German point guard Dennis Schroeder is one of the more interesting prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft and is a certainty to be selected in the first round. The 19-year-old’s draft stock rocketed up after an impressive performance in the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, where he led the World Select team to a victory over an imposing U.S. squad. Schroeder has a tremendous mix of size and length for the point guard position in the NBA as well as an impressive skill set. He is one of youngest and most naturally gifted basketball players in the draft; let’s examine his game a bit closer.
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Strengths:
At 6’2” with a 6’7” wingspan, Schoeder has excellent size and length as a point guard and his size also gives him immense defensive potential. He uses his length to bother opposing guards, get into the passing lanes and ignite the break with steals. Schroeder has great quickness all over the court including with the ball in hand. He has tremendous first step with the ball and a great change of pace which allows him to blow by opponents and get into the paint at will. He has excellent ball-handling skills, he possesses impressive crossover and in-and-out dribble moves which he can perform with either hand.
Schroeder is a pass-first point guard with great control in the pick-and-roll game. He has great control while waiting for his screener where he can deliver bounce passes or lobs with equal precision. He has the ability to make highlight reel passes, swinging the ball from one side of the court to the other with one hand and landing the ball right in the sweet spot for his outside shooters. Having such high-level passing at a young age is a great sign for Schroeder’s potential as a pass-first point guard in the NBA.
While not a natural scorer, Schroeder has good shooting mechanics and is a very solid spot-up shooter. He shot better than 40 percent from 3 and converted better than 80 percent at the free-throw line. He is a high-level athlete with a European flair to his game, with experience in international competitions and at just 19 years old, Schroeder is one of the highest potential players in the draft.
Weaknesses:
While Schroeder has no problem creating space for himself, he can struggle to make defenses pay, he can often get his shot blocked at the rim and struggles to pull up from mid-range. In Isolation situations, he can be inconsistent with his shot, off the dribble he is a poor deep shooter and can struggle to get his shot off against length. While Schroeder has a great handle, he can often get careless with the ball–stronger players can rip the ball away from him and he can sometimes struggle to make the easy pass.
There are some concerns over his attitude, there are occasions where he can appear disinterested on court and can get frustrated with teammates and officials. It is rare for an international player to come over at such a young age, especially one responsible for playing the point guard position. Schroeder will have major adjustments to make if he comes over to the NBA immediately as it is assumed he will.
Potential Landing Spots:
Utah Jazz, No. 14 Pick
The Utah Jazz have solidified a great young frontcourt with Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, who will next season take over the starting positions and begin the next phase of the teams rebuilding. The team is in need of a young point guard of the future to grow with their impressive group of young players and Schroeder has the highest potential of any point guard on the board. He has an attacking mindset, a pass first style and defensive potential that would fit well with the direction the Jazz are heading in.
Milwaukee Bucks, No.15 Pick
Much like the Jazz, the Bucks have assembled a talented young front court and will look to the draft to add a young guard into the mix. Adding to the interest is the fact that all of the Bucks’ major contributors in the back court this season are off contract and may leave via free agency. Schroeder’s tremendous length and defense would mix well with their existing core and his passing style would be a great addition to a team that has had shoot first guards running the offense for a number of years.