see if Frank Vogel will put the German point guard with the starters and see how that works for everybody.
