The Golden State Warriors have a certain brand of basketball that their newest point guard may not fit. And that’s perfectly ok.
Warriors anchor Draymond Green has no problem with that at all. Dennis Schroder is set to make his debut with Golden State on Thursday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Green is eager to get a feel for playing with the star talent and work his skill set into the team’s fabric.
Draymond Green sees Dennis Schroder adding to the Warriors
Per Danny Emerman of Bay Area News Group, the Michigan State product had this to say about the upcoming learning curve he and his teammates will work through with Schroder (h/t Golden State of Mind’s Brady Klopfer):
“Draymond Green on the Dennis Schroder trade: ‘I don’t think he was necessarily brought here to fit. We play a certain style of basketball he does not really play. We need someone who can do the things he does. I’m looking forward to us adjusting to him.'”
Green’s assessment is not a knock on Schroder by any means. The latter is shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range this season. He has the marksmanship to help the Warriors keep up their generational level of perimeter shooting.
Albeit, his game is heavily predicated around beating his man off the dribble at the top of the key for interior finishes, as well as operating out of the pick-and-roll. The Warriors’ offense is largely rooted in off-ball screens, dribble hand-offs, backdoor cutting, and high screen-and-rolls.
The way Schroder & the Warriors contrast is striking
So how can Schroder uplift the Dubs with what he brings to the table? The German floor general ranks No. 12 in the NBA in drives, taking the ball to the rack 14.7 times per game. He shoots 49.3 percent from the floor when he does so, and converts 90.6 percent of his free-throw opportunities when defenders hack him. That latter figure makes him the only player who shoots 90 percent or better in the top 15 league-wide.
Schroder will work wonders for a Warriors ball club that generates the fifth-fewest drives in the league at 39.9 per game. The 12-veteran also ranks No. 20 with 6.2 PPG as a pick-and-roll orchestrator. Much like attacking the rim, Schroder figures to invigorate Golden State’s offense out of the screen-and-roll, as their ball handlers collectively average the fourth-fewest points (12.9 PPG) and their pick-setters sport a league-worst 4.2 PPG.
The Warriors also pride themselves on swinging the Wilson around in the half-court. Their 67.1 percent assist rate is third-best in the Association, and that’s not because of a select few high-usage, ball-dominant playmakers doing it all themselves. Golden State leads the league with 452.8 touches per contest and their average of 2.62 seconds per touch also outpaces the entire field, as does their average of 1.98 dribbles per touch.
Conversely, Schroder’s average of 7.9 seconds in time of possession per touch comes in at No. 3 in the league and his 5.42 seconds per touch ranks No. 9 among all players. He also dribbles quite a bit, with an average of 4.94 dribbles per touch, more than notorious dribblers such as James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers) and Chris Paul (San Antonio Spurs). That’s a huge contrast compared to the fabric of his new team, and will be a monumental factor as they look to forge continuity and flow.
Schroder expected to facilitate Warriors’ offense with verve
Speaking of Paul, he was brought into the Warriors’ fold last season and they earned a 46-36 record, good for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with him on board. Schroder plays much faster than Paul, so the commonality they share in dribbling and pick-and-roll reliance should be counteracted by the former’s pace and ability to catch and shoot.
The 31-year-old point guard is in line to man the lion’s share of facilitating responsibilities whenever Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is off the floor, and the two may likely see staggered minutes each game. Thus, Golden State can show opponents varying looks and throw defenses off as their team looks to rebound from an abysmal 2-8 skid over their last 10 games.
