LOS ANGELES — Thursday night’s game was only four minutes old, but Dennis Schröder’s fingerprints were already all over the place.
After a strong performance 24 hours prior — a 23-point, nine-assist, six-rebound effort in nearly 40 minutes against the league-best Phoenix Suns — asking Schröder for an encore would have been unfair, especially against a scrappy Clippers team fighting for playoff positioning. Nevertheless, Schröder was on the floor for his new team giving his all and providing a much-needed veteran presence for a young, shorthanded team on the road.
Advertisement
On the game’s very first possession after the tip, Schröder dished to Jalen Green to let the rookie bring the ball up the floor and get the team set. The next time down the floor, it was Schröder with the ball in his hands, but he relinquished it to Green as soon as he crossed half court, motioning and instructing him where to go next with the ball. On the next possession, Schröder blitzed up the full length of the floor in four seconds to put Houston on the board.
Before the game, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas laid out some of the reasons why the franchise pulled the trigger on Schröder at the deadline. He, of course, mentioned Daniel Theis and his removal from the rotation, the elephant in the room, but he added the team’s hole at backup point guard and the need for a guard who played fast and was aggressive at the point of attack on defense.
Schröder has never shied away from taking on defensive assignments despite being undersized, and that was on display against the Clippers, whether he used his wingspan to break up entry passes or his annoying, pestering presence to hound players up the floor. He was only credited with two steals but was a big part of the reason the Rockets were competitive for the first half, before tired legs and hot shooting ultimately did them in.
All of those are good enough reasons as to why the Rockets decided to move on from Theis and give minutes to his fellow countryman. There were a number of confused and bewildered reactions on social media to Schröder’s arrival last week, but judging from the internal frame of mind, none of those matter to a rebuilding Rockets team just trying to get from point A to point B.
Kevin Porter Jr. has been out. D.J. Augustin is no longer on the roster. Green and Josh Christopher are still playmakers-in-training. Right now, Houston just needed someone who could get it organized. That’s why it was a welcomed sight to see Silas give Schröder the “52” call on the sideline and watch him disseminate that information to the rest of his new teammates. Schröder called it in, and Green ran off a Christian Wood screen and took a defender with him, leaving Schröder the chance to dance with Wood at the top of the key. A quick guard and a versatile big is a spicy pick-and-roll combo.
The Rockets, of course, got blown out by the Clippers to the tune of 142-111, but as Silas has stressed time and time again, these results don’t matter nearly as much as the bits and pieces he’s able to pick up along the way. Seeing Schröder show his positive veteran presence in such a short time can’t be understated.
Advertisement
“It’s big,” Silas said. “You want guys, first of all, who come here and want to be here. You want guys who come here and want to help the other guys. Especially in the situation that we’re in, we need guys who are willing to pull someone aside and help and communicate. (Schröder) adds to our depth, our guard rotation. It’s very important. He was one of the guys who I looked out there and could see he was trying so hard. There was actually a point I tried to take him out of the game, and he was like, ‘Just leave me in, let me see if we can get back into it.’ I like that competitiveness about him.”
Prior to the deadline, as the Rockets were taking and making calls around the league, it was clear there would need to be a solution in their point guard room. Augustin, while doing his best whenever his number was called, was a player whose best days were clearly behind him. The thought was that bringing in Schröder now wouldn’t take minutes away from Porter or Green; they are central figures who are building blocks for the future. Schröder also doesn’t play the same position as Christopher, who might be more of a wing creator than a point guard. In any case, the two can share the floor in the second unit, and Schröder can help Christopher’s development.
The Rockets can also play this similarly to the Theis situation. Schröder is on an expiring deal worth about $6 million, and Houston gets a free look at him over the final 25 games of the year. If the chances he ever makes more than that again are slim — and judging by his current, market they are — the Rockets could even hang onto him at the end of the season, sign him to a team-friendly deal and flip him at next year’s deadline. The main takeaway from this is the flexibility, which at the end of the day is what Houston wants more than anything.
But while Schröder’s here, he has clear on-court value to this group. Silas and the coaching staff gravitate to players who can generate stops on one end and create quick scoring opportunities on the other. Well …
Schröder’s biggest gift, however, might be the sheer value he brings to Green. It’s quite surprising how quickly the pair have forged a connection and shown positive chemistry. Schröder is very, very aware of how athletically gifted Green is and is eager to get him the ball in those advantageous situations. The pair locked eyes on a nifty backdoor cut in the first quarter that they didn’t convert (too strong of a Schröder pass), but both are quick in the open court and should be able to convert on more of these off defensive stops.
Alley-oops are emphatic and fun, but Schröder has also done the little things to make life easier on Green. Quick flare screens to try and free him from defenders for perimeter looks. Pass-aheads in transition knowing Green’s power and downhill ability will put pressure on a team’s defense. Sprinting back on defense, knowing Houston’s transition defensive woes. Urging Green to be aggressive. His usage jumped from just 12.1 in the first quarter to 23.8 in the second and 26.7 in the third. It’s honestly a much more manageable situation having Schröder sharing the floor at times with Green than it might have been with John Wall, who still believes he can be the focal point of an offense.
Advertisement
“It’s been great,” Green said of his short time with Schröder. “He’s a big energy guy. He’s a real leader. From the jump, he just came in talking. Trying to get us going early, trying to get us to lock in and all buy in. It’s been real fun.”
Will Schröder stick around after this season? If he’s going to be that much of a positive influence on Green, it’s worth it. But even if we can’t speak to his long-term future at this point, right now, Schröder might just be what the doctor ordered.
(Photo of Dennis Schröder and Terance Mann: Kiyoshi Mio / USA Today)