Atlanta Hawks: The Problem And Promise Of Dennis Schröder

The Atlanta Hawks (15-37) are currently dead last in the NBA. The question of what to make of PG Dennis Schröder is at the fore of ATL minds.

To say things are peachy these days with the Atlanta Hawks would be to infer sarcasm. This writer isn’t getting any younger and this is the worst Hawks team ever seen. There is promise on the horizon with the play of rookie John Collins. His emergence shows that new GM Travis Schlenk has already proved more adept at drafting capable talent. But all championship level basketball teams have one thing in common: A great Point Guard. Enter the questions of both the promise and problem of Dennis Schröder.

Schröder showed up in Atlanta when the Hawks already had a PG. Jeff Teague was an integral part of the 60 win 2014-2015 Atlanta team. Most fans looked to this flashy German import as the future of that position in Atlanta. Coach Mike Budenholzer apparently did, too, as he traded Teague and promptly gave the keys to Schröder along with a 4 year, $70 million contract in October of 2016.

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That contract raised eyebrows because, although Schröder had shown flashes, he hadn’t really produced at a high level consistently. The money and terms were an investment and bet on his future production.

Hence, the promise of Dennis. Almost every game you watch, dude flashes an ability to get to the rim, and navigate closed space in the paint, that few have. At times, he plays with a long, smooth, easiness that can’t be taught. It’s God given. It’s innate. It’s natural. By default, he has become the leader of the team. Everyone else from a few years ago is gone.

One gets the sense with Dennis Schröder that, if the game ever “clicks” with him, he could be extra-special. Like multiple times All-Star special.

But it hasn’t, yet. And therein lies the problem. The fact of the matter is that the more responsibility they have given him, the worse the team has become. The flash of athleticism too many times exposes an out of control and reckless care-free control of possession. The antithesis of what good Point Guards do.

Some will point to his averaging a career high point per game of 19.5 points. That’s great. But the Hawks are (15-37). That isn’t a coincidence.

Schröder, this year, averages more field goal attempts a game than ever, at a clip of 17.4 per game. So, 19.5 points per game on 17.4 attempts per game. Couple that with a Turnover average of 2.7 a game, and the fact that he averages 1.1 steals per game, and you get the picture of many, many wasted possessions.

If Jackson Pollack were to paint our Offense, that is what it would look like. Flashy, but chaotic.

I’m not willing to say our beloved Atlanta Hawks should part ways with Dennis Schröder. He is only 24, after all. And he has shown special ability at times.

But this is also his 5th year in the league. His promise of ability should be more distilled by now. If he is special, that is just the truth.

Next: We have To Go Back To Our Traditional Atlanta Hawks Colors

Whatever direction GM Schlenk takes the Hawks into the next few years, via Draft or Free Agency, the question of Dennis Schröder will be at the front and center. And the answer will greatly determine the team’s success in the future.

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