Atlanta Hawks: What We’ve Learned From An Eventful Few Days
By Adam McGee
Still In Need Of Maturing
For all of the improvements that Dennis Schröder has made on the court this season, the last week has provided no shortage of evidence to suggest that he still has room to grow and mature.
More than anything, from Atlanta’s point of view the call seems to be to ask their point guard to show greater independence and take responsibility for his own actions.
Having traveled home to Germany to visit family and enjoy some rest during the All-Star break, Schröder returned later than expected as the Hawks resumed team activities.
The 23-year-old missed Atlanta’s practices on Wednesday and Thursday and was suspended without pay for Friday’s game with the Miami Heat.
The causes of Schröder’s delay were not so straightforward as to assume that he was solely to blame, although the player explained to the Atlanta Journal Constitution that in spite of assistance from the NBA and the Hawks he still didn’t manage to return on time.
"“I replaced my passport and didn’t realize that I had to put my new visa in there,” Schroder said Friday. “The Hawks organization and the NBA tried to get me as soon as possible a meeting with the consulate. We didn’t make it in time. I’m sorry for me, my teammates and the organization.”"
If the reasons for Schröder’s delay to the US were understandable due to their more complex nature, much less excusable was the fact that the player was late for the team bus ahead of his team’s next game and his planned return to action.
As Chris Vivlamore reported, Budenholzer explained the team’s decision to subsequently have Schröder start from the bench against Orlando in no uncertain terms.
"“We continue to hold our entire roster, all of our players, accountable,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Our culture is important to us. Respect for your teammates is important to us. That’s our job and that’s our organization’s job is to continue to build on our culture.”"
It’s far from ideal for the team to have to issue punishments to one of their star players, but even less so when those decisions go on to impact two consecutive games.
Those two games could ultimately come back to hurt the Hawks when playoff matchups are decided, and when speaking to Vivlamore, Paul Millsap certainly didn’t hide the fact that the young German’s actions had negatively influenced the team.
"“It hurt us last night not to have him,” Paul Millsap said. “It hurt us tonight not to start with him. Those decisions are left up to the organization. We have to accept what it is. Dennis is sorry. I think he wants to be on the court. It’s something we have to get over. These two games we have to put behind us.”"
Schröder is vital to Atlanta’s present, but he projects to be even more central to the team’s future. The Hawks need him to eliminate these lapses in future, and become the leader that his status within the team demands.