Atlanta Hawks: Weighing the Idea Of Starting Dennis Schroder

Positional dilemmas can be both a blessing and a curse for NBA teams. On one hand, having a starting-caliber player who’s willing to come off the bench can be a great asset in strengthening second units. On the other hand, those disputes can cause locker room problems and force teams to sell low on trade assets or make unfitting lineups work.

The Atlanta Hawks may be heading towards a point where they have to pick between those two paths with their point guards.

Jeff Teague, the current starter, has shown substantial improvement for Atlanta in his time there. However, the Hawks have a third-year guard they grabbed from Europe, a player whose nicknames range from “The Menace” to “German Rondo.”

Characterized by monstrous athleticism, cerebral-yet-unpolished floor management, and a tough attitude, Dennis Schroder has seen his name recognition rise in his NBA career. He’s recognized widely as a very solid young player with the potential to rise to star status. However, Schroder’s recent comment about his role shows he may think he’s further along than other people do.

Hawks PG Dennis Schroder says he will explore other teams if he doesn't start: https://t.co/df5Rk0RGG7 pic.twitter.com/o0yHl2B6qK
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) October 24, 2015

There are two ways this can happen. Either Schroder can start over Jeff Teague, or the two can start together.

The first option seems both unlikely and not-ideal. Schroder is a really good basketball player, but it is hard to argue in favor of benching a reigning All-Star fresh off averaging 16 points and seven assists per game. Teague has become essential to the Hawks’ system because of his versatility. He can shoot, attack and distribute at an above-average level.

One thing that Teague does better than Schroder is shoot, an important skill for a team that loves spacing like Atlanta does. Schroder shot 32 percent on jump shots last season, which isn’t horrendous but certainly doesn’t scare defenses. They tend to leave Schroder on an island when the Hawks try to let one of their big men work in the post.

This is a problem for a team who operates around spacing the floor so much that no team can ever help inside. Having Schroder on the floor with that starting unit (especially one that may feature Thabo Sefolosha or Kent Bazemore) takes the Hawks further and further away from their identity.

Schroder spent time working on his shooting over the offseason, but the results have yet to really show. He’s hit three of 11 attempts from deep so far this season. To be fair, Teague is one of nine, so three games is meaningless.

However, when Atlanta put him on the floor and he is ignored, it does have effects on their ability to play their desired style of basketball. In that clip, Steve Blake cuts off the passing lanes but is really close to a hard double team. Why? Even if Horford makes the outside pass, there’s no huge crisis to close on a poor shooter like Schroder.

That kind of versatility is the Hawks’ biggest trump card. Their players can score and pass to and from any spot on the court, allowing them to diversify their attack.

Schroder makes his mark by attacking the rim, and he is really, really good at it. He’s got the speed to immediately stop, make a move, and restart his drive in the blink of an eye. He is fast enough that even opposing guards who recover quickly off screens can’t get in front of him enough to slow him down.

However, Schroder is less effective against bigger players who don’t have to chase him. Those layups on the side are hard to hit when a guy much taller than Schroder simply has to raise his hand to deny it.

Schroder’s effective field goal percentage was 46.6 percent last year, the fourth lowest on the Hawks. He is a fearsome driver, but generally is just not that efficient a scorer.

However, Schroder is a very good passer, even when attempting flashy passes. There’s an idea in football that quarterbacks throw not to where their receivers are, but where they are going to be. The same is true here. Schroder is adept at finding small pockets and targeting a teammates’ reach instead of his body.

Schroder has worked on passes like that his whole career, and the early season results look like his accuracy has improved. He’s hitting shooters well, and he’s confident enough to try fancy no-look passes even in situations that do not really require it.

The problem is that Schroder doesn’t always pass out to shooters on the drive as much as he should. It would be nice if less of his penetration attempts ended like the Al Jefferson clip above, and if more ended with kicks out to corner shooters.

That kind of court awareness is a hard thing to learn, especially for a young player who dominated in Europe and has a feisty attitude. He gets tunnel vision when he attacks the rim, and sometimes that leads to blown possessions. Sometimes that leads to blown possessions in critical playoff moments.

If the Hawks rely on two things, it’s shooting and not wasting possessions.

That certainly doesn’t mean Schroder is not a good player or important to the Hawks. He’s just a bit of an odd fit. Odd fits can be good for adapting to situations, but starting a player who doesn’t entirely fit your philosophy or personnel may not work.

Teague is just a more efficient and controlled player, and the Hawks need those skills from their floor manager. They rely on him to kick out to shooters, but to also be a shooter who can spot up around Al Horford or Paul Millsap post-ups.

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If Teague is willing to take up a more shooting guard role, that might be the way to appease Schroder’s desire.

However, that makes for a hard question at the small forward position. The Hawks need Kyle Korver on the floor to be their best, but neither he nor Schroder can be relied on to defend wings. The Hawks need Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha for that job. So, if both Teague and Schroder start and Korver is healthy, it’s a bit of a conundrum.

Playing both of them creates a ripple effect on the rotation that would require Atlanta to adjust in somewhat substantial ways. If they feel they have to start Schroder, either because he is that good or they are afraid of alienating him, that might be their best option.

Alternatively, the Hawks could decide to clear the positional logjam and move one of them. Both have good value and could fetch good compensation on the market. Teague has two years left on his deal at $8 million per year. Schroder, who just had his team option picked up, will hit restricted free agency that same year.

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The reality is that the Hawks don’t have enough data to make a decision yet. How Schroder plays in the earl stages of this season will likely determine what course they take. However, this point guard dilemma is a budding story that at some point will have to reach some sort of equilibrium. What that equilibrium is will be a major factor in how the Hawks play and build going forward.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com

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