by How the Warriors plan to best utilize Schröder alongside Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Dennis Schröder’s first practice as a member of the Warriors on Tuesday at Chase Center put him on the same side he always was when playing against his newest team: across from Steph Curry.
“Today I used him against him because I wanted to get him with the second group,” said coach Steve Kerr. “I thought that would be more important than putting him in the first group with Steph, but there will be both – for sure.”
Schröder, acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, arrived in San Francisco on Monday to undergo a physical exam. On Tuesday, he had his first Warriors practice, where the team dealt with late-game situations that have weighed heavily on them in their current difficult 2-8 stretch after starting the season 12-3 has. The veteran guard will practice again on Wednesday before making his team debut when the Warriors travel to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
Kerr has already used 13 different starting lineups in the Warriors’ first 25 games this season. Even though Schröder wasn’t part of Curry’s group when they first met together, that can’t be expected to last long.
If Schröder isn’t in the starting lineup on Thursday in Memphis, he likely will be much sooner than later.
“I think so,” Kerr said when asked if Schröder would start. “We need to sort it out and figure out what that means and then move on. But there’s a really good chance he’ll start.”
And if Curry isn’t on the field, Schröder will be.
“He’ll definitely play all the non-Steph minutes,” Kerr continued. “But I also like the idea of them being together. So there’s a good chance we’ll do that, but we have to make that decision and look at some options.”
How Schröder would fit on and off the field was an immediate question when it was announced he would be a Warrior. He doesn’t naturally fit Kerr’s ball-moving style on offense. Schröder is much more of a pick-and-roll type offensive cog.
This season, he is averaging 6.5 3-point attempts per game and is shooting a career-best 38.7 percent from distance. Schröder is also a threat in the midfield, as he shoots an NBA-best 60.5 percent from this distance.
These Warriors, as currently constructed, are all about pace and space, running the floor and making it fly. Schröder brings a new wrinkle. Kerr, recognizing they are different players, compared his new 12-year veteran to Chris Paul’s one season in a Warriors jersey and also pointed to similarities in what Jordan Poole brought as a quick, explosive scorer.
What’s stood out most about Schröder’s offense, now that he’s been in the NBA for a dozen years, is its efficiency. His 18.4 points per game is the second-best mark of his career, as is his field goal percentage of 45.2. Schröder’s offensive rating of 114.7 is 0.3 points below his career high.
But his effective field goal rate (54.2 percent) and shooting percentage (58.8 percent) are both the highest of his career.
The confidence he now has in his shot couldn’t be more obvious to Kerr. When Schröder scored 31 points against the Warriors on Nov. 25, including 17 in the fourth quarter, Kerr said it annoyed him how often he knew Schröder was going to shoot and that it was always the right shot.
“I just think that at 31, he’s at the point in his career where his mind and his body are kind of at the forefront of their connection. … I just feel like he’s at the peak of his awareness of what wins right now,” Kerr said.
At the end of the day, like every decision the Warriors make, it’s all about Curry. To get him some help, ease the burden and see if this move gets him one step closer to his fifth championship ring.
Curry, Kerr and the rest of the Warriors have already encouraged Schröder to be himself as a player rather than trying to overcorrect and adapt to the way they do things. Push the ball when you have it. If not, run with curry.
Schröder also knows what that means. There should be plenty of free throws for him.
“I mean, 80, 90, 95 percent, they’re going to play the pick-and-roll at lightning speed, so there’s going to be completely free shots on the weak side,” Schröder said. “I will be prepared for it. Play with [Curry]Of course there will be a lot of shots, so I have to be prepared for that too.”
Between the regular season, the play-in tournament and the playoffs, Curry and Schröder have played against each other 24 times in their careers and have each won exactly 12 games against each other. Whether Schröder was playing against the Warriors or another team, Curry and Golden State were subconsciously always on his mind.
“When you go on the NBA app and see Golden State playing, you’re excited because the way he plays, he plays like it’s a video game,” Schröder said. “Just have fun, laugh and read the right texts every time. He’s one of the superstars I have a lot of respect for because he doesn’t care if he scored 10, 20, 30 or 40 points.
“When he plays on the double team, he makes the right plays. I’m really excited; I can’t say it enough.”
From Thursday everything becomes real. Not a video game, but an experiment before our eyes that will either go up in flames or be the perfect formula for Curry and the rest of the Warriors.
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