The missing piece of the puzzle? Why Schröder fits the Warriors

NBA star Dennis Schröder knows all about moving. Now, just before Christmas, the 31-year-old has to pack his bags again. With his wife and their three children. In a trade, the German basketball world champion was sent from the Brooklyn Nets to the Golden State Warriors. West coast instead of east coast.

“The reactions to it were initially very shocking. Being traded so early, after 25 or 26 games, is tough,” he explained in an interview with German press agencybut saw this as a good sign: “It obviously says how much they want you. At the end of the day, it’s very, very cool.”

It wasn’t all that surprising that Schröder would end up with the Dubs after his short time in the Big Apple. He and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr are looked after by the same agent; before the franchise announced it, the US media had long reported on the upcoming transfer.

But what does the change bring?

The Warriors are very happy about the new addition. After the 133:143 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, head coach Kerr said: “I’m thrilled. I told Dennis that he kicked my ass on three different continents.” And if you can’t beat someone, then you just have to team up with them, the star trainer continued.

The background: Schröder and the German national team beat the US team coached by Kerr in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines. Schröder also shone with the DBB selection during the Olympic preparations in London in the summer against the Dream Team and the German eliminated the Warriors in the semi-finals of the Western Conference with the Lakers in the 2022/23 season: “He was brilliant there.”

His new teammates were also enthusiastic. Superstar Stephen Curry explained: “He gives us everything we need. I’m really excited to play with him now.”

Draymond Green added: “We didn’t bring him in just to fit in. We play basketball in a way that he doesn’t play. I don’t think he has to adapt to us. We have to adapt to it. Because he does things that we miss, that we’re not good at.”

Last summer, the franchise tried to recruit some top stars, but without success. The season started with only one superstar, Steph Curry, and a large squad around him. At the beginning of the season it was a tried and tested method, but recently major weaknesses became apparent after De’Andre Melton’s injury.

In the face of a tight schedule, six of eight games were lost, and Curry also experienced a small dip in form.

Rumors about possible transfers of Jimmy Butler or LeBron James made the rounds, but in the end it was Dennis Schröder, who came from the Nets for Melton and a few second-round picks. An ideal solution for the Warriors. Melton has been unable to play since his cruciate ligament tear and can now be replaced directly by Schröder.

According to Kerr, he should play alongside Curry, not as a substitute. “It seems perfect to have him start alongside Steph.”

An important step for the offense, which has little impact without Curry. If the superstar is not on the floor, either because of an injury or because he needs a breather, they are one of the weakest teams in the league with an offensive rating of 102.4.

So, apart from Curry, they don’t have a reliable player on the team who can provide himself and his teammates with throws. Schröder recently showed very clearly in Brooklyn that he can do exactly that. In Cam Thomas’ absence, he was primarily responsible for building the game. He prepared over 30 percent of his teammates’ goals, making him one of the best assist players in the NBA.

He also impressed with his own numbers. He averaged 18.4 points, 6.6 assists and three rebounds – that’s how good he’s been since his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder five years ago, when he narrowly missed out on the title of “Sixth Man of the Year” alongside Chris Paul , no longer. The German’s playing style has also changed. He throws from downtown significantly more often (almost 44 percent).

The fact that Schröder also plays extremely intensively defensively should prove to be a pleasant side effect for his new employer, as the team is already one of the best in the league in this area.

After the Hawks, OKC, Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, Raptors and Nets, Golden State is the 31-year-old’s eighth NBA team. From the Nets, who are in tenth place in the East, they go to the Warriors, who are in eighth place in the West. Doesn’t exactly sound like a title contender. However, the season is still young, the gaps are still small and the Warriors have fallen behind a little after the bankruptcies mentioned above.

It is still doubtful that the Warriors will join the absolute top teams thanks to Schröder’s signing. However, an urgent problem is solved and the team’s future planning is not negatively affected by the German’s relatively low salary (13 million).

Schröder himself is now becoming more of a focus again as a result of the trade, after all, he is now playing alongside Curry and under Kerr, who won four NBA titles from 2015 to 2022 and are among the league’s elite. A big stage to recommend yourself for a new contract.

If in doubt, you’re welcome to move.