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2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 12: Boston’s Bargain Bradley, Wall Gets Help And Super Schroder Strikes Again

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) goes to the basket past Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) goes to the basket past Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NBA Playoffs
Apr 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) dribbles the ball past Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (13) in the second quarter in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Super-Schroder

The Atlanta Hawks are on the brink of elimination with Wednesday night’s loss, but playoff aspirations were never particularly high to begin with. In fact, most people were expecting a Paul Millsap trade months ago until the front office came out and said he was off limits.

Millsap’s free agency will be a crossroads for the franchise, amplified by the restricted free agency of Tim Hardaway Jr., plus the unrestricted free agencies of Thabo Sefolosha and Ersan Ilyasova.

But even with this team’s short-term outlook feeling a bit hazy, Hawks fans have to love what they’ve seen out of Dennis Schroder in this first round series.

In Game 5, Schroder finished with a game-high 29 points and 11 assists, making him the first Hawk to put up 25 points and 10 dimes in a playoff game since Pete Maravich.

He shot 10-for-18 from the field, was a blistering 5-for-6 from downtown and kept Atlanta in the game late with some pivotal assists and a few clutch shots that probably had no business going in.

It was a pretty impressive stat line from a guy who shot just 34 percent from long range during the regular season, especially considering how the Hawks traded away Jeff Teague to make him their starter. But Schroder’s Game 5 wasn’t an isolated incident, since the German point guard has gone toe-to-toe with John Wall all series.

Through five games, Schroder is averaging 24.4 points and 7.2 assists per game, leading the Hawks in both categories. He’s shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from three-point territory, and perhaps best of all, “Playoff Schroder” no longer includes missed layups and a high volume of turnovers (only 1.6 per game).

The Hawks aren’t Eastern Conference contenders, and their summer could get depressing in a hurry if Paul Millsap signs elsewhere. Hell, Atlanta might not even win this series. But at the very least, the fans can appreciate that their 23-year-old point guard has a bright future in this league.