Why Schröder trade brings Warriors few answers five weeks in originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen Curry’s scoreless second half, the first of his 16-year NBA career, is valid topic for what befell the Warriors on Saturday evening.
Same applies to Buddy Hield’s latest appearance in the starting lineup, as the veteran managed 10 points on 33.3-percent shooting from the field to extend his prolonged stretch of substandard shooting.
These are, based on their long histories, temporary failures. It’s reckless to assume Hield forgot how to shoot, and it’s safe to assume Curry’s troubles will be fixed, perhaps as soon Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
What shows no indication of being fixed is the marriage between the Warriors and veteran point guard Dennis Schröder. Their offensive incompatibility was on vivid display once again and was a significant factor in a 118-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers before a dejected sellout crowd (18,064) at Chase Center.
The Warriors traded for Schröder last month hoping he could share the backcourt with Curry, resulting in an effective duo at both ends. They also slotted Schröder as the team’s offensive conductor when Curry is off the floor. Neither assignment is being aced.
This was Game 20 of the Schröder-Warriors union, and there still is little chemistry with Curry, which, to be fair, is a challenge to the smartest of players. Their minus-9.0 plus-minus (over 243 minutes together) is worse than every Curry partner except Lindy Waters III (minus-16.6 in 72 minutes).
What Schröder has done best throughout his 11-year career is work off high-ball screens and pick-and-roll. It can, at times, be magical. It is not what the Warriors do best.
What the Warriors do best is run motion, organized chaos, which has benefitted Curry and served them well for many years. Not so this season, which has resulted in an uptick in shot-clock violations – there were six in one game last month – and an offense too often clogging chances for a decent shot.
Schröder is trying to make it work, but his discomfort in making the adjustment is evident. In 11 seasons under coach Steve Kerr, Golden State’s half-court offense never has looked so awkward for such a prolonged stretch (We’re excluding the abomination that was the 2019-20 season).
“I love Dennis; I think he’s playing really well for us,” Kerr told reporters after the loss to the Lakers. “He’s doing things that we need, the on-ball pressure, playing the non-Steph minutes. He and Brandon [Podziemski] form a good combination during those minutes. I think Dennis is doing fine.”
The metrics contradict this. The Schroder-Podziemski plus-minus: minus-7.1, but only 54 minutes.
Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy acquired Schröder to fill the void left by the injured De’Anthony Melton, who seemed to synchronize well with Curry and the offense in general. Schröder, as a natural point guard, was a theoretical fit.
But theory has not led to production. The Warriors are 8-12 since Schröder came aboard, and there are many reasons. Hield’s dramatic dip. Curry playing through numerous aches. The absences of Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga. With all these issues in play, the Warriors are not an NBA playoff team.
They believe they will be playoff-worthy when Green and Kuminga return, which is more than a few days away.
But the Schröder trade has not provided what was intended. His defense generally has been fine, but his offense, from playmaking to the 36-percent shooting from the field, including 28.4 percent beyond the arc, has been a tough watch.
“It’s never easy coming to a team midseason,” Kerr said, accurately. “But I think he’s finding his way. We’re settling into this new rotation where he’s coming off the bench, but he’s going to play important minutes for us.”
One of Kerr’s beliefs is that it takes about 20 games to offer a fair evaluation of a team or a player. He’s seen Schröder for 20 games and surely knows it’s not working on offense. That an adjustment might be necessary to maximize the potential of their partnership.
Question is: Who makes that adjustment?
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