Dennis Schroder: Ready For The Spotlight in 2016?

Dennis Schroder had a breakthrough campaign in 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks serving as Jeff Teague‘s backup at the Point Guard position.

The 21-year-old guard from Germany came to Atlanta 17th overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by then General Manager Danny Ferry in a move that baffled many pundits and fans alike. 19-years-old when selected by the Atlanta Hawks, Dennis Schroder was a high risk, high reward acquisition by the Hawks, displaying significant upside but with raw, unrefined talent.

In his first season in 2013-2014, Dennis Schroder exhibited signs of inexperience, falling to third on the depth chart at the Point Guard position behind Jeff Teague and Shelvin Mack. Hawks fans such as myself felt that Schroder had been a wasted pick by Ferry and was just another bust in a long line of Atlanta Hawks’ draft picks that have not panned out. Dennis Schroder only played in 49 games in his first season, averaging 3.7 points per game while shooting 38.3 percent from the floor.

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Dennis Schroder came back last year as a completely different player than he was in his first season on the Atlanta Hawks. Schroder had improved his game dramatically, giving him the opportunity to become the Hawks most important reserve and the primary backup behind All-Star Jeff Teague last season.

Dennis Schroder was still erratic at times on the court, but demonstrated improved strength and the ability to penetrate and finish at the rim. During a period in December after Jeff Teague had suffered an injury, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer inserted Schroder into the starting lineup. In a starting role, Schroder had two 20 point games and another contest with 10 assists in a victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Whatever next season may hold for the Hawks’ young guard, it is certain that at only 21-years-old, the sky is the limit for Dennis Schroder.”

Statistically in 2015, Dennis Schroder played in 77 games averaging 19.7 minutes while notching 10.0 points per game. Schroder also improved his field goal percentage and shot 42.7 percent while on the court. Schroder also participated in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and the Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend in New York. These numbers and All-Star notoriety in only his second year signaled a dramatic improvement in Schroder’s game from year to year, and hope that this trend would continue into next season.

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After achieving a 7 point per game improvement from 2014-2015, the future is bright for the Atlanta Hawks’ young point guard. Dennis Schroder possesses an uncanny ability to slash and get to the room, and has displayed more athleticism and youth than has Jeff Teague. Of course Teague is the more polished and accomplished player for the Atlanta Hawks, but with only two years left on his contract, and with the rise of Schroder, Teague could be moved at some point this year or next year if Schroder can prove the ability to become a more efficient scorer, defender, and play caller.

Dennis Schroder has at times been out of control on the court, and must show improvement next season in offensive efficiency. There is reason to believe that Dennis Schroder will continue to improve even more significantly in the coming season, potentially giving the Atlanta Hawks’ front-office reason to tag him as the heir apparent to Jeff Teague and the Hawks’ Point Guard of the future. Whatever next season may hold for the Hawks’ young guard, it is certain that at only 21-years-old, the sky is the limit for Dennis Schroder.

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