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Dennis Schroder Strives to Become a Starter, Controversy Brewing?

By Jonathan Savitske

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Dennis Schroder grew exponentially in his second NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks. However, the Atlanta Hawks PG must stay patient for his starting point guard opportunities.

After playing sparingly in 2013-14, Atlanta Hawks PG Dennis Schroder improved his play in HC Mike Budenholzer’s system to become a primary piece in his bench rotation. As a second-year player, Schroder averaged 20 minutes per game, 10.0 points per game and 4.1 assists per game.

-= Related: Dennis Schroder: Could He Make Jeff Teague Expendable? =-

Dennis Schroder elevated his game to a whole different level last season, increasing his PPG average by nearly 7 points per game. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer also increased the young point guards work load and influence on the team, averaging nearly 7 more minutes per game on the court while also starting 10 games during the regular season.

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There is no doubting that Dennis Schroder is evolving into one of the most dynamic point guards in the league, and will continue to elevate his game in the coming season. This summer while playing for the German National Team, Dennis Schroder finished with 26, 29 and 24 points in each of Germany’s contests during Eurobasket, while also working with Hawks’ shooting guard Kyle Korver in the offseason to further his shooting ability.

I wrote earlier this month of how I believe a point guard controversy is developing on the Atlanta Hawks between Dennis Schroder and starter Jeff Teague with the continued development of the third year guard from Germany. Though it hasnot manifested itself yet, the Hawks will probably have to deal with the situation at some point down the road. Schroder, talking to German sports outlet Sport1, brought credence to this assertion, discussing his desire to start on a team, and will look for other opportunities, if necessary:

"““My goal is to start as point guard. If this doesn’t happen, I will look for other opportunities” added the German talent. “The Hawks are a great team, the city is nice and everything is perfect now. Teague? He was an All-Star and he helped me a lot. I must be patient and work hard and eventually I’ll have my opportunities”"

These are bold words coming from a third-year backup point guard — but in reality, doesn’t every player want a chance to start? I imagine it’s not easy living in the shadow of Jeff Teague, but I still don’t see this as an selfish indictment on the part of Dennis Schroder.

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First of all, this statement was translated from German to English, and there are always contextual issues in a case such as this. Secondly, Schroder knows that he still has a long way to go, mentioning that he must remain patient and work hard; and is merely expressing his future aspirations. Of course, with only 2 years left on Jeff Teague’s contract, the Atlanta Hawks may decide to move Teague at some point in the future if Dennis Schroder proves capable of maintaining the same level of production and benefits the team in the same manner as Teague.

Dennis Schroder himself could change teams at some point in the near future if Atlanta knows they can re-sign Teague and can gain from trading Schroder. This is all speculation at this point and is not a concern for the team at this point in time. Something will come of this down the road (perhaps not for another year), but for now, the Atlanta Hawks still possess one of the best Point Guard tandems in the league, and is an advantage for the club going into the regular season.

Next: Kyle Korver: Will Offense Sputter After Surgeries?

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